SEND Backstage

05 - Charlotte Law - Twins Tides & Autism Vibes

This week Jay chats with the brilliant Charlotte Law - mum, co-parent, advocate, creator of SENDFest, half of SAA Clothing, and the heart behind the Instagram community @twins_tides_and_autism_vibes. It’s warm, funny, honest, and full of Fleetwood Mac, big feelings, and donut-based life skills. What we talked about 💬 Charlotte’s world * Mum to Jude, Tommy, and twin girls. * Co-parenting with James from Stories About Autism. * Building SAA Clothing as a community built on “we see you, we get you.” 🎵 Music as magic & regulation * How music opens Jude’s world - from Alexa playlists to full-on raves. * Why music is connection, regulation, and comfort rolled into one. * Her three road-trip songs. * The song that makes her cry every time: 😂 Playlists, raves & donut challenges Jay and Charlotte compare playlists, talk about music that transports them, and agree they absolutely need a donut-in-one-bite showdown. 🧡 Inclusion — what it actually means Charlotte puts it perfectly: * Different is not less. * Inclusion is seeing the whole person, not hunting for a “special talent.” * Celebrate difference - don’t shrink it down. 🌈 Advice for young disabled people & parent carers * Don’t reshape yourself to fit in. * Being you is enough. * Celebrate your uniqueness - it changes the room. * Hard days are normal. Don’t hide them. 🌙 The after-9pm idea… Charlotte and Jay accidentally invent a new series: the weekly inappropriate round-up of phrases Jay brings home from college. Coming soon (probably from a locked bathroom so Charlotte’s 8-year-olds can’t hear). Where to find Charlotte Instagram: @twins_tides_and_autism_vibes This is where she shares family life, advocacy, SENDFest updates, and all the behind-the-scenes realness.

04: Gemma Bryan, Isla's Voice

In this episode Jay sits down with the brilliant Gemma Bryan, known to many of you through Isla’s Voice, her honest, funny and much-loved corner of the internet. Gemma talks about parenting, inclusion, lived experience and the power of music to help you laugh, cry and get through life. We chat about her road trip bangers, the songs that shaped her childhood, the tracks that bring happy tears, and why Roam by The B-52s absolutely deserves its place on any playlist. Gemma also shares how music has carried her through the hardest moments, what real inclusion actually looks like, and why nothing about us without us should always be the starting point. There are stories about Roland Rat on vinyl, Dad’s band days, bath-and-a-beal moments, 90s classics, and the chaos of Mariah Carey ruining perfectly good songs. It is warm, funny and full of proper SEND-world honesty. You can find Gemma at Isla’s Voice on Facebook at https://facebook.com/islasvoice [https://facebook.com/islasvoice]where she is most active and regularly shares life, humour and lived experience. For more information about Festability and inclusive events, please go to festability.co.uk. [festability.co.uk.]

03: Kerry Banks, Martha Trust

In this episode Jay chats with Kerry Banks, the fundraising powerhouse behind Martha Trust and the organiser of Music on the Farm. Kerry has spent almost twenty years in events and fundraising, and her passion for community, inclusion and music shines through from the very first minute. Kerry talks about the song that always lifts her up, the Elvis track that still brings tears, and which song guarantees she is on the dance floor. She also shares the story of how she first got into charity events, what she has learned from working with people with profound disabilities, and how music has become the heartbeat of her work. Jay and Kerry dive into what inclusion really means, the tiny things that make a big difference, and how she uses her voice to challenge ignorance and champion disability awareness. There are also some excellent dad jokes about Sandwich and Ham, which she absolutely leans into. It is warm, funny and full of proper community spirit. If you would like to find out more about Martha Trust and their work, please visit marthatrust.org.uk. For more information about Festability and inclusive events, please go to festability.co.uk.

02: Debs Aspland, Festability

In this episode, Jay interviews someone he knows better than anyone else. His mum. Debs Aspland. Founder of Festability, parent carer, music lover and the reason SEND Backstage exists in the first place. Debs talks about growing up in a house filled with everything from Barbra Streisand to Fleetwood Mac to AC/DC. She shares the songs that shaped her teenage years in the North West, her time repping in nightclubs, and the 80s and 90s tracks that still get her dancing to this day. We also talk honestly about inclusion. Why Festability was born, what true inclusion looks like, and what it absolutely does not look like. Debs shares the challenges parent carers face, the realities behind organising an accessible music festival, and how one clip on BBC North West changed everything. There is emotion, proper belly laughs and some classic mum–son chaos. For more information about Festability and inclusive events, please go to festability.co.uk.

01 - Meet Jay, the host of SEND Backstage

In our very first episode of SEND Backstage, we flip the script. Instead of Jay interviewing a guest, his mum sits down with him so you can get to know the brilliant human behind the mic. Jay is blind, autistic and has epilepsy, and he talks openly about how he experiences films, college life, music, access and everyday assumptions people make. We chat about his wildly eclectic music taste, the taxi driver who accidentally shaped his playlists, meeting Cypress Hill, and the moments music has made him feel included and excluded. We also talk about Festability, what inclusion means to Jay, the things he wishes people understood about blindness and autism, and his advice for other young disabled people trying to find their voice. It is honest, funny and full of typical Jay energy. For more information about Festability and inclusive events, please go to festability.co.uk.