Real Voices
Personal stories and profile interviews centring lived experience, resilience and the many meanings of rebuilding a life.
‘Music created harmony in our relationship’: How music united a mother with foster child
When a former charity worker and lifestyle coach unexpectedly became a single foster carer in her 40s it gave her the inspiration to rediscover her love for music and gave her a tool to connect with her foster child.
Breaking stigma and finding joy: The beautiful realities of raising a child with disabilities
Photo: Deborah Michaelis Raising a child with additional needs isn’t the easiest journey for a parent, but it can be the most rewarding. Two mothers of children with disabilities spoke to Uproute about their experiences raising their kids and challenging negative...
Ecstasy, imprisonment, and artivism: Carlotta Allum on both sides of the system
Carlotta Allum’s life changed as soon as she arrived at LAX in 1996. Paid £5,000 to import ecstasy from the UK and promised, she was met with police officers as soon as she landed.
‘I just want to live my life’: Meet the homeless 21-year old who’s gone viral on TikTok
A man has gone viral on Tik Tok after setting up a GoFundMe to help him escape homelessness, and find permanent housing.
How a move abroad transformed one teacher’s wellbeing for the better
A woman packed up her life in Britain for a fresh start in France after her teaching career left her exhausted and a supportive new partner helped push her to prioritise her own mental wellbeing.
‘I ran a homeless charity, and I was homeless’: Amanda Evans on surviving abuse
When Amanda Evans escaped her home, she lost everything: her safety, her support and her freedom. What she never lost was her charity, no matter how little she had left. This is the story of how she survived and how she rebuilt.
‘You don’t need superpowers’: Scottish influencer walking 10,000 miles to Hong Kong for charity
After online backlash left her feeling isolated, Scottish content creator Kate Barr is walking from Dumfries to Hong Kong to raise £1 million for charities supporting mental health, young people and people with disabilities.
From drug dens to New Year Honours: Paul Hannaford’s fight to protect next generation
After 22 years of drug use, prison and gang involvement, Paul Hannaford was given days to live. Now nearly 20 years sober, he tours UK schools warning young people about addiction, gangs and knife crime.
From homeless to heard: How one man’s homelessness experience inspired a podcast challenging stigma
After facing homelessness himself, Barry Callaghan hosts a podcast sharing real stories of recovery, resilience and navigating homelessness.
How Gen Z is redefining recovery through #sobertok
As the digital-native Generation Z bypasses the almost 100-year-old blueprint of Alcoholics Anonymous, recovery is moving out of private church basements and onto the public feed. Uproute speaks to Baelie, a creator whose raw, unfiltered vulnerability is redefining what it means to heal online.
‘I thought the radio was talking to me’: inside a manic breakdown
What happens when the one thing you trust most,your own mind,starts to betray you? Writer Horatio Clare takes us inside the experience of bipolar mania, where delusions feel purposeful rather than chaotic. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Clare recounts how he slowly confronted reality, rebuilt his life, and ultimately found recovery. His story highlights not just the challenges of the condition, but the resilience and hope that come with overcoming it.
Shocka: author of his history
After the collapse of his grime trio and multiple mental health crises, Shocka has transformed loss and despair into music, mentorship, and self-discovery.