Daytimers - South Asian ravers from the '80s, Sabina Nessa, School absence & mental health, Folic acid & Afghan refugees

The 80s was the era of day time raving for thousands of British South Asian Kids from cities across the UK from Bradford to Birmingham, Manchester to London. People called them Daytimers. They were kids skipping school to go clubbing in the daytime to avoid the rules imposed on them about going out at night. Forty years later, Daytimers UK is back as a collective of British Asian DJs. Anita Rani speaks to DJ RITU, one of the pioneers of the Asian Underground music scene in the 1980s, to DJ Priya and also to Gracie T from Daytimers UK collective. We talk to Annie Gibbs who's organising a vigil for Sabina Nessa, the 28 year old who was murdered in a south-east London park last week. Many children find themselves unable to attend school due to severe anxiety, often the result of mental health issues or unmet special educational needs. However, unless parents can provide medical evidence of mental health issues, some schools mark this down as an "unauthorised absence" leaving parents open to prosecution. We discuss with Ellie Costello, Director of Square Peg; Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General-Secretary of the National Education Union; and Colette, a parent. This week the government announced that folic acid is to be added to UK flour to prevent conditions like Spina Bifida. We hear from Benedetta Pettorini is a consultant surgeon at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Nina Tame is a disability advocate and writer. And we talk to Waheda Abdul a volunteer interpreter who is working with some of the Afghan refugees living in hotels and temporary accommodation around the country after fleeing from Kabul last month

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Gayl Gordon Picture Credit: Tim Smith