We received a message at Radio Woking from 14-year-old Tee-Jay. He wanted to come on the radio to discuss his concerns about the proposed changes to the SEN education system.

Tee-Jay attended a mainstream primary school and now goes to a specialist secondary school. He told me how he finally feels he fits in at his current school, which wasn’t always the case during his primary education. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of nine and was non-verbal until he was six. You wouldn’t have known this, however, as he presented so well with a well-thought-out argument.

We also heard that he is a massive Coldplay fan because he loves the lights at their shows. His mum is taking him to his first ever gig to see the band later this year. Tee-Jay and his mum have been researching how the event can be made accessible for him — a true example of somebody who puts himself out there and does what he wants to do with his life!

Hearing voices like Tee-Jay’s is so powerful. He has lived through the system and is best placed to speak out about the impact these changes may have. He wants to speak out more and become an advocate to help others.

I also spoke with Jim Connor, who runs Fitness with Jim yoga classes across the community. We discussed how he came into yoga during lockdown and how his business has grown from there. He has recently partnered with Andy’s Man Club (AMC), a peer-to-peer support group for men to talk. Jim has started a weekly funded yoga session at Park View Centre in Sheerwater on Monday nights before the main AMC session.

Yoga has many benefits for both physical and mental health and is something men are increasingly turning to, defying the stereotype of it being a “woman’s thing”. Jim doesn’t claim to be perfect, but he brings his humanity to his classes along with plenty of laughter and silly jokes.

Yoga is not something I have tried, and if I’m honest, I worry about fitting in, particularly when walking into an established class. What would they think of me as I try to master the art of yoga? I guess it’s similar for the AMC sessions. The hardest part is often taking those first steps through the door — doing that is a huge win and something everybody has done at some point. For those like me who attend the weekly sessions, AMC has become a lifeline — a space to talk, listen, and support each other. A safe place to open up or just listen. Find out more about Andy’s Man Club at www.andysmanclub.co.uk. They meet every Monday at 7pm (except bank holidays) at the Park View Community Centre in Sheerwater.

You can listen to my radio shows on Radio Woking on Sundays from 9am to 12pm and Wednesdays from 7am to 9am. Catch Emma and I on Surrey Hills Community Radio every second Monday at 9pm, and Life on the Edgewith Edge Disability Consultancy airs every first Monday at 10am. You can also send a voice note via www.speakpipe.com/jonandrews or email [email protected]