For Simon Evans, his passion for rivers has always run deep. If you'll excuse us the pun there! While his friends were down the pub, he was walking along canals, always fascinated by the beauty and diversity of our waterways. That passion led him to his current role, as chief executive of the Wye and Usk Foundation, an environmental charity that works to restore and protect the rivers Wye and Usk. In an inspiring and thought provoking conversation, we hear from Simon about why our rivers matter,...
Mar 24, 2024•54 min•Season 2Ep. 5
It was during the C0VID-19 pandemic that Elysha Paige became disillusioned with her work in tech consulting. Sat cramped over her kitchen table, staring endlessly at the screen in meeting after meeting, she knew she desperately needed a change. Elysha had always been passionate about feminism and gender issues, but didn't think it was possible to turn that into a career. Little did she know that the perfect role was just around the corner. Two years ago Elysha took a leap of faith and joined the...
Jan 25, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Caring and making change at Christmas. Karen Delin is a ward sister at Saint Francis Hospice, based just outside Romford in East London. She knew she wanted to be a nurse from the age of 5, and during the early years of the career she had dreamd of, she quickly realised palliative care was her passion. Our Christmas episode is a beautiful listen. Karen works every Christmas Day, so she shares what they do at Saint Francis Hospice to make the day as special as it can be for the patients on her wa...
Dec 25, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Patricia Parker OBE was approaching a stage in her life where she hoped she could finally use her studio for the purpose for which it was intended: being creative. Instead a trip to see her son who was working in Sudan quickly turned into her next mission to make things better for others. More than two decades later, her studio remains the office where she runs Kids for Kids, a charity dedicated to transforming the lives of children and their families in what they call, the forgotten Darfur, an ...
Dec 07, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 2
The statistics around domestic abuse in the UK make for grim reading. Shockingly, the police receive a call regarding domestic abuse every 30 seconds, but the majority of incidents are never reported. One in four women experience domestic abuse in their lives, and rates are thought to be higher for women who are Black, Asian and minority ethnic in this country. Marcia Lewinson has committed her career to supporting women through domestic abuse. Based in Birmingham, Marcia has been involved with ...
Nov 27, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Without bugs, we would be in trouble. Their numbers are declining rapidly. Invertebrates, which are any animal without a backbone, such as starfish, snails, worms and wasps, make up the biggest proportion of life on earth. And they're important. They pollinate crops and are responsible for 1 in 3 of the mouthfuls of food we eat. They control pests, they are a food source for animals and they break down organic matter left by other animals. To quote Sir David Attenborough, without them, the world...
Jun 22, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 6
How many of you can remember reciting your Girlguiding promise, earning badges or singing songs by the campfire? Girlguiding is so popular in the UK that in some areas it’s recommended that you register your daughters from birth to guarantee a place in Rainbows when they’re four. It’s mission? To help all girls know they can do anything. To do this, the organisation relies on nearly 100,000 volunteers to run the thousands of packs of Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, as well as training th...
Jun 07, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 5
It is a fact that in the UK, if you are born to wealthy parents you are more likely to do better at school, progress to university and secure higher paid jobs. A country that is socially mobile offers equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of whether your parents are rich or poor, but the UK has one of the lowest social mobility rates compared to most major EU countries. Recent data shows that inequality is worsening. Katrina Moffat is working to change this. She is a project manager at Nor...
May 25, 2023•50 min
Loneliness and isolation is thought to be one of the most serious health issues we face. It's as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, it is linked with an increased risk of multiple health conditions including stroke and heart disease, and it affects millions of people in the UK. Jeanette Farrow is the project manager for Compassionate Neighbours, a social movement which is tackling loneliness and isolation by training volunteers and matching them with those on their own, so they ...
May 11, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In the UK, around half of young people go to university, and 1 in 3 of those people report poor mental wellbeing. The same number say their mental health has worsened since beginning university. Enter Dom Smithies, Influencing and Advocacy lead at Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity. By listening to the needs and concerns of students, understanding the issues affecting them, responding to Government consultations and campaigning on the topics that aren’t being picked up, Dom is...
Apr 27, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to the first episode of The Change Makers, a new podcast shining a light on remarkable not for profit people, each making positive change. In this episode we chat to Sophie Durlacher. Sophie is the director of Uttlesford foodbank, which is the branch of Trussell Trust’s network situated in a rural spot of north west Essex. Sophie oversees a team of mostly volunteers who produce emergency food parcels for people in crisis. A volunteer herself, Sophie opted out of being paid for her role. ...
Apr 12, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 1
