All Things Considered

Richard LIttledale and a panel of guests look at the subject of friendship.
What is it? Why does it matter? And what, if anything, does faith have to say about it?
All these questions may matter now more than ever, with figures released from the Office of National Statistics reporting that almost one in four adults in the UK feel lonely.
Richard is joined by:
Bernice Mia, the Founder of the Faith and Friendship community.
The Reverend Dr Rob Beamish, a Baptist Minister in Colwyn Bay.
Bethany Bell, a canine behaviourist.
Dr Katherine Davies, a sociologist from the University of Sheffield who specialises in personal relationships.

This year marks five decades since the death of the pianist, composer and conductor, Meirion Williams. From Dyffryn Ardudwy, Gwynedd - his music has been performed by artists including Sir Bryn Terfel and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
He mostly worked in London and was the organist for St Benet’s Welsh Church in the nineteen sixties and seventies. While there he wrote a Missa Cambrensis, a mass, but the composition was then lost and it was feared that it would never be heard again.
Through complete chance it was found recently. It will be performed for the first time in decades in a special anniversary concert on Saturday 3rd October at The Borough Welsh Chapel in London.
Rosa Hunt finds out how the missing mass was rediscovered and talks to the people who found it and members of the choir who are are performing it for the first time in fifty years.

Azim Ahmed takes a tour of the Logos Hope, a Christian missionary ship where all of the crew, even the Captain, are volunteers.
Known as the World’s biggest floating Book Fair, it sails around the globe trying to share the Gospel and promote literacy. Currently docked in Britannica Quay in Cardiff Bay, it's in Wales for the first time since 2009. After the 29th of September it heads to destinations including Belfast, Liverpool, the Isle of Man and Malta.
The project began as an idea for a safer traveling ministry in the early 1960s with the first ship purchased in 1970. Azim learns the history of the ship and meets some of the volunteers from around the world who call it home.

Rosa Hunts meets staff and volunteers at Tir Dewi, a charity set up to help farming families facing hardship. Farming is an industry where people experience higher than average rates of poor mental health, and in 2015, Eileen Davies, a farmer in West Wales, set up Tir Dewi to help support farmers in need. Now, in 2026, Tir Dewi has been nominated for the BBC Make a Difference award recognising the exceptional work of the organisation and its dedicated volunteers.
Rosa hears from the farming community in Wales about the particular difficulties they're facing due to the prolonged dry weather this summer. She speaks to Aled Jones, former president of the National Farmer's Union of Wales, about the impact this has had on the farming community, and to Katherine Langton, a young farmer running a successful vegetable box business that's suffered setbacks due to the lack of rain.
We visit Wyn Thomas, Head of Casework and Volunteers at Tir Dewi at the Newcastle Emlyn livestock mart, and speak to volunteer Glyn Williams, who dedicates many hours to helping farmers in need.

The 8th September marks Accession day, the day when King Charles officially became sovereign. In 2026 the day is being marked with a service to install the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Wales.
Jonathan Thomas talks to those at the heart of this newly formed chaplaincy to find out how and why these positions are coming to Wales. We learn about the history of the Royal chaplains and two of the chaplains talk about their significant new roles and responsibilities.