Discover We Are England – A New Series Giving You a Voice
The news is being put in the hands of the people as the BBC tackle important issues with their new series
Their new series, We Are England, has been created from hubs in Leeds and Newcastle, among others, and there are plenty of inspiring stories that have been shared. They include army veterans suffering with mental health problems who are retraining as HGV drivers, pastors keeping a city’s streets safe at night, and the family of Michelle Bettles 20 years on from her murder as police reopen the case and investigate new lines of enquiry.
There’ll be 10 weekly themes per series, which each hub will tailor to their region. Themes for the first series range from mental health and the housing crisis to unsolved murders and young entrepreneurs striving to set up successful businesses in the face of adversity.
The programme will launch with Mind & Me – stories themed around the mental health crisis – and individuals will share their personal journeys of overcoming their challenges.
For this opening theme, the Newcastle hub has produced a film called Cold Swim. It follows Jacqui, who is one of millions of people across the UK who have taken up cold water swimming. She takes daily dips in the North Sea and has seen a drastic improvement in her physical and mental wellbeing. In this show, she’s encouraging more people to join her, and We Are England follows two new recruits as they take the plunge.
In the final week of the first series audiences will join six celebrities on a personal journey in their hometowns, to understand what makes them who they are.
