We Are England

Ibe Hayter has always loved cycling but after noticing that a lack of people in his neighbourhood of Toxteth were out on their bikes, he set out to find out why and to show the people of his community that cycling can belong to them too.

In 2020, Ibe set up the organisation that would help him reach his aims. Ibe and other staff members run a range of programmes, with each one focussing on different groups within the community.

Ruben and Lewis have dreamt of having a place on the Formula 1 circuit since they were kids. Backed by their supportive fathers, they're
preparing to take the next steps in reaching their goal of becoming professional racing drivers.

After discovering their passion through go-karting, the teenage drivers and their fathers have teamed up in the hope that they can work together towards a spot on a professional race circuit in high-spec cars.

We follow these determined drivers as they meet their hero, Sir Lewis Hamilton, getting invaluable advice about breaking into the sport and
discussing the lack of diversity that holds so many back. We see them build their skills in the sport they love, gaining valuable experience at some of the UK's best-known circuits.

England football legend Jill Scott inspires the next generation of Lionesses to success at her childhood club in the north east. Boldon CA Girls is the grassroots football club that has produced three England Lionesses – Jill Scott, Demi Stokes and captain Steph Houghton.

Now the young players at Boldon are training hard and dreaming big.
After the success of the England women's team winning Euro 2022, these girls believe they can do it too.

With the first game of the season round the corner, we discover the new players dreaming of gold, and England legend Jill Scott as she inspires them to success.

A paramedic, a firefighter and a police officer head to north Devon for a day of ‘surf therapy' in the hope it can help process trauma from their demanding jobs.

Surfwell is the first project of its kind to use surfing as a method to support emergency service workers. The project, operated by Devon and Cornwall Police, is run entirely by serving police officers, which founders Sam and James say is integral for it to work.

The long-serving officers and friends, who share a passion for surfing, suggested the project after seeing colleagues struggle and realising surfing was more than a hobby for them, it was a coping strategy.

Dave Black, from Colchester, Essex, has decided to give up his job as a bus controller to become a full time Elvis Presley tribute act. Since he was a child, Dave had wanted to be an entertainer and, after entering a talent competition at work a few years ago, he discovered that he had a natural flair for impersonating the king of rock ‘n' roll. Now 52, he is finally ready to take the plunge. He has taken redundancy and has invested over £10,000 in costumes and singing lessons, to
enhance his performance – from lavish jumpsuits to expensive wigs.

On a mission to sell his act to England's thriving holiday park sector, we follow Dave as he attends a nationwide talent showcase. He will have just 10 minutes to impress some of England's leading entertainment agents and bookers.

Already on the agents' books is Karen Tomlinson (a.k.a. ‘Jessie J'). Known for her high energy and on-point delivery, Karen tours the country delivering her act – with the summer holidays being her busiest period. But Karen has been off the circuit for a couple of years, following
the birth of her son, and is only just coming back. With staycations putting higher demands on entertainers in this most competitive of industries, the pressure is on. We follow her over the six-week summer holidays as she racks up thousands of miles on the road and performs to venues across the country, all the while juggling commitments with her role as a parent.

Sian Green, a mum, body positivity motivational speaker and model from Leicester, explores the emotional and practical barriers to amputees getting active and the sense of belonging it brings.

The 32-year-old, is facing a new challenge – to go to her local gym on her own for the first time since she became an amputee. Nine years ago, whilst in New York, Sian was hit by a taxi, resulting in her losing her left leg.

Recently, Sian says an image of her has been used without her permission, and her prosthetic leg edited out, for a body positivity campaign launched by Spain's equality ministry. This has prompted Sian to face a personal barrier– to feel comfortable going to a gym without the support of her husband.

The Railway Club, a working men's club in Clacton, Essex, is a local institution. The hub of a thriving community, it has been a lifeline for many working people in the area, and acts as a second family for many. The Railway's chairman, John, has seen the club open its doors to generations of Clactonians, running everything from bingo nights to karaoke competitions.

But times are hard for this seaside town. The area has an ageing population and has weathered years of economic decline.
We follow The Railway as it seeks to modernise and stay relevant in a changing world. John's two daughters, Kelly and Emma, have decided to help their father run the club. With a previous career in banking, Kelly has a strong head on her shoulders and wants to drive the business forward, whilst Emma's kind-heartedness sees her caring out of hours for the older members of the club.

Joining The Railway against the backdrop of rising overheads and an ageing membership, they want to broaden the club's appeal and keep it from going under. And, above all else, they want to protect an institution which means everything to their father and their community. This is a story about change, tradition, and a family forging an uneasy compromise between the old and the new.

A year on since the original programme aired on BBC1, We Are England returns to the club to find out how they are getting on. Have Kelly and
Emma managed to attract new members, while staying true to John's old-school approach? And are they managing to stay afloat financially, after a tough pandemic? We catch up with familiar faces to hear what has changed.

Teesside is one of the worst places for knife crime, higher per head of population than Manchester and Birmingham. So how should £3.5 million of new government cash be spent tackling the problem? A leading Teesside surgeon who campaigned for the money visits a project in the north east to find out how they're tackling the problem. And Alison Madgen who lost her daughter to knife crime opens a retreat to help other families affected by violent crime.

Neighbours on a Leeds housing estate fight to keep their community together when faced with eviction from their privately rented homes, that have stood since the 1950s.

The residents' battle highlights the strength of community in working-class neighbourhoods and speaks to issues of gentrification seen across the country. This film follows several residents on the estate in the weeks leading up to their eviction, as they desperately fight for more time and for their community to stay together.

We we join the residents of the estate one year later as they adapt to new living situations.

The oystermen of the River Fal estuary have been dredging in sailing boats for hundreds of years. But their traditional way of life has been knocked sideways by Brexit. Exports to France - where their catch of native oysters and queen scallops are popular - have been hit hard by new rules.

Les and Dan Angell are a father-and-son team from Falmouth who sail up and down the Carrick Roads channel six days a week, towing small dredges behind their boat. Life was tough enough already when in January 2021 they were forced to stop fishing and beach their boat for the reminder of the season, losing income of more than £300 a day.

Local shellfish merchant Martin Laity has bought their produce for years, selling it on to the same loyal customers in France that his family dealt with a century ago. All that changed in January 2021. Exports of shellfish ground to a halt and his business was left floundering.

This documentary follows Martin and his business partner Tom as they navigate the choppy waters of post-Brexit Britain, looking for new ways to generate income and trying desperately to keep the community of fishermen like Les and Dan afloat.

Almost a year on since the original programme aired on BBC1, We Are England returns to see if Martin's shellfish business is surviving with the continued implications of Brexit.

Along with his wife and two daughters, Yacob Woldehiwot lives in what he describes as his dream home - a fourth-floor flat in west London. It's a spacious one-bedroom property with panoramic views of London's skyline, great transport links and a tightly knit, long-standing community.

Yacob says he saved every penny to buy his property on this south Acton estate nearly two decades ago, intending it to be his home for life and an inheritance for his kids. But now, Ealing council wants to demolish it. The other blocks in the estate are already being bulldozed, with new buildings springing up, and Yacob's family are the only people left living in this once-busy community.

The council are offering to buy his home, but Yacob believes their offer is below the market rate and he will be forced out of London.

Almost a year on since the original programme aired on BBC1, We Are England returns to this south Acton estate to find out how Yacob and his
family have fared. Have they reached an agreement with the council? Have they moved into a new, safe home? Or are they still hanging on, living as the last family in the old block?

When she was three years old, Nadia Jane was enrolled at a performing arts school. It helped her build confidence, kept her out of trouble and shaped who she is today. When she was 19, she started up her own dance school in a church hall in Derby, hoping people would turn up. 20 years later, Nadia has her own studio, a hundred students and five teachers, including her brother and mother.

Over the years the school has evolved into a refuge and safe haven for many students, who refer to it as their 'dance family', and Nadia their 'dance mum'. Without the school, numerous children wouldn't have had an outlet to express their feelings, or have someone to talk about their day-to-day problems.

The school has really helped 13-year-old Evalynn. When she started secondary school, she was told he had dyslexia. Shortly after, her mother Amanda was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Evalynn started at the dance school soon afterwards, and it has helped her build confidence and keep anxiety at bay.

Megan was an outgoing girl, until secondary school when she started to get bullied at school and over social media. After joining the dance school, Megan made new friends and newfound confidence. Megan met Evalynn at the school and clicked with her straight away. They became close friends and were able to support each other through the tough times.

Six months after the initial programme aired on BBC1 and iPlayer, we catch up with Nadia to see how what progress the school, and pupils have made. More trophies have been won, and one special student has earned a scholarship to compete against other elite dancers. Funding has now been secured with the Youth Alliance and we drop in to one of Nadia's regular youth nights that she hopes will give kids a positive reason to leave the house. We also hear from Evalynn to see how she's been getting on.