On Thursday 28th September at the British Podcast Awards in London, Truth Be Told: Adoption Stories, a podcast by the National Adoption Service won the Silver Award in the Parenting category. A young person from South Wales who featured in the series two finale which was hosted by young, adopted people was in attendance to collect the award and celebrate the podcast’s success.
Ellie-Rose, 22, represented National Adoption Service for Wales (NAS) at the national awards ceremony, where the Truth Be Told: Adoption Stories podcast, placed higher than parenting podcast powerhouse Dirty Mother Pukka / Anna Whitehouse.
The Truth Be Told: Adoption Stories podcast, which was launched in 2020, gives listeners insight into the adoption process and what it’s like to adopt in Wales by those who have been there and done it.
Created collaboratively by NAS, adopters and people who have been adopted, Cowshed Communication, and Bengo Media, the two-part series features conversations between adopters who share their experiences. The series two finale was produced and hosted by adopted young people in Wales.
Following the episode launch in April 2023, it received huge praise from those inside and outside the adoption community for exploring a diverse range of experiences and emotions related to growing up as an adopted person and some of the misconceptions about young, adopted people.
Ellie-Rose, 22, who helped produce the podcast finale, and attended the national awards, said:
“It’s fantastic that the Truth Be Told podcast won silver at the British Podcast Awards. It was an honour to attend the ceremony in London to represent NAS and all the contributors of the podcast.”
Those involved in the podcast hope the award win will put adoption at the centre of the parenting podcast conversation. This ambition is shared by the NAS, who hope that this award win will help make Wales and the rest of the UK a more adoption-friendly and informed society.
Suzanne Griffiths, Director of the National Adoption Service for Wales and Foster Wales, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to have won a Silver Award in the Parenting category at British Podcast Award and to have had the opportunity to send one of our young, adopted people to represent the podcast in London and showcase it on a national stage. The podcast is a great resource, not only for adopters but for everyone to learn how to support those going through the adoption process, and to support adopted people in our communities.”
The British Podcast Awards team, added:
“The judges in our Best Parenting Podcast category were moved by the candid nature of the stories shared in the podcast, and felt the show uses the medium to communicate these stories in a powerful yet relatable manner. We’re so pleased that one of the producers, who were themselves adopted, joined us and celebrated the award win on the night.”
