Getaway Girls has launched its own TV show

Getaway Girls has launched the programme to help females aged 11 to 25 to talk about various topics that affect them.

So far they have discussed issues like racial justice, going to university and even done an interview with a prominent MP.

Getaway Girls TV was the idea of peer educator Sharandeep Flora, 20. She said: “We wanted to create a space and platform for girls to talk and discuss issues that matter to them at the moment, and to project them out to a larger audience.”

They have used Zoom to conduct the interviews and then broadcast them via Instagram and on their YouTube channel. So far they have uploaded six episodes and they have been getting great feedback.

In one episode a group of three young women from Getaway Girls interviewed Dawn Butler, the MP for Brent Central. PR industry worker Emily Docherty, who helps edit the shows and promotes them, said: “I just got in touch with her team and they were really receptive because of Dawn’s background, her involvement in youth voices and female empowerment. She was really open to it.”

The interviewers asked the Labour MP about the Black Lives Matter Movement and the challenges of being a female MP.

One of the interviewers was Kianna Leader, 22, who has a long-standing ambition to become an MP. She works as a Vocal Girls coordinator for Getaway Girls and is striving to make Leeds the first women friendly city in the UK.

Kianna said: “Dawn mentioned how it is important it is that you remain dedicated to the cause. So even if you are not elected you need to make sure that you are doing things in the community and really helping people. That’s the reason she wanted to go into politics. She said, ‘As long as you are care then you should be able to get where you are going to’.

“Dawn also talked about how you shouldn’t be discouraged if you are ignored at first. I thought that was really good advice.”

Kianna, who studied philosophy, politics and economics at university and hopes to become a councillor before standing for parliament, said: “I’ve always been really passionate about it. Being from Harehills, I’ve always cared about social equity and things like that. So being an MP was the way I thought I could make changes.”

Get Away Girls TV has also devoted episodes to the issue of racial justice. Emily, 26, said: “There was so much to talk about that we ended up making two episodes.

“We covered loads of things. Obviously the Black Lives Matter was going on, we talked about that a lot. But we also talked about white privilege and white people acknowledging it. We also discussed what changes white people can make and what changes we would like to see happen off the back of the movement.”

“It was really interesting because people were talking about their experiences. We got a lot of feedback from those episodes, saying ‘how great they were’ and ‘thank you so much for sharing this as I wasn’t aware that these things go on’.

Another episode on the Leeds West Indian Carnival has just been recorded and more are planned. Emily added: “We have been enjoying making them and it’s something nice to share with the world.”

BACKGROUND:

Getaway Girls TV founder Sharandeep Flora says she is proud of what the show has achieved in such a short space of time.

The social media station began six-weeks-ago but it has made an instant impact. Sharandeep said: “I’m quite proud of us. It was a spontaneous idea. We wanted to do something different and try and get the Getaway Girls together, connected during these difficult times. I think that we have found a solution to it.

“We are all thinking about these issues anyway. It’s just a good way of putting our ideas out there, our thoughts and feelings.”

The 20-year-old university student started with Getaway Girls in Harehills when she was 13, and has risen to the role of peer educator. She just wants to give something back to the organisation which has helped her so much.

Sharandeep added: “I think Getaway Girls has honestly changed my life for the better. Ever since I was young, they have supported me through every teenage struggle I’ve ever had. They have helped me in my career and helped me start a new career DJing. They have always been that supportive constant in my life.”

She is also hoping to line up an interview with famous DJ and TV presenter Maya Jama for the TV show. To watch previous episodes follow ‘getawaygirlsleeds’ on Instagram or search for ‘Getaway Girls Leeds’ on YouTube.

For more see: getawaygirls.co.uk