We Can Change The World

Presenter Isy Suttie speaks to Freya Lewis, who was a victim of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 after attending the Ariana Grande concert. Freya spent five and a half weeks in hospital and suffered 29 separate injuries from the attack. With her Dad’s help, they started a fundraising page to give something back to the hospital that helped save her life. During her recovery Freya learned to walk again and went on to run the Manchester Children’s Run, then completed the full Manchester 10K in 2019, all to help raise even more money for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Freya talks about the obstacles she overcame during recovery, a visit from Ariana Grande, her love for Harry Styles and her fundraising mission. This is how Freya is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie speaks to the incredible Salvador Gómez-Colón from Puerto Rico, who at just 15 years old took it upon himself to launch a crowdfunding campaign to help those in desperate need. The unprecedented disaster completely devastated the island, but through Light and Hope for Puerto Rico, Salvador helped to raise around $175,000 for portable solar lamps and hand-operated washing machines for the residents. Since the hurricane, Salvador has been recognised as one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential Teens and has been awarded the President's Environmental Youth Award for his social-humanitarian work as well as continuing to spread the message to always do the best we can for others. This is how Salvador is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to Bea and Georgia, two members of the campaign group Girls Against, who have used their experiences of unwanted sexual advances at music gigs to challenge attitudes in the music industry and help make going to watch music a safer experience for everyone. When Bea bonded over a love of indie music with a group of girls online, she was shocked to discover that they had all shared experiences of being groped at gigs and other unwanted sexual advances. They decided to start an anti-groping campaign group called Girls Against, and having experienced groping herself, Georgia soon joined the group as well. After using social media to highlight unwanted sexual advances at a music gig for the band Peace, Girls Against blew up overnight with a wave of support from bands including Wolf Alice and Slaves as well as mainstream press coverage. Girls Against have used that exposure to create a discussion in the music industry about sexual assault, taken their platform to the Reading and Leeds festival and educated security staff on how to spot unwanted advances. They have even started running their own music gigs that encourage sexual assault prevention and include dedicated safe space areas. This is how Bea and Georgia are changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie speaks to the brilliant Krtin Nithiyanandam whose fascination in science and research lead him to develop a ground breaking idea to help diagnose the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Krtin has always had a curious mind and it was that curiosity which led him to develop a ground breaking idea that has not only changed his life but has the potential to change thousands of lives. Through sheer determination his work has not gone unnoticed; being recognised internationally when he won the Scientific American Innovative Awards in 2015, being listed as one of Time Magazine's Most Influential Teens in 2017 and fast forward to 2020 where he continues to study at Stanford University, California. This is how Krtin is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the inspirational Brooke Taylor who has raised over £50,000 for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital who have treated her since birth. Brooke was born with a spinal condition called spondylolisthesis and has had more operations than she’s had birthdays. Despite this Brooke has courageously campaigned to give back to the hospital charity to make life easier for other young patients. She has organised countless fundraising events, which she talks about in this podcast, from the ‘Forbidden Mile’ to ‘Brooke’s Barmy Army’, and was presented with JustGiving’s coveted Fundraiser of the Year award. She’s even an accredited para-cyclist and has trained at the Manchester Velodrome. She’s absolutely unstoppable and is determined to help others as well as pursuing her dreams no matter what! This is how Brooke is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to Oxford University students Alex and Martha, who turned their love of literature into a charity where books are donated to homeless people. Alex and Martha were shocked at the contrast of university life compared to those sleeping rough in the city and wanted to do something to help. They started their journey entirely through social media and word of mouth, getting local students and colleges involved who would donate the books and make sure they reached the people who would welcome them for much-needed entertainment and respite. Now Alex and Martha are looking at growing their charity, teaming up with local organisations in the hope of creating a mobile library to get more people involved with the work they do. This is how Alex and Martha are changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie speaks to the amazing Jemima Browning, who started a swimming club especially for young people with disabilities and has since travelled across the world and set up her own campaign to spread her message of inclusivity. Growing up in Tadcaster, Jemima loved swimming with her brother Will who has Downs Syndrome but when she learned that there were no swimming clubs he could join as he got older she decided with the help of her local swimming pool to set up her own club which she called Stingrays. Through Stingrays, Jemima has been able to help not just Will but many young people with physical and intellectual disabilities find a passion and freedom in swimming. Her work has led her to join forces with the Special Olympics and put together a campaign called #UnifiedRocks where people paint rocks with inclusive messages across the world for people to find. This is how Jemima is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the inspiring Mercy Shibemba who decided to start challenging stigmas around HIV after she found out that she was born with the virus. It’s a journey that has taken her across the world, resulting in her receiving a Diana Award and much more. When Mercy was told by her Doctor that she was born with HIV, she was confused about the virus she didn’t then know much about. After meeting other young people with HIV at an event in London, she started working with the Children’s HIV Association to challenge stigmas attached to the virus and show that when treated properly HIV doesn’t stop anyone from living a normal life. After meeting Prince Harry at the International AIDS Conference in 2016, she came out publicly as HIV positive a year later when he presented her with a Diana Award. Since then Mercy has continued to campaign on HIV Awareness and she’s now involved in a commission aiming to end HIV transmissions in England by 2030. This is how Mercy is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the extraordinarily talented Trisha Prabhu in Boston. Having experienced bullying herself and being fed up of seeing others bullied online, Trisha decided she had to do something to help. At the age of 13 she carried out her own scientific research to find out what could help prevent young people from taking part in bullying on the internet. By the time she was 14 Trisha’s research had led to the creation of a software she now calls ‘Rethink’, which has gained the thumbs up from tech heavyweights MIT and Google. What started off as a school project has now been introduced to over 5 million students around the world as a solution to help prevent online hate. This is how Trisha is changing the world...

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the brilliant Alvin Owusu who decided to use his ten step plan to make a positive change not only to his life but to those around him. Having lived most of his life in Hackney, Alvin has seen first-hand the effects a low income and being from a BAME background can impact your chances. Alvin started working as a Lead Mentor with Debate Mate, whose main aim is to improve young people’s communication skills. After just two years with the charity he became the founder of ‘The Advantage Group’ a social enterprise that aims to raise the attainment and employability of students from diverse backgrounds. Alvin’s hard work and determination has not gone unnoticed, being recognised as one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential Teens, he’s received the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award and was recently selected as an #iWill Ambassador. This is how Alvin is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the brilliant Abby Lang, who started campaigning to raise awareness of young sudden cardiac death after having a heart screening at her school. When Abby found out that a health charity called Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) were holding heart screenings at her school in Dundee, she decided to attend as it was a topic she was interested in studying. She had no underlying conditions herself but Abby soon met a campaigner called Peter McAvoy who had lost his son from an undiagnosed heart condition and she decided to start campaigning with him and CRY to raise awareness of young sudden cardiac death. Through her work, Abby has helped to persuade many members of both the Scottish Parliament and House of Commons to sign a pledge supporting the development of a national strategy preventing young sudden cardiac death and has helped to raise thousands of pounds to provide free heart screenings to young people across the UK. Her efforts led to her becoming a runner up in the Young Scot Awards in 2018 where she met Nicola Sturgeon and she continues to campaign whilst studying in Dundee to help prevent something that affects twelve young people every week. This is how Abby is changing the world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to two amazing young people, Matthew and Ben Smith, who tragically lost their older brother to suicide. Wanting to prevent more young men from taking their own lives, and more families having to go through what they did, they launched a campaign called ‘If U Care Share’. It all started at a charity football game, in which Matthew and Ben sold wristbands in the name of their brother Daniel. They went on to raise £48,000 before either of them reached their 13th birthday and now the campaign has grown into a charity that supports young people all over the UK. One of the charities initiatives, the ‘Inside Out’ campaign, has really got people talking and so far has reached over 16 million people. This is how Matthew and Ben are changing the world.

Isy Suttie speaks to Marley Dias about her work creating the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. Marley was in 5th grade when she decided to take action with the lack of diversity in books that she was studying in school. Marley’s parents encouraged her to find a way to make change happen, and with their help at 10 years old, she created a movement to make sure that diverse stories were put into the schools and communities that need them. Through her campaign; Marley has spoken at big talks and events, met Michelle Obama and Oprah and became the youngest person ever to be featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 list. The target of 1000 books was smashed, now standing at more than 12,000 – all while Marley continues to go to school, do homework and see friends. This is how Marley changed her world…

Presenter Isy Suttie speaks to Dev Sharma who is on a mission to end food insecurity for young people across the UK. In 2018 Dev realised that he and his friends were experiencing food insecurity and the stigma associated with not being able to afford hot school meals. Dev has worked tirelessly and campaigned to open the conversation about food insecurity, stopping junk food from being the everyday option for low income families and trying to change the way young people think about food. This has led to Dev being crowned Leicester’s Young Person of the Year, becoming a Young Food Ambassador and now becoming part of a new committee, led by Chef Jamie Oliver, targeting obesity in young people. This is how Dev changed his world…

Isy Suttie speaks to 12 year old Avye Couloute about how being one of the only girls in coding workshops, which led her to set up her own just for girls. Avye’s workshops have won her support in the tech industry and taken her to Barcelona and Rome. Avye has always been a creative person. When her parents encouraged her to try a coding workshop when she was 7, she quickly found a new outlet for her creativity. However as she learned to code she noticed the lack of girls taking part in the workshops she attended. Avye decided to take her coding knowledge, and with help from friends and family, started her own workshops called Girls Into Coding to get more girls involved in technology. A few years later she has won a Diana Award for her work, ran multiple workshops, raised money to give computer kits to other young girls and attended a massive industry conference in Barcelona to advocate for making technology available to less developed countries. She’s done all of this and she’s only just started high school! This is how Avye changed her world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the amazing Bella Lack about how at just 16 she helped ban the use of wild animals in circuses. She also became a founding member of a group creating the first entirely youth funded nature serve and travelled the world to expose animal cruelty through the power of social media. Bella has been wild about wildlife since she was very young, bringing ants and slugs into her parent’s house from the garden and even writing letters to her neighbour Sir David Attenborough. When she was 11 she saw a video showing the effect unsustainable palm oil was having on the habitat of Orangutans in the rainforest. Since then she has campaigned tirelessly on a number of different fronts to help protect animals. She’s flown to Thailand to expose the mistreatment of Asian Elephants, confronted the wildlife trade and in 2019 her petition to ban the use of wild animals in circuses attracted nearly 200,000 signatures and helped lead to the ban being made law. This is how Bella changed her world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the amazing Maya Ghazal, a prominent advocate for refugee rights who has stood her ground when it comes to spreading the message that education is a right not a privilege. When Maya was just 15 she arrived in the UK from Syria. Despite initially struggling with English and facing rejections from schools and the education system, through sheer determination 4 years on Maya is now a compelling spokesperson and role model for young refugees and migrants across the UK. Winner of The Diana Legacy Award - Maya is now pursuing Aviation Engineering with pilot studies at Brunel University London, whilst continuing to speak at high profile events she continues to smash stereotypes and offers solutions to better understanding refugees. This is how Maya changed her world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the inspiring Moin Younis who doesn’t let his life limiting skin condition epidermolysis bullosa stop him from pursing his passion for vlogging, raising money for charity and supporting his all-time favourite football club Aston Villa. When Moin was just a baby his parents were told it was unlikely that he would live passed the age of 1 and now at the age of 19 he has defied medical opinion. Despite his many challenges, Moin is committed to making a difference to the lives of others and since being a Young Ambassador for Acorns Children’s Hospice he has helped raise money and awareness of the incredible work they do. Winner of the Pride of Britain Award 2017 Moin made sure that every celeb in the room that night heard his message “A lot of people take life for granted. Please, please get the most out of your life and make the most of what you have.” Strong, charismatic and brave – this is how Moin changed his world…

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the brilliant Noga Levy-Rapoport about how joining her first climate protest ended with her leading a march through London and how she has helped to organise and encourage a new generation of children fighting to save our planet. When a friend of Noga’s asked her to come to a climate protest, she felt there wasn’t any choice but to go. Seeing that people sitting outside parliament wasn’t enough, she borrowed a megaphone from a fellow protestor and before long was storming down busy London streets with a determination to make their voices heard. She soon joined the UK Student Climate Network, helped co-ordinate a massive global climate strike and even has time to run a Youth Theatre Company whilst doing her A Levels. This is how Noga changed her world… #ChangeYourWorld

Presenter Isy Suttie speaks to Eliza Rebeiro and Abigale Wray about the fantastic work they do with the charity Lives Not Knives, actively engaging thousands of primary and secondary school students each year as they educate them against knife culture. Knife crime in the UK is on the rise and both Eliza and Abigale have been affected. When Eliza was just 14 years old she started a campaign called Lives Not Knives after one of her friend’s was stabbed in front of her. Years later Lives Not Knives continues to spread the word and help support young people such as Abigale who want to change their lives around. This is how Eliza and Abigale changed their worlds… #ChangeYourWorld

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the inspirational Nayena Marsh about how she’s using her own experiences with mental health to raise awareness through her blog, social media and speaking in schools as a Young Champion for Time to Change. When Nayena first started suffering from depression and anorexia, she didn’t realise what it was, because she felt she didn’t fit the stereotypical image of mental health portrayed in the mainstream media. When a friend who was suffering with anorexia shared her story with Nayena at a party, Nayena realised she had to do something and went to a doctor for help. As she got better at managing her own mental health, Nayena started to use social media and her online blog to share her experiences, in the hope others would share theirs. This is how Nayena is changing the world… #ChangeYourWorld

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the fantastic Jay Hulme about coming out as transgender, advising NHS staff about transgenderism, and how performing his poetry in Parliament made MPs cry. When Jay was growing up he always knew he didn’t feel quite right in his body but it wasn’t until his teenage years that he realised he was a trans male. He found poetry was his medium for expressing his experiences as a transgender man and at 17 won the highly coveted teen poetry competition ‘Slambassadors’. Since then he’s continued to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and is working to make being a trans teen better for the next generation. This is how Jay changed his world… #ChangeYourWorld

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the amazing Amika George about how setting up FreePeriods.org is preventing young girls missing school, and how she wants more boys and men to talk freely about periods – so this is definitely not just a podcast for girls! When Amika found out girls were skipping lessons because of their periods she had to act, and created an online petition demanding the government give free menstrual products to all girls on free school meals – creating the hashtag FreePeriods. Her online campaign has attracted over 275,000 signatures, created a media storm and led to the government committing funding to tackle the issue. This is how Amika changed her world… #ChangeYourWorld

Presenter Isy Suttie talks to the brilliant Dan Lawes about how setting up Youth Politics UK is helping young people get access to policy makers, and how his countless hours of volunteering is making the world a better place. Due to not being able to vote, Dan felt young people were being ignored in the political system and so he decided to use his experiences in debate team to set up an organisation called Youth Politics UK. The group is completely youth led and engages young people across the North West of England, giving them direct access to policy makers, running workshops and helping teens to stand up for what they believe in. Dan started it in Manchester but the organisation has now grown to London and Edinburgh, and it’s unlikely he’ll stop there. He’s won a Diana Award, he’s an ambassador for the #IWill campaign and MPs now come to his organisation for help. This is how Dan changed his world… #ChangeYourWorld

Isy Suttie introduces a podcast featuring amazing young people whose actions have changed the world around them.