BBC Radio Bristol come to the gym for live breakfast broadcast

We were joined by the team at NHS North Bristol who had a stall throughout the morning, offering free health checks to local residents in the inner city area.

Proper Bristol Breakfast show producer Nicki Ledgard outlined the  objective of Joe’s Wake Up Call.  She said : “ We decided we wanted to get out and about this summer and do something special. So BBC Radio Bristol has been inviting people to come along and be a part of the Joe Sims Breakfast show in July and August. We call it Joe’s Wake Up Call summer tour of Bristol, and it’s is a chance to see Joe's Proper Bristol Breakfast live on the road. 

We’ve been to Hartcliffe City farm and as you know, Empire Fighting Chance in Easton. We will also be visiting Lawrence Weston and the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta."

The whole idea was to "meet brilliant people doing amazing things all over Bristol and speak to some of the voices you don’t always hear.”

The live broadcast on Friday was also an opportunity to have some brilliant conversations exploring the work Empire do with young people, and our impact and future ambitions.

The person who had the unfortunate task of opening the building at the ungodly hour of 5am was our Community Manager Courtney. He said : “It was great having Joe Sims and the BBC Radio Bristol team in the gym, it was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our impact in the community.

Joe  was great at making everyone feel comfortable during the interviews, the buzz in the gym was fantastic all morning and it was great having people who may not have heard of us before visiting us for health check ups."

And added, "Yes I was up at a silly time to let them all in, but it was absolutely 100% worth it. We had a truly amazing day!"

We were very proud to see so many of our staff and volunteers stepping up to talk about their area of work on the radio with such confidence, and it was great to see so many local residents popping into the gym to have their health checked. The show was a lot of fun, with Joe bringing his usual enthusiasm and energy to conversations, but they also didn’t pull any punches on some delicate conversations either. Nicki continued: “Joe’s well known for putting a smile on people’s faces not just bringing the laughs— this is also a Wake Up Call  to look after your health.

We’ve been getting stuck into the stuff people often don’t want to talk about: balls, boobs, bums and (heart)beats. It’s all about keeping you and your loved ones fit and healthy."

And of the man himself…Joe Sims, he reflected on the live broadcast being highly complimentary about our work, and in particular one member of staff, stating : “The impact of our live broadcast at Empire  can’t be underestimated. The incredible community leaders that have walked a mile in these young people’s shoes.

People like Mariella, whose candour and bravery resonated with so many of our listeners and made for such compelling listening. It’s a constant source of local pride to see Empire Fighting Chance going from strength to strength and helping so many people.”

To be chosen to represent the community of inner city Bristol, of Easton, St Pauls, and Lawrence Hill, was a proud moment for Empire, and it was a privilege to be able to offer a safe space to people to explore health issues and get themselves checked out.

The next Joe’s Wake Up Call  live broadcast takes place on 1st August at Ambition House in Lawrence Weston and on the 8th August at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. Both start at 6am and finish at 10am, so set your alarm clocks!

We would like to thank all the staff and volunteers from Empire Fighting Chance and Bristol Boxing gym for being interviewed live on the radio, which isn't an easy task for everyone!

And of course, to Joe Sims and the fabulous team at BBC Radio Bristol, and all the amazing staff from NHS North Bristol Trust.

You can listen to the full episode here.