Headway

This week I welcomed Lauren Scott the Executive Director at Refugees at Home, A charity pairing homeless refugees and asylum seekers with temporary hosts. Refugees at Home have so far been responsible for placing nearly 2,500 guests in homes around the UK with a total of nearly 190,000 placement nights spent with hosts. We sat down to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, how Refugees at Home have adapted during the pandemic, and what it means to host a refugee in your home.How you can help:Donate through Just GivingDonate in other waysRefugees at Home Social Media Accounts:Refugees at HomeInstagramTwitterFacebook

Rebekah Gibson is a Manager at Oasis Waterloo, a local charity committed to creating community where everyone is included and can thrive, they do this in a number of ways, including through their Foodbank and advice services. Rebekah oversees the strategy and delivery of the Waterloo Foodbank, and their advice services, including debt, benefits and immigration advice. Waterloo Foodbank is one of 400+ food banks across the UK that form part of the Trussell Trust network. In today's chat we discuss how Waterloo Foodbank pivoted during the pandemic to keep services running for their clients, we learn some of the reasons people need to access food banks in the UK, and how ultimately, Rebekah and her team and working to put themselves out of a job, in the hope of creating a country where food bank services are not needed.You can find out how to support Waterloo Foodbank, or any of the food banks in the Trussell Trust Network by following this link here.Waterloo Foodbank's websites:Waterloo FoodbankTrussell TrustOasis Hub Waterloo

This week I welcome Nicholas Kelly CEO of Axela Ltd, a health tech company centred around providing compassionate care services. Nicholas wants to change the way people view healthcare by supporting the care lifecycle, making it accessible to everyone, and using technology to support staff to deliver better care.In our discussion this week we touch on the challenges facing the health care sector, how technology could and should be used to solve those problems and what Nicholas and his team are working on developing next. Axela's Social Media Accounts:Axela Innovations Axela LtdAxela CareTwitterLinkedInReferences from the podcast:Withings Wearable Devices

This week I welcome Ruth Daniel, CEO of In Place of War a global organisation that uses creativity in places of conflict as a tool for positive change. In Place of War enable grassroot change-makers in music, theatre and across the arts to transform a culture of violence and suffering into hope, opportunity and freedom. We discuss Hip Hop schools in Medellin, creative theatre in Northern Uganda and how In Place of War's changemakers are developing creative spaces in war zones across the globe. We cover the hope that music, art and theatre can bring to communities that find themselves in times of unrest, and how even sometimes Hip Hop really can save your life. Mentioned in the Show:GRRRL - Band featured at the end of the showIn Place of War's Social Media Accounts:In Place of WarFacebookInstagramYoutubeLinkedIn

This week, Alex and Imogen sit down to talk about the often under discussed issue of men's mental health. We cover Alex's new book Time to Talk, tips on finding therapists, and why it really is so important to check in on your (especially male) friends. Please be aware this episode discusses mental health challenges.Mentioned in the Show:Time to Talk, by Alex HolmesThe Midnight Library, by Matt HaigMeditations by Marcus Aurelius Alex Holmes' Social Media Accounts:WebsiteInstagramLinkedInMental Health Support Services:Find mental health help, NHS (UK)Mind, Charity

This week, Steve and Imogen sat down to discuss the ocean industry, fishing and the work going on to protect our oceans and its biodiversity. SafetyNet Technologies have pioneered the innovative Pisces light which uses light underwater to repel certain breeds of fish, young fish, or endangered species. We touch on the issues of sustainability, cover Steve's reaction to the controversial ‘Seaspiracy' documentary and learn about the design methods that Steve and the team use to create a truly innovative product.Mentioned in the Show:Pesky Fish - A sustainable Fishmongers for listeners in the UKBlog - Response to the Seaspiracy documentarySafetyNet Technologies' Social Media AccountsSafetyNet Technologies TwitterFacebookLinkedInYoutube

This week, Sophie and Imogen sat down to discuss the fashion industry and its links with feminism and workers rights. We cover the challenges faced by garment workers, how companies are greenwashing their sustainability credentials, and why it's so important that brands pay workers a living wage. Below you can find links to the resources discussed in the show, alongside Birdsong's social media channels.BooksStitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion, by Tansy HoskinsWhite Feminism, by Koa BeckSustainable and Ethical Clothing Brands:BirdsongSancho's Community ClothingBirdsong's Social Media AccountsBirdsong InstagramTwitterFacebookLinkedIn

Coffee has fuelled us for hundreds of years, but at what cost? From coffee's colonial past, to the modern day, we delve into the history of coffee, the complexity of the market, and how we can build an industry that's both sustainable for people and planet. Tyler Youngblood is the co-founder and CEO of Azahar Coffee, a Colombian based coffee company that's committed to reimagining and redefining how coffee is grown, processed and distributed. Azahar work with more that 500 coffee producers boosting their incomes by 50-70%, all whilst helping providing technical support to help the farmers improve their farm's operations.Coffee Companies Tyler Suggests:After finishing up the podcast Tyler and I continued our coffee discussion, he suggested a few great places to buy responsibly sourced, great tasting coffee in London which I've shared below, and a few scandinavian coffee companies who buy some of the best beans in the world, and roast them lightly so as to preserve all the flavours of the coffee.Square Mile Coffee Roaster, London UKClimpson & Sons, London UKKoppi, Helsingborg SwedenTim Wendelboe, Oslo NorwayThings that are inspiring Tyler at the minute: Book: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana ZuboffBook: The Twittering Machine by Richard SeymourAzahar Coffee's Social Media Accounts:Azahar CoffeeInstagram

Mick and Imogen sit down to discuss his unstoppable drive to solve some of the world's most challenging 'absurdities'. We cover 3D printing prosthetics in a Sudanese Settlement, to how he's trying to solve food insecurity in the USA.

Ken and Imogen sit down to discuss SafariSeat a revolutionary low cost, all-terrain wheelchair designed for developing countries. We discuss the inspiration behind SafariSeat, the relationships Ken has built with the users, and how the wheelchair is empowering people with physical disabilities to live better, more independent lives.

Hadeel and Imogen sit down to discuss her innovation BrightSign, a smart glove that allows the deaf and speech disabled to communicate more easily. We delve into the story behind the glove, machine learning algorithms, and the impact it's having on the world.

Kieron Boyle is the Co-Founder and CEO of Impact on Urban Health, he and the team are committed to achieving health equity by helping urban areas become healthier places for everyone to live.I really enjoyed this wide ranging chat with Kieron, in this episode we touch on the challenges faced by our capital and other UK cities from air pollution to childhood obesity and how Impact on Urban Health are working to change the health outlook for everyday city dwellers. We dive into the necessity for human centred design when tackling intractable and deeply rooted issues like these, and how keeping the community at the heart of the design process helps to deliver sustainable and realistic outcomes.Resources discussed in the show:COVID-19: understanding the impact on BAME communitiesImpact on Urban Health's Social Media AccountsImpact on Urban HealthTwitterLinkedIn

Erika Brodnock is the founder of four businesses, in this episode I discuss two of them with her - Karisma Kidz and Extend Ventures. We discuss how access to finance can be diversified, and what Erika and her team at Extend Ventures are doing to turn the tables. A fascinating overview of the difficulties faced by underrepresented communities when accessing venture capital, and a deep dive in history to dissect where it all began.Books & Articles Discussed in the show:Black and British, a Forgotten History, by David Olusoga‘Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men' by Caroline Criado-Perez‘Better Venture' by Erika Brodnock and Johannes LenhardFurther Reading & Resources from Erika:Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners, 2 part series, BBC iPlayerHow Britons profited from the Slave Trade, by David OlusogaObstacles to Abolition, BBC BitesizeExtend Ventures' Social Media Accounts:Extend VenturesTwitterLinkedIn

Josh Babarinde is the founder and CEO of Cracked It, a social enterprise that repair phones whilst helping to create opportunities for young people to move away from crime and towards employment.I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Josh, in this episode we cover the challenges faced by today's young people, the lifecycle of a startup, and perhaps most interestingly Josh's bold and brave reaction to the impact felt by Covid this year. Take a listen on your favourite podcast provider, or here on the website.Books/TV Discussed in the show:‘How Change Happens' by Duncan Green‘A Promised Land' by Barack ObamaA Place in the Sun Channel 4Cracked It's Social Media Accounts:Cracked ItTwitterInstagram

This week we welcome Jess Thompson, founder and CEO of Migrateful whose mission it is to empower and celebrate refugees on their journey to integration. In this episode we learn about the challenges faced by refugees and migrants living in the UK today, and hear Jess' stories from the borders of Morocco to estates in London on how she has been helping refugees integrate and find a new a place they can call home. A lovely takeaway to leave you from Jess: There are so many brilliant ideas out there that could be made into something, start your own thing, don't be afraid to give it go!Migrateful's Social Media Accounts:MigratefulTwitterFacebookInstagramMedium

For this episode I'm delighted to welcome Sophi Tranchell of Divine Chocolate. Sophi has been the MD and CEO of Divine for the past 21 years, which has become a successful international company under her leadership. In this podcast we delve into the world of chocolate, the importance of a brand's story and we learn about what it means for products to be fairtrade. Sophi has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the sector, and it was truly eye opening to learn about how ethical purchasing and better business impacts people on the other side of the world.Companies to check out:Miss Macaroon - “We reinvest 100% of our profits into helping unemployed young people gain skills that will help to change their lives. We are on a mission to bake a brighter future.”Birdsong - “We create clothing for women who dress in protest – against the fast nature of the fashion industry, the obsessive pursuit of trends and the systematic abuse of women in the production line”Elvis & Kresse - “Since 2005 Elvis & Kresse have been rescuing raw materials, transforming them into luxury lifestyle accessories and donating 50% of profits back to charities.”Divine Chocolate's Social Media Accounts:DivineTwitterLinkedInFacebook

For the inaugural episode, Imogen welcomes Nick Stanhope, CEO of Shift Design. Shift is a multi-award winning charity that take a collective approach to tackling social problems. They use design thinking to help organisations maximise their impact in the social sector. During this episode Nick and Imogen discuss topics like youth mental health and childhood obesity, along with some of the design methods that Shift has used to tackle these issues.