The Empty Seat

Samuel was nine years old when he first asked his Dad, Martin, to raise some money for the other children on his ward to have some nicer meals. Samuel’s Charity is now registered, and has raised over £200,000 for under-funded children’s wards. In this moving interview with Olly, Martin explains why small charities are so very necessary, how even teaspoons and toasters can make a dramatic difference to the lives of unwell children, and how Samuel’s mission helps him cope with his grief. To donate to Samuel’s Charity, and find out more, visit samuelscharity.co.uk. Elsewhere, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has ventured on down to Shoreditch to test out the latest health fad… vitamin drips. And, as the competition for Christmas No.1 gets ever more intense, it’s time for him to lay down his vocals for ‘The Sounds of Christmas’. Shudder. Meanwhile, in this week’s Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a listener with a predilection for promiscuity. How should he manage his fantasies of ‘pozzing’ and ‘bug-chasing’ - engaging in deliberately unsafe sex to contract HIV - when in the cold light of day he’s disturbed by his risk-taking and concerned for his health? Finally, our record of the week is the ‘Marlow’ by Leytonstone alt-pop band Banfi. It’s available to stream now. Enjoy the show? Support us! We’re an independent production and need your help to keep cranking out new content. Please consider buying us a beer via our website, MODERNMANN.CO.UK - just click ‘Beer Money’. And, whilst you’re there, if you’d like to share YOUR story on the show, if you have a challenge for Ollie, a question of sex for Alix, or anything else - just fill out the Feedback form. See You Next Tuesday! Presenter: Olly Mann. Producer: Matt Hill. Contributors: Martin Leib, Ollie Peart, Alix Fox, Banfi. Theme Music: Django Django. Graphic Design: Jenny Mann Design. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2018. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices