The D Tour podcast reaches top 1% of global downloads
The D Tour podcast achieved 6,945 downloads last week, putting it in the top 1% of global podcast downloads.
The podcast explores themes of dementia and documents Harriet Thomas’s 900-mile journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats as she aims to raise £25,000 for Dementia Adventure – she’s currently just over half way there.
Capturing the highs and lows of Harriet’s 90-day walk to John O’Groats, the podcast also features chats to celebrities such as singing legend Tony Christie who lives with dementia, interview experts in the field of dementia and stories of resilience and hope from people affected by the condition.
Harriet also chooses music to accompany each episode, with The Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond by Ella Roberts featuring in her latest, to celebrate her reaching Scotland.
Harriet said: “We were aiming high when we launched The D Tour, but it’s gone beyond all expectations, and we’re truly blown away.
“Through my meanderings about my journey and all the lovely people we’ve met along the way, we have tried to encourage listeners to embrace the present moment and find joy in simple pleasures.
“It’s also been our aim to challenge perceptions around dementia and to encourage listeners to donate to the brilliant charity Dementia Adventure. It’s heartwarming to see The D Tour is fulfilling all of this and more.
“This walk has been in honour of my mum Susan, who lived with dementia for nine years. She loved nature and even when she became non-verbal and didn’t recognise who I was, the sensory power of nature – the temperature of the air, the breeze in her hair and up her nostrils, the scents, the colour of flowers – all awoke something in her.
“It’s one of the reasons I’m raising money for Dementia Adventure, which provides supported outdoor holidays for families living with dementia.”
Dementia Adventure secured a streaming partnership with the Music for Dementia campaign, which hosts m4dRadio.com, a free online streaming platform playing decade-specific music for people living with dementia.
m4dRadio.com has been streaming The D Tour podcast weekly via its platform. This is the first speech-based programming it has aired.
Sarah Metcalfe, MD of Music for Dementia says: “m4d Radio has been considering a trial of speech-based programming for some time, and The D Tour sounded like the perfect opportunity to see whether our audience was receptive to this kind of content.
“We’ve been delighted to see such healthy listener figures. This is the first content partnership of its kind, and we’re really encouraged with how well it has gone so far.”
Sponsored by Macs Adventure and produced by Charlotte Foster, episodes are released every Friday until November.
All episodes of The D Tour can be found on the Dementia Adventure website.