Every third Thursday of the month, residents of South West England’s Somerset County can tune into their local radio station and hear from some presenters that may otherwise go unheard: Homeless people.
Radio Dusthole, hosted by homeless charity service provider James Ball, features staff and clients from Julian House, a charity that helps people facing homelessness rebuild their lives.
“Our clients love music and have good banter, so it seemed like a no-brainer,” Ball said in a blog post for Julian House. “I contacted Frome FM, who loved the idea. I went in for a day of training and it’s been a staple of our activities since.”
The point of the show is not to sensationalize homelessness, but rather to provide an opportunity for people to feel confident in sharing their stories — and even their favorite songs.
“The show is a feel-good hour filled with good tunes, great banter, and fascinating stories from voices that are so often ignored,” a social media post from Julian House describes the program.
Ball works to ensure this.
“I didn’t want it to be a show about rough sleeping where it’s all downbeat and we only play ‘Another Day in Paradise’ by Phil Collins,” he told Somerset Live.
Instead, Ball engages the on-air guests with casual chats, curated tunes, and stories that “highlight the resilience and humor” of the individuals on the show.
“The clients sometimes talk about their experiences sleeping rough,” Ball clarified, “but it’s up to them if they feel comfortable discussing it.”
Steve, a guest who was homeless for 27 years, told the BBC that he was hesitant to join the show — at first.
He said that he “hasn’t got a face nor voice for radio … always rattling on.”
But with the support of Ball, Steve realized he had a natural knack for storytelling.
“We thought it was going to be a disaster, just me and James,” Steve told the BBC. “But we had so much laughter and banter, it was just unreal.”
The show is named after The Dusthole, a well-known local pub in Shepton Mallet that started taking in homeless folks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has been taken over by Julian House, much like this monthly program on Frome FM.
“I’ve been so impressed by their composure on air,” Ball told Somerset Live. “They’re very natural hosts who just ‘get it.’”
Initially, the program was designed to help people develop career skills and experience to move into permanent, secure housing, and regain a sense of control over their lives.
But the confidence boost it provides is also vital to Julian House’s mission.
“They just loved hearing their voices coming out of the radio,” Ball said. “Building their self-esteem is such a massive part of their journey with us.”
In addition to the radio show, Julian House also offers programming like bike repair workshops and a roving social activities network that includes Tai Chi, pottery classes, rock climbing, and museum trips.
Alongside vital outreach methods that help people through substance use disorders, abuse, refugee resettlement, and any other sort of situation that may lead to housing instability, these social opportunities provide a lifeline.
“Many of our clients have to tackle social exclusion in many forms. This is not easy and often presents itself as a combination of complex issues,” Geraldine, an employment support worker, at Julian House, said in a blog post for the organization.
“These issues are widespread and can leave individuals with poor mental health, vulnerable; excluding them from social support, healthcare and economic resources, which then can lead to criminal behavior, addiction, homelessness, and unemployment.”
Whether as a radio presenter or a bike repair aficionado, Julian House’s social programs can be the difference between flourishing and floundering.
“Some have been reluctant to come, but once they have, they’ve never looked back,” Ball said of Radio Dusthole. “Everything is worth a try.”
Header image courtesy of Julian House
