Paul Golder writes for the Brentwood Gazette

Our hard-working Drive presenter Charlie Davy has been busy over the last few weeks talking to as many local businesses as he can!

We’re working with the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce to help make the first Brentwood Business Awards a success. Philip Cockram from Pinney Talfourd was the latest visitor in a long line of local people who came in to talk about what they do and the aim of the awards, including Ian Marshall from Spargo, Ruta Gabalis from AeroBlue, Jane Winfield from Wortley Byers and Steve Lee from Havering College.

All of the interviews can be heard again on the Phoenix FM website at www.phoenixfm.com/category/drive.

Charlie has also been interviewing local small business owners at our new monthly business networking meetings, The Phoenix Family, which are taking place on the second Thursday of every month at Shenfield Cricket Club. The next one takes place from 12pm-2pm on 14 June and more details can be obtained from Steve Roach on 07952 498009.

[bullet] Phoenix FM took part in the #MentalHealthMinute initiative last week, where we broadcast a special message which featured Prince Harry, Lady Gaga and other celebrities simultaneously with hundreds of other stations all over the UK.

We’ve been running our own mental health podcast, Mental Health Matters, for a few years now. In our latest edition, host Graham Stannard chats to entrepreneur Martin Böddeker and multi skilled therapist Marie Delanote. All editions of the podcast can be found on phoenixfm.com.

[bullet] Guests coming up in the next week includ Ron Ridge from Brentwood and Four Parishes First Responders and Natasha Redford from Chicken and Frog talking books with Michelle Ward and author Sylvia Kent.

[bullet] There will also be live music in the studio from Phil Lagos, baVard and X Factor finalist Sam Callahan.