The Happy Pod: From rescue to romance

Summary

Global News Podcast: The Happy Pod - From Rescue to Romance

Release Date: February 15, 2025
Host: Bernadette Keough, BBC World Service

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1. A Modern Transatlantic Love Story

Overview:
The episode opens with the heartfelt story of Adri Pendleton and Niklas Druteval, whose unconventional meeting on TikTok blossomed into a romantic relationship and marriage. Their journey underscores the power of social media in forging meaningful connections.

Key Points:

• Adri’s Plea for Help:
  In November 2023, Adri Pendleton, originally from California and residing in the Netherlands, desperately sought assistance on TikTok to return home without leaving her ailing 15-year-old dog behind.
  “All I want is to go back home, but my dog is now 15 years old and she has had epilepsy for a few years. So I will not even consider putting her in the cargo hold of an airplane.” – Adri Pendleton [02:06]

• Meeting Niklas:
  Niklas Druteval stumbled upon Adri’s video while scrolling through TikTok, leading him to reach out via Instagram. Their shared interests and mutual support laid the foundation for their relationship.
  “Good chance that I saw that video. Yeah, I was just scrolling on TikTok... and just left a comment.” – Niklas Druteval [02:30]

• Building the Relationship:
  After nearly two months of online communication, Adri invited Niklas to California, and their relationship quickly deepened, culminating in their decision to marry to facilitate living together in Switzerland.
  “I have a man who's completely obsessed with me. I love it.” – Adri Pendleton [05:22]
  “I got a wife who's the same way.” – Niklas Druteval [05:30]

Notable Quote:
“We are married with a dog. Feels great.” – Niklas Druteval [05:20]

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2. Joshua Andrew: A Son’s Unwavering Love

Overview:
Joshua Andrew’s remarkable acts of donating stem cells and a kidney to his father, David Andrew, highlight a profound familial bond and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of life-threatening illness.

Key Points:

• First Donation:
  At 12 years old, Joshua donated bone marrow to help his father overcome non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  “I want to live now having my dad around and life is not promised... I need to live for now.” – Joshua Andrew [00:29]

• Second Donation:
  A decade later, Joshua donates a kidney, emphasizing his commitment to his father's well-being despite personal health risks.
  “So we always knew that it was gonna kind of come to the point of me having to give or somebody having to give him a kidney.” – Joshua Andrew [07:42]

• Emotional Impact:
  Both Joshua and David reflect on the emotional and psychological journey of these life-saving donations, celebrating their strengthened family bonds.
  “I think we've slowed down a lot as a family and just gone, you know what, we're just going to enjoy our time together.” – Joshua Andrew [10:06]

Notable Quote:
“This gift he's given me is just immense. And thank you will never be enough as long as I can be.” – Alicia Weston [09:25]

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3. Bags of Taste: Cooking for Health and Savings

Overview:
Alicia Weston spearheads the "Bags of Taste" project in the UK, aiming to teach low-income individuals how to prepare nutritious, affordable meals. This initiative addresses both health disparities and financial burdens caused by poor diets.

Key Points:

• Program Launch:
  Initially running cooking workshops, Alicia identified that lack of cooking skills and financial constraints led participants to opt for unhealthy takeaways.
  “People didn't know how to cook the kinds of meals that they'd like to eat and they also couldn't afford to experiment.” – Myra Anubi [11:41]

• Program Structure:
  Participants receive ingredient boxes, cooking tools, and simple recipes delivered to their homes, supported by a WhatsApp group with a nutritionist mentor.
  “My daughter and I had a go at cooking these meals together.” – Myra Anubi [12:30]

• Success Stories:
  Erol from East London shares his transformation from relying on microwave meals to confidently cooking flavorful dishes, demonstrating significant behavioral change.
  “I was more addicted to the microwave... I made this. So I was enjoying myself.” – Erol [13:52]

Notable Quote:
“86% of participants who had not been cooking regularly before were cooking more.” – Bernadette Keough [14:58]

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4. Rally Forever: Tennis as a Path to Recovery

Overview:
Louise Pleming’s chance encounter with homeless tennis enthusiast Brian Turton during the COVID pandemic led to the creation of Rally Forever, a charity that uses tennis to rehabilitate and empower the homeless.

Key Points:

• Meeting Brian:
  Louise met Brian while volunteering at a soup kitchen. Their shared passion for tennis ignited a friendship that would transform Brian’s life.
  “He played like Ken Rosewell and Rod Laver. He was amazing.” – David Andrew [16:53]

• Establishing the Charity:
  Rally Forever provided Brian with employment as a coach and a sense of purpose, helping him reintegrate into society and build self-confidence.
  “He was able to go to different programs and really feel like he had a sense of purpose.” – Louise Pleming [17:15]

• Impact on the Community:
  Through organized programs and community engagement, Rally Forever not only assists individuals like Brian but also fosters a supportive environment that reduces stigma and promotes mental health.
  “It's all about that social connection... it's all about getting out in the sunshine and experiencing, you know, exercising.” – Louise Pleming [17:11]

Notable Quote:
“It changed his life because he'd spent many years in mental homes, hospitals, jails, and now he felt really special.” – Bernadette Keough [17:08]

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5. The Revival of the Irish Gaelic Language

Overview:
The resurgence of the Irish Gaelic language in Ireland is explored through the lens of Rachel Brady, a graphic designer who merges her passion for design and language to promote Irish culture.

Key Points:

• Growing Popularity:
  The number of Gaelic speakers in Ireland has nearly doubled, with technological platforms like Duolingo facilitating learning for approximately one million active learners.
  “The revival is here and people want to see the Irish language out and about.” – Rachel Brady [23:03]

• Rachel’s Initiative:
  Frustrated by the stereotypical representations of Irish culture, Rachel launched Askelliga, an independent business offering modern, colorful designs featuring Irish phrases.
  “I just like started making stuff and started the business.” – Rachel Brady [21:42]

• Community and Family Involvement:
  Rachel emphasizes the importance of connecting with her heritage and involving her family, particularly her grandmother, in her business endeavors.
  “Learning the language has definitely brought me back to that and I suppose now I'm kind of bringing everybody along with me.” – Rachel Brady [23:41]

Notable Quote:
“Imagine everyone knows one word of Irish. That's ultimately just the goal.” – Rachel Brady [24:50]

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6. Toad Patrol: Saving Amphibians on the Move

Overview:
Sheila Gundry of Frog Life details the critical efforts of toad patrol volunteers who safeguard amphibians crossing perilous roads to reach their breeding ponds in South West England.

Key Points:

• The Challenge:
  Each spring, thousands of toads, frogs, and newts embark on a dangerous journey across roads, with high casualty rates due to vehicular traffic.
  “The casualty rate has gone from 62% to 6%.” – Bernadette Keough [26:22]

• Volunteer Efforts:
  Dedicated volunteers, equipped with protective gear, patrol roads to safely relocate amphibians, significantly reducing mortality rates.
  “You wear gloves. You simply just pick it up, put it in your bucket and then move it across the road.” – Sheila Gundry [26:37]

• Community Impact:
  The toad patrol fosters a sense of community and environmental stewardship, with volunteers finding personal satisfaction in rescuing lives.
  “Oh, I saved a life. I saved another life. So it is very satisfying.” – Sheila Gundry [27:22]

Notable Quote:
“When you actually think, what did I do today? Oh, I saved a life.” – Sheila Gundry [27:37]

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Closing Remarks

Host Bernadette Keough wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to share their own unique love stories and highlights upcoming segments, including stories on the growth of the Gaelic language and inspiring sports initiatives.

Final Note:
“If you have an unusual or dramatic story about how you met your other half, we'd love to hear about it. Send us an email or a voice note to globalpodcastbc.co.uk now.” – Bernadette Keough [05:33]

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Production Credits:
Mixed by Matt Hewitt | Produced by Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bulkley | Edited by Karen Martin

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Stay Connected:
For more inspiring stories and updates, subscribe to the Global News Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

[Bernadette Keough]

This is the Happy Port from the BBC World Service. I'm Bernadette Keough, and in this edition.

[Adri Pendleton]

I'm going to try to get through this without crying too much. Please watch this whole video.

[Bernadette Keough]

How a cry for help on social media led to love and marriage.

[Adri Pendleton]

I got a man who's completely obsessed with me. I love it.

[Niklas Druteval]

And a wife who's the same way.

[Bernadette Keough]

Yes. Also saving your dad's life twice.

[Joshua Andrew]

I want to live now having my dad around and life is not promised, so I'm not going to worry about what could or couldn't happen. I need to live for now.

[Bernadette Keough]

Joshua gave stem cells when he was 12 and has now donated a kidney. How learning to cook at home is saving people money and improving their health. And a chance encounter that led to a project using tennis to help homeless people.

[David Andrew]

He kind of said to me, hey, I've seen you on telly. Would you play tennis with me? He played like Ken Roswell and Rod Laver. He was amazing.

[Bernadette Keough]

As couples around the world have just been celebrating Valentine's Day, we're starting with the truly modern transatlantic love story. It has everything. And an American with a broken heart, an elderly dog, a German pilot in shining armor, and a happily ever after in Switzerland. And as Nicky Cardwell reports, it all began with a tearful plea for help on social media.

[Adri Pendleton]

I'm going to try to get through this without crying too much. Please watch this whole video.

[Bernadette Keough]

In November 2023, in utter desperation, Adri Pendleton went on TikTok to ask for help. Originally from California, she'd been living in the Netherlands with her boyfriend for six years, but broken up.

[Adri Pendleton]

All I want is to go back home, but my dog is now 15 years old and she has had epilepsy for a few years. So I will not even consider putting her in the cargo hold of an airplane. And I'm not leaving her behind. I have had her since I was 15 years old.

[Bernadette Keough]

Her border collie was too sick to fly in the cargo hold, but according to the airlines, too big for the cabin. This is how Adri Pendleton met Niklas Druteval.

[Adri Pendleton]

I did not think that I had any options, so I thought maybe someone on TikTok would have ideas. Maybe an airline would make an exception for us. Something I certainly was not expecting to end up on a private jet.

[Niklas Druteval]

Good chance that I saw that video. Yeah, I was just scrolling on TikTok, to be honest, and I came across the video. I guess the algorithm was saying, oh, there's something with airplanes in it. You must like that.

[Adri Pendleton]

And Dogs. You have a lot of dogs on your feet.

[Niklas Druteval]

Airplanes and dogs. So, yeah, the video came, came up on my page and just left a comment.

[Joshua Andrew]

Yeah.

[Niklas Druteval]

Like, message me on. On Instagram. You know, maybe we can make something happen there. Even though it was not to California, but at least it was, you know.

[Adri Pendleton]

Across the Atlantic, over the ocean.

[Niklas Druteval]

Yeah. Which is arguably the most difficult part of. Of that journey, I think.

[Bernadette Keough]

Yeah.

[Adri Pendleton]

I was getting so many messages, I almost missed it. I didn't see it until, like, a day after he had left the comment. And at first I thought it was something worth looking into. I didn't get my hopes up because, you know, a lot of people have a lot of ideas, and I was just pursuing any avenue that I could. Once it started to seem more like it was actually going to be a real thing that could work out. I was slightly nervous, but we, you know, we. We checked him out, we looked him up.

[Niklas Druteval]

I was soothed.

[Adri Pendleton]

Yeah, you were very thoroughly investigated by both myself and my friends and family. Yeah.

[Niklas Druteval]

I mean, we were chatting on Instagram pretty much right away and very quickly noticed that, you know, we sort of had a few interests in common and just, you know, vibed well, I guess over text.

[Adri Pendleton]

So like, almost a couple months that we were just chatting before the flight.

[Niklas Druteval]

Month and a half. Almost two months, I think.

[Adri Pendleton]

Yeah. We both kind of. I think thought that, you know, once we went our separate ways, that was kind of going to be it. But then. But then it wasn't. Yeah, I made the first move on January 5th, so that would have been like two days.

[Niklas Druteval]

Yeah, that was two days after.

[Adri Pendleton]

Yeah, I invited him out to California for a date.

[Niklas Druteval]

Yeah, it was exciting. It's definitely feeling like, yeah, that is something worth pursuing.

[Adri Pendleton]

I think I am quite outgoing. I was like, I like this guy. I'm not. I don't play games, though. So I'm just gonna let him know that I like him and if he likes me back, great. If not, well, I, you know, I tried.

[Niklas Druteval]

So time we were talking, we started video calling every day. I got a job offer here in Switzerland due to that. Yeah, it was pretty clear for us that we wanted to live together as well. So we decided to talk to an immigration lawyer, and she basically said, if you want to live together here, your best bet is to get married. So we decided, okay, well, that's, you know, what we got to do to be together then. That's what we're going to do.

[Adri Pendleton]

We're going to get married.

[Niklas Druteval]

Some friends, they said, yeah, but if you talk to yourself, A year and a half ago, you definitely wouldn't expect your current self to be living in Switzerland.

[Adri Pendleton]

Married.

[Niklas Druteval]

Married with a dog. Yeah. Feels great.

[Adri Pendleton]

He is currently looking at me as if I hung every single star in the sky. I got a man who's completely obsessed with me. I love it.

[Niklas Druteval]

I got a wife who's the same way.

[Adri Pendleton]

Yes, it's mutual.

[Niklas Druteval]

Yeah.

[Bernadette Keough]

Adri Pendleton and Niklas Drutervow. And if you have an unusual or dramatic story about how you met your other half, we'd love to hear about it. Send us an email or a voice note to globalpodcastbc.co.uk now to love of a different kind that's led to a son saving his dad's life twice. When David Andrew developed non Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, his 12 year old son Joshua donated bone marrow that helped him beat the disease. Now, 10 years later, Joshua has also given his father one of his kidneys. Joshua and David, who are from London are both recovering well and spoke to Stephen Nolan starting with that first life saving donation when Joshua was a child.

[Joshua Andrew]

Definitely looking back at it now, it was quite an ordeal to go through, but I think that's only because I'm aware of what it was now. Whereas when I was younger I was a bit naive to all the machines that going on and you're just not as privy to life so you don't really understand what's going on as much. I was also used to dad being hooked up to stuff so, so much and it wasn't too scary in that sense. I think the scary part was if it didn't work because this was the last chance and if this didn't work, I, I was going to lose my dad. So I think that was kind of the tough part was being able to stomach the fact that if it doesn't work, it's not my fault.

[Bernadette Keough]

And what did it feel like, David.

[Niklas Druteval]

Back then, your 12 year old son helping to try to save your life?

[Alicia Weston]

It was daunting because, you know, like Josh said, you just didn't know if that was going to work. And I always said to him, if it doesn't work, it's not your fault. It's, it's just, you know, one of those bad luck stories in life. On the flip side is, you know, we come out the other side and it worked.

[Joshua Andrew]

He saved your life not just once, but twice. So tell me what's happened more recently.

[Alicia Weston]

Unfortunately, one of the side effects of chemotherapy and the stem cell transplant that I had that failed was that it caused damage to my kidneys.

[Rachel Brady]

Yeah.

[Bernadette Keough]

So we.

[Joshua Andrew]

So we always knew that it was gonna kind of come to the point of me having to give or somebody having to give him a kidney. I'd said from. From the start, kind of three or four years ago, I'll do it. I've already done one. I'll do another one for you like that. That wouldn't be a problem. I'll happily do that for my dad. So I always knew I wanted to give him the kidney, but it was just what could happen later on down the line. One of the risks is high blood pressure. I mean, I've got high blood pressure in the family, but it's not something that I'm bothered about because I want to live now. So living now means having my dad around and having my mom around with me and, you know, being able to have takeaways and watch a film together and mess about and listen to music and just do what we normally do. So I'm not bothered about what could happen in the future because we already know ourselves from his first diagnosis that life is not promised. So I'm not going to worry about what could or couldn't happen. I need to live for now. And right now, I wanted to give him a kidney and have a good time with him. So, David, what a beautiful thing your.

[Niklas Druteval]

Son is doing for you. The obvious question is, were you ever.

[David Andrew]

In any doubt of taking it from.

[Niklas Druteval]

Your son in case he needed both.

[Joshua Andrew]

Kidneys in later life?

[Alicia Weston]

Yes, that was definitely a concern of mine. And, you know, if push comes to sub. I think at the end of the day, I was probably more apprehensive about him giving me the kidney, knowing that he already had saved my life once before. I mean, according to the consultants and the nurses, you can live a normal life with one kidney. But you're right, I was a bit more apprehensive. But, you know, Josh wanted to do it.

[Bernadette Keough]

How do you say thank you in this situation?

[Joshua Andrew]

He tells me five feelings a day.

[David Andrew]

Does he?

[Alicia Weston]

Yeah. I mean, you know, I've always said to my son, he knows how much I love him. I always tell him that anyway, you know, I can't ever put into words it's just not possible. I think he just knows about the way I am with him. You know, this. This gift he's given me is just immense. And thank you, will. Will never be enough as long as I can be. You know, being there for him in his older years, that's probably the thank you he's going to get really, he knows how I feel is just, you know, an incredible sacrifice he's made, but I think this probably the last sacrifice you'll need to make.

[Joshua Andrew]

So there's a lot that's been happening other than just the kidney transplant. And I think the last year's taught us that, you know, there's so much more to life than, you know, work or, or money or any of these external things that you stress and worry about. And I think we've slowed down a lot as a family and just gone, you know what, we're just going to enjoy our time together and if that means sitting on the sofa and having a boring Sunday, then we're going to do that because, you know, that's the time that we'd rather spend with each other. I've always had, like my parents, luckily, to be there and steer me and teach me and tell me when I'm wrong, tell me when I'm doing something right and encourage me. And I'm grateful in that sense just as much as Dad's grateful that, you know, he's had a second chance at life.

[Bernadette Keough]

Joshua, Andrew and his dad David. We all know that eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones can make a huge difference to our well being. But with food prices rising around the world, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet, especially if you don't know how to cook nutritious meals from low cost ingredients. So a project here in the UK is teaching people to do just that. And organisers say those taking part can save around $1,200 a year. Myra Anubi spoke to Alicia Weston, who started Bags of Taste. People in poverty are eating the worst diets and they are getting sicker, younger. And we know that diets are the single largest cause of health inequalities in the uk.

[Myra Anubi]

Alicia had originally run cooking workshops for a charity to try and encourage people to prepare their own meals.

[Bernadette Keough]

They were great lessons, really great and social and people were benefiting in many social ways, but they were not changing what they ate at home.

[Myra Anubi]

Alicia found out that people didn't know how to cook the kinds of meals that they'd like to eat and they also couldn't afford to experiment. And takeaways, while more expensive, were convenient and reliable.

[Bernadette Keough]

So what we do now is we deliver all the ingredients to their door because ultimately behavior change starts with actually changing your behavior at home.

[Myra Anubi]

Now, a key part of the program includes being part of a WhatsApp group that has a nutritionist as a mentor in the group Participants connect and motivate each other to cook. I was invited to join the program to see how all this works.

[Bernadette Keough]

Yes. Thank you.

[Myra Anubi]

I got a box filled with free groceries. I also got stuff like new measuring spoons, a knife sharpener, and crucially, three simple recipes to try at home. My daughter and I had a go at cooking these meals together. Let's read. The first thing we're going to have to do is chop the onions. Okay. Do you want me to do that? Because I know you don't like chopping onions.

[Bernadette Keough]

Yeah, sometimes. Crap.

[Myra Anubi]

We made a chickpea and mushroom pilaf and a pasta dish. And for two weeks we stayed in touch with other participants on our WhatsApp group and shared pictures of our meals. My nine year old was also able to follow all the cooking instructions. I was keen to speak to someone who had gone through the whole program before to see if it had made a difference. Erol is in his 50s and he lives in East London, a place called Hackney. Erol graduated from the course last November.

[Erol]

I was more addicted to the microwave, dealing with ready meals and stuff like that. It was very expensive. You know, you get one little meal and you see how small they are and you eat that meal and you're still hungry. So I've got to make a choice. Either pay the bills or starve yourself. I always want to know about this cooking. I've always watched, like, food shows, but obviously with my dyslexia, I had problems reading the ingredients or understanding the ingredients. And so I thought, let me take a chance and try to do these recipes. I had little short videos that showed you what to do.

[Myra Anubi]

And did you get any other support, like from a mentor?

[Erol]

Well, you had a mentor on there who's running the course. So you always knew that you got someone to reach out to if you felt stuck. So when I made my first spaghetti sauce and stuff with carrots and all the herbs and spices and oils, I thought, oh, my goodness me, I made this. So I was enjoying myself. Every time I came on the group and I showed a picture of my meals, I was like, yeah, this one tickled my taste buds. This is the one.

[Myra Anubi]

I can hear it in your voice. I can tell you now, really enjoy it.

[Erol]

When I was just testing the food out on my partner, how it cooked and stuff, she's like, oh, wow. This is like restaurant food. You're cooking like a restaurant.

[Myra Anubi]

It does kind of boost your confidence, doesn't it?

[Erol]

Yeah, it does, it does. I felt more comfortable in the kitchen and you start doing your own thing and you think, ah, so if I'm.

[Myra Anubi]

Coming to your kitchen now, what is your, you know, your signature dish?

[Erol]

I would go for the masala, chickpea, masala.

[Myra Anubi]

I'm sold.

[Erol]

I like a little bit of spice, you know.

[Myra Anubi]

Erol is just one of the 14,000 people who've taken part in the program so far. And Alicia says that their short term intervention has an important long term intervention outcome.

[Bernadette Keough]

So when they graduate the program, we post them more recipes. We did a long term follow up six months after doing the course and what we saw was that 86% of participants who had not been cooking regularly before were cooking more. We had one woman, she was about 90 years old and when she received her certificate, she told us that she'd never had a certificate before in her life and she was going to frame it. Alicia Weston. And you can hear more about this and other schemes helping those on low incomes, on people fixing the world, wherever you get your BBC podcasts coming up in this podcast.

[Rachel Brady]

It's the soul of the country. So in five years from now, it'll be massive, it'll be huge. It's already gaining so much traction. So I'm excited to see what the next five years holds.

[Bernadette Keough]

Why Gaelic is growing increasingly popular in Ireland. Now to a chance meeting that led to an unlikely friendship and ended up changing hundreds of people's lives. Australian Louise Pleming played tennis professionally in the 1990s and still travels the globe as a commentator and elite coach. But during COVID she volunteered at a soup kitchen, where she met a homeless man called Brian Turton. Brian had always dreamt of a professional tennis career and even played on the circuit in Australia in his late teens. But after developing mental health problems, he found himself living on the streets. Their friendship led to Louise setting up the charity Rally Forever, which uses tennis to help people get back on their feet and gave Brian work as a coach. Their friendship featured in an ABC documentary.

[Joshua Andrew]

First time we hit together.

[David Andrew]

I don't know whether she was surprised I hit the ball so well or we hit well together and enjoyed each other's company. There was something about him. He was homeless and had his sleeping bag there, and yet here he was on the tennis court. And his passion for tennis just blew me away.

[Bernadette Keough]

Louise spoke to my colleague Katie Smith.

[David Andrew]

He kind of said to me, hey, I've seen you on telly commentating. And he said, what are you doing here? And would you come and have a coffee with me after lunch? And I sat down with him and Brian opened up this Little black bag of two, 1970s Jimmy Connors tennis racket. And there were three balls in that, that racket bag. And he said, would you, would you play tennis with me? And I said of course I would. I, no problem. He said, I've got no one to play with me. He said, I play against the wall every day. Said I hit 200 balls against the wall. Why don't we play next week? Monday, 6am he played like Ken Rosewell and Rod Laver. He was amazing. He was chipping and slicing and I had the best time and I think I had more fun than he did. But I could see he just was so passionate about his tennis. We kept playing tennis for quite a few months and then the journey just became kind of incredible. He became my very first rally forever certified tennis coach. And it just changed his life because he'd spent many years in mental homes, hospitals, jails, and now he felt really special. He felt like he was doing something he loved, but he could, yeah, be something other than that homeless guy. So a truly life changing moment. Actually, I think even some of your family members were slightly worried that you were going to meet this guy that you, you didn't know. And there is those kind of, I suppose, stigmas and barriers that, that need to be broken down. Yeah, absolutely. And I, yeah, my family were, were conscious and worried and I had a lot of friends that were saying, well, hang on a minute, you know, through our friendship and our time together and he's definitely had his challenges. And some days he came to the courts and he was angry and we always tried to talk it through. And I think, you know, the most important thing is that they have someone that will listen. For someone like Brian that has been had his challenges, his family really don't talk to him. There's no one there. Yeah, there's so much turmoil around them that they lose everyone. And for someone like Brian, Louise, have you seen complete, meaningful change now for his life? We got him into social housing. He was really going to many of our programs. We have about 11 or 12 programs now in Sydney. So he was able to go to different programs and really feel like he had a sense of purpose. He was being introduced to different people in the community. On a Monday, he started playing tennis with some doctors and lawyers and these guys loved him because he was better than them. You know, then they'd have a tea or a coffee after and he just felt like he was Brian the tennis player and not Brian the homeless guy. And I just love to see him smile and have Fun and just absolutely love tennis and love what, what he did. And he was cheeky as ever. Like, he's such a cheeky character. He's funny, Everybody loved him. But not to say he really has had his challenges. He's going through a little bit of a challenge at the moment. He got injured and when people stop exercising and they just stay in their room, that's when the issues start coming back. So we, you know, we really hope that we can get him back being active again and building that self confidence again, because it's all about that social connection. It's all about getting out in the sunshine and experiencing, you know, exercising, the endorphins, just the interactions, you know, and him saying, great shot. His encouragement just lifted him so much and I just love to see that. And, you know, so many people knew his journey and they loved the fact that he was on the court and he was their coach.

[Bernadette Keough]

And you can hear more inspiring sports stories on Sports Hour, wherever you get your podcasts. Over the last few decades, the number of people living in Ireland who can speak Gaelic has almost doubled. In fact, the language app Duolingo says roughly 1 million are actively learning Irish at any given time. As well as technological advances, there's been a big change in attitudes towards the language. Belfast based graphic designer Rachel Brady runs askelliga, a small independent business selling colourful designs adorned with Irish phrases. She's been Speaking to the HappyPods. Ella Bicknell.

[Rachel Brady]

I'd done it a wee bit when I was in school and it wasn't until I was like my second or third year uni, I started getting really interested in Irish culture and thought, you know, I'm gonna go and give it a go and start learning it. I wanted to be a graphic designer and so when I was learning the language, you know, typical me love stationary. When I went to go get things, there was nothing out there that I thought was like, modern. It was all, you know, your stereotypical shamrocks and leprechauns and it just didn't scream, scream out to me. So, yeah, I just like started making stuff and started the business. Ask Gilligan, Ask Gilliga translates to in Irish. Yeah, it's been four years now and yeah, I've just been learning, learning as I go.

[Myra Anubi]

I think some people be surprised to know that Irish is an endangered language, yet you've had this massive reception from other people from your products and from this business that you started.

[Rachel Brady]

Yeah, yeah, it's massive. And particularly in the north, the Irish language movement up here is huge and it's growing day by day and especially, especially among young people. Since I even opened the business, I've noticed there's, you know, like a surge of Irish other Irish language businesses and Irish language influencers, you know, on TikTok Instagram, like you're talking hundreds of thousands of followers. It really does show that, you know, the revival is here and people want to see the Irish language out and about.

[Myra Anubi]

What's the joy of learning a new language, particularly one that you personally have a connection to, a history with, you.

[Rachel Brady]

Know, that's what's so good about it. And with Irish, Irish is so poetic. And as I say, every day is a learning day. You know, you're always, you're always finding these new ways of expressing yourself. I suppose in your early 20s a lot of people would just write off, you know, your ability to learn a language, but you'd be surprised through just wee small antidotes every day or, you know, picking up a mug or putting a nice print on your wall, how much you actually learn.

[Sheila Gundry]

Part of this is having a better.

[Myra Anubi]

Connection to your ancestors, your family. And I know that you've been getting your family involved in the business.

[Rachel Brady]

Yeah, absolutely. You grew up in Belfast, you don't see yourself as it, but you're a city girl so sometimes you can be a bit removed from your heritage and your culture without even realizing it. Learning the language has definitely brought me back to that and I suppose now I'm kind of bringing everybody along with me like my wee granny and she is my number one go to for everything. She's helped me so much in the business.

[Myra Anubi]

And you've got her packing boxes and.

[Rachel Brady]

I've got her packing boxes. I know it sounds terrible, but she loves it. She really does. Yeah, we always joke. I'm like, right now you can't go off on sickle me.

[Myra Anubi]

Some people might be listening to this, very interested in the Irish language. So are there any choice phrases, your favourite phrases that you've learned over the last few years that you'd like to share with our listeners?

[Rachel Brady]

Definitely toggle boge, which means take it easy. That's definitely something I've had to learn. Just had my first baby, wee baby boy. And the Irish culture at all is very like slow living. And I just love that phrase, you know, talkable gay. It just reminds you to just take that wee step back.

[Myra Anubi]

I'm going to try and bring some toka bogey into my own life as well.

[Rachel Brady]

Absolutely.

[Myra Anubi]

What's your hopes and dreams for the Irish language over the next few years? It Sounds like a tide is really turning.

[Rachel Brady]

Definitely, definitely. Yeah. Our phrase is unlock the Irish language, embrace the journey, because that's what it is. You know, learning the Irish language is a journey. And I would hope that through my products and other businesses, you know, in five years from now, everybody knows one word of Irish. And that's ultimately just the goal. It's about including people in the language that live in Ireland that might necessarily have had access to the language. You know, a language that's the country's language. The country belongs to everybody. So in five years from now, it'll be massive, it'll be huge. It's already gaining so much traction and every year there's new speakers. So, yeah, I'm excited to see what the next five years holds.

[Bernadette Keough]

Rachel Brady, you might have heard our interview last week with the amphibian expert who's helped breed endangered Chilean Darwin frogs at London Zoo. Well, this week we wanted to tell you about another amphibian rescue project. Every spring, a tiny army of toads, frogs and newts, hops, crawls and wriggles on a perilous journey across a country road in South West England, heading to their ancestral breeding lake. Sadly, many get squashed by cars. But now, thanks to a road closure and dedicated volunteers spending more than 600 hours on a toad patrol, the casualty rate has gone from 62% to 6%. Sheila Gundry from the conservation charity Frog Life is a toad patrol volunteer. She spoke to Amal Rajan.

[Sheila Gundry]

What happens is the toads and the frogs and their newts, they're all heading back to their breeding ponds. They've been doing it for year after year after year, but now when we put birds in the way, then there can be carnage.

[Bernadette Keough]

What's it actually like trying to pick up a toad?

[Sheila Gundry]

They're lovely things and they're really fascinating and they generally, they just sort of hunker down and they, they're okay with you doing it. And that is all you do, just, you wear gloves. You simply just pick it up, put it in your bucket and then move it across the road. Frogs are a little bit more tricky because they tend to leap away. So you need a bit more of a technique. There's at least sort of 50 or so patrollers, toad patrollers. And they have their hive vis on and they have their, their buckets wander down the road and just wait for the, for the toads and amphibians to come. And they tend to come on slightly warm, damp evenings. So that's the best time. And sometimes it's just remarkable. There's just so many all over the place. Wherever you look, there's a toad.

[Joshua Andrew]

It's quite a nice way for people.

[David Andrew]

To bond with each other, isn't it?

[Bernadette Keough]

How many toads have you saved this evening?

[Sheila Gundry]

Exactly. That is a question. That is a question that we do talk about. Yes. Have you seen it? Seen any. Where were they? Yes. So it is a nice community that. That go and patrol and. And they're so satisfying. It is when you actually think, what did I do today? Oh, I saved a life. I saved another life. So it is very satisfying.

[Bernadette Keough]

Sheila Gundry. And that's all from the Happy Pod for now. But if you like, Adri and Nicholas have an unusual romance story. We'd love to hear about it. As ever, the address is Global [e-mail] this edition was mixed by Matt Hewitt and the producers were Holly Gibbs and Rachel Bulkley. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Bernadette Keough. Until next time. Goodbye.