Eddy's Good News: NHS prescribing stand-up comedy classes and a 'living' battery

Virgin Radio

19 May 2022, 10:57

Every day during his show on Virgin Radio, Eddy Temple-Morris brings you Good News stories from around the world, to help inject a bit of positivity into your day!Be sure to listen each day between 10am and 1pm (Monday - Friday) to hear Eddy's Good News stories (amongst the finest music of course), but if you miss any of them you can catch up on the transcripts of Eddy's stories from today below:

Thursday 19th May 2022  

Fascinating news from here in the UK as the NHS prescribes stand up comedy classes for men at risk of suicide!

Say hello to Angie Belcher, a comedian and driving force behind Comedy on Referral, a pilot scheme for trauma survivors, run in the forward thinking NHS borough of Bristol which has been so outrageously successful, it’s won full time funding and is spreading Eastwards to London.Ask anyone who’s done stand up and they’ll tell you it’s tough and sometimes incredibly scary and while that’s undoubtedly true, it’s also true that humour is a really wonderful way to process difficult things. 

“My course for trauma victims encourages them to process their trauma in a different way, so they can change who the victim is and choose the narrative. said founder Angie who goes on to say “This enables survivors to consciously use comedy to change their perspective of their experiences, but it also puts them in a physically powerful position because being on stage is very powerful.” The six week course will now be available to trauma survivors at risk of suicide in London and it’s male focused, I suppose because suicide is so male focused, but it would be cool to open this out to anyone, wouldn’t it? Still a great idea!

Via goodnewsnetwork.org

Amazing tech news from here in the UK and the invention of a new type of living battery that can power a little computer using nothing but algae and water!

Say hello to the battery boffins at Cambridge University who’ve invented a game changing little device about the size of a AA battery, basically a little canister of friendly algae called ‘Synechocystis’ which uses the sun to naturally photosynthesise which creates a tiny electrical charge that can be funnelled through an aluminium electrode to power a microprocessor. You’ve heard me talk about the fast growing ‘Internet of Things’ which is using up more and more power, so scientists are looking at solutions to have all those little things that are plugged up to the internet, make their own sustainable energy. Even better, this thing is made from cheap and recyclable materials and will be incredibly useful for anyone living off grid, or in remote places, where every bit of power counts.