Category: Radio
4
Date: 18.05.2005
Printable version
91Èȱ¬ Radio 4's The Archers has been
awarded Mind Champion of the Year by readers of Open Mind magazine,
together with staff from Mind, the mental health charity in England
and Wales.
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The award was presented today (Wednesday 18 May) at
12.30pm at Glazers Hall, London, at Mind's Award lunch (along with Mind
Book of the Year and Mind Journalist of the Year).
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It was presented by the charity's President, Melvyn
Bragg, as part of Mind Week 2005 (14-21 May) - this year focussing
on the theme of stress and mental health in the workplace.
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Readers chose it for its "brilliant story lines and
acting", for "raising awareness of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)"
and for "tackling issues such as, grief, suicide and loss".
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The storylines featured 26-year old Helen Archer (played
by Louiza Patikas) struggling in a difficult relationship
with local gamekeeper Greg Turner (Marc Finn).
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Their relationship was disapproved of by her mother
Pat (Patricia Gallimore), particularly as Greg had
an ex-wife and two children who lived abroad.
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Faced by one setback after another, Greg became very
depressed, and finally a despairing Helen walked out on him.
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Shortly after, in May 2004, Greg took his own life.
The grief and guilt became too much for Helen, and, displaying symptoms
of post-traumatic stress disorder, she developed an eating disorder.
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Her family finally persuaded her to seek help, and she
was finally admitted to a local clinic. Through the support and counselling
she has received at the clinic, and with the help of her family and
friends, Helen has started her old job again (managing the family-run
shop Ambridge Organics) and is on the road to recovery.
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Other recent stories featured in the programme include
the rape of Kathy Perks (Hedli Niklaus), as she continues
to come to terms with her ordeal and her fear of intimacy through support
from her partner Kenton (Richard Attlee), and the story
of 86-year-old Jack Woolley (Arnold Peters) and his
wife Peggy (June Spencer) as they join together in
facing Jack's battle with dementia.
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Vanessa Whitburn, Editor of The Archers, says: "Thank
you to all the readers of Open Mind magazine and the professionals in
the area of mental health who voted for us. We are delighted that our
story has been recognised in this way."
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