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A 59-year-old woman who lives in Preston has set up a new podcast to share her life experiences and bring hope to the city’s ‘unsung heroes’.
Debra Blackman set up ‘Sphere of Being’ alongside co-host Norma Sherwin, 63, from Runcorn. The pair met online and found a common interest in ‘caring for those who care for others’.
Experiencing similar childhoods, Debra and Norma, always had the desire to help people – with Norma being a former care home manager and Debra being a full-time carer for her late mother for ten years.
“I had a traumatic childhood and a toxic relationship with my mother. She suddenly became sick and I thought it was my duty to care for her,” explained Debra.
“While being a full-time carer I was trying to hold down a high-pressure job, I kept it to myself just so I could stay. I felt like I was living a double life.
“I couldn’t sleep. I used to wake up at 4:45 every morning, get my mum ready then have an hour and a half commute to work.
“I was isolated, alone and I didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know who I was anymore. Millions of people deal with the same thing I did every day. I wanted to give them a voice and a safe space.”
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However, the podcast is not just for carers. Debra explained how she wanted to target parents, nurses, teachers, vets, employers – anyone who may be struggling with balancing ‘normal’ life and looking after others.
“I want it to be a community-based podcast to show people they are not alone.
“It’s happy and chatty and from the heart because we’ve both been there before. We know there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel.”
With five episodes already, each exploring different topics such as ‘being your authentic self’ and having a ‘work-life balance,’ the podcast is published weekly.
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Debra hopes to get the community in Preston involved by inviting guests on to share their experiences. She is particularly interested in talking to businesses and employers to advise on how they can help colleagues who may be going through a similar situation to what she did.
“We offer information from the heart and engage with people because we’ve gone through it.
“We don’t want to give clinical advice, we can give tweaks and suggestions. It’s personal and what worked for us.
“I want to help people understand everyday unsung heroes. It would be great to get local people in Preston on.”
Those who want to be involved in Sphere of Being can contact Debra at [email protected] or call 01772 808584. You can listen to the podcast via YouTube or PodBean.
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