Shoulder to Shoulder by With-you
Welcome to Shoulder to Shoulder
Shoulder to Shoulder is a podcast about the power of peer support and lived experience, and what happens when people who've been through tough times use that experience to help others.
But what is peer support? It's simple: people who've faced their own challenges offer understanding, connection, and hope to others going through similar challenges. That's the meaning of peer support, and it's at the heart of everything we do.
In a world that can make us feel alone when we're struggling, this podcast is a reminder that connection changes everything.
I'm Cate Munro, and each episode I talk with people who've faced real challenges - mental health struggles, addiction, trauma, grief, life-changing moments - and who now stand shoulder to shoulder with others on their own journeys.
My guests include peer support workers, people running peer support groups, and individuals whose lived experience has become their greatest strength.
They share their stories honestly: what happened, what helped, and how peer support made a difference.
Whether you're a peer support worker, thinking about becoming one, part of a peer support group, or simply believe in the power of human connection and shared experience, there's something here for you.
Before you listen: This podcast explores personal stories of growth, mental health and resilience. Some episodes include descriptions of trauma and distress. Please trust your instincts and look after yourself - it's always okay to pause or come back another time.
Thank you for being here.
Find out more about With-you Consultancy at www.with-you.co.uk
Shoulder to Shoulder by With-you
EP 39: Emma Bamber on community peer support, asylum seekers, and building belonging through food
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In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Cate is joined by Emma Bamber, co-lead of Cafe Laziz, a peer-led community space supporting asylum seekers and refugees in St Helens.
Café Laziz welcomes people who are socially isolated, traumatised, and living with long-term uncertainty, many of whom are survivors of war, displacement, and dangerous journeys. What they find there isn’t assessment or diagnosis, but warmth: a shared meal, routine, kindness, and people who understand.
The episode explores why peer-led mental health support works so powerfully in community settings, and how peer support happens naturally when people are given space to connect. Emma talks about food as a universal language, the importance of routine and purpose, and why kindness and consistency can stabilise lives shaped by trauma and uncertainty.
We also confront the wider context: misinformation, hostility, protests, and the dehumanisation of asylum seekers. Emma speaks with clarity and compassion about the harm this causes — and the extraordinary solidarity that can emerge in response.
At its heart, this is an episode about peer support mental health, not as a service, but as a shared human practice.
You’ll hear about:
- Building peer support through community and food
- Supporting asylum seekers living with trauma and isolation
- Why shared experience matters more than professional labels
- Peer support beyond services and systems
- Language, belonging, and mental wellbeing
- Challenging myths about refugees and asylum seekers
- Community as protection against despair
- What hope looks like when people come together
Show Notes:
Cafe Laziz links: https://linktr.ee/cafelaziz
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk