Kind

When Simukai felt like he was drowning at a new school, a role model gave him a pep talk that changed everything.Professor of African politics, Simukai Chigudu, grew up in Zimbabwe as the first generation after the end of colonial rule. This meant growing up against a backdrop of a lot of emotional and political baggage that his parents and his country were trying to process. Something he's still making sense of to this day…In this episode, Simukai shares the stories of the boy he judged wrongly, who turned out to be a true friend; a university friend of his parent's who helped him understand his place in the world; and a role model from childhood who made an overwhelming school feel like a place he could belong.Simukai's book Chasing Freedom is available now.Thanks so much for being here!Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show.Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcastKind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell

When Jennie was returning to work after time away with her kids, she had two friends who weren't afraid to hold her to account. Jennifer Breheny Wallace has studied how and why we need to feel valued and to know that we matter, and in this conversation she shares the kind moments that have made her feel just that… A woman called Robin swoops in after a devasting phone call, a forever friend shares a tough truth, and her readers send messages that let her know she's on the right track. Jennie's book Mattering is available now. Thanks so much for being here! Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show. Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcast Kind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell

On a humanitarian mission to Gaza, Shehan's driver gave him a thank you that he would never forget.Leading trauma surgeon, Shehan Hettiaratchy, thinks a lot about kindness in healthcare, not least when he was admitted to his own A&E with kidney stones! In this episode, he also shares what it was like to have someone step in just in time to save his daughter and how, whilst on a surgical mission to Ukraine, he received a gift that will stay with him.If you like the episode, or are interested in Shehan and his work, do go and read or listen to his memoir The Careful Surgeon which is out now. It's a beautiful book.Thanks so much for being here!Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show.Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcastKind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell 

When Naz was at primary school her family couldn't afford to go on holiday. Somehow, a dinner lady knew just what she needed…Naz Shah MP has had a rollercoaster life. She lived in poverty after her dad ran off with their sixteen-year-old neighbour; Naz then left school at the age of twelve to be sent to Pakistan where she was pushed into an arranged marriage; and her mum was sent to prison after killing an abusive man.Naz has used her experiences to campaign for others in need, but it was a very small "thank you" from a woman Naz had never met before that has stayed with her. Also in this episode: how her local Bishop Toby provided comfort at her hospital bed and how Mrs Brassley gave her the holiday she could never have imagined.Share this episode far and wide and let's find Mrs Brassley!Naz Shah's memoir Honoured is out now to read and listen to.Thanks so much for being here!Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show.Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcastKind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell

When Jess Robinson started announcing loudly that she was Jewish, she was scared… But a group of sequin-clad men showed her that she deserves to be included exactly as she is. Comedian, singer, actor and author, Jess Robinson, shares how small acts of consistent kindness can add up to something massive, and we hear how someone had so much faith in her – and so much kindness – that they gave everything to make her Edinburgh Fringe show happen. Plus a sneak peak into the kindness of Jess's grandma, and into Jess's new book. Jess Robinson's book My Life is Rosi is available now. Thanks so much for being here! Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show. Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcast Kind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell 

When Jamie Windust raced to Liverpool Street for a snog under the station clock, little did they know that a woman in Boots would become a crucial part of the story… Writer and content creator Jamie Windust is the breath of fresh air your day needs, and in this episode you'll hear how you can be that in a little way to them too. Plus, how one person reached out when Jamie really needed it and became the phone contact just below 'Mum'. Thanks so much for being here! Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show. Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcast Kind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell 

CONTENT NOTE: This episode contains adult themes. When Eva Oh arrived on her first ever shift as a dominatrix, most people ignored her, but not everyone… Internationally renowned dominatrix and podcast host, Eva Oh, took years to tell her Mum about her job. Her Mum's eventual reaction was surprising. Was it as surprising as meeting a Tibetan Lama on a plane who gives you some very specific feedback on your saucy memoir…? You'll have to listen and decide for yourself. Thanks so much for being here! Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show. Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcast Kind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell

When Sophie Williams was standing on a platform in feather pyjamas as the sleeper train pulled away, this man was ready to help her make it to her next-day speaking event on time. Author and TED speaker, Sophie Williams, shares how, in her late teens, one woman's hair styling advice changed how much fun she was able to have; how her "Style Council" made her latest book, The Glass Cliff, better; and how one man took his transport job so seriously that even her phone got its own train ride back to London. Thanks so much for being here! Go to kindpodcast.com to find out more about the show. Follow us on Instagram @kind_podcastFollow us on TikTok @kindpodcast Kind is created and hosted by Holly NewsonIt was audio mixed by Nigel Powell