The Empire Fighting Chance podcast

In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast, it's all about education. Empire works with schools across the city and beyond, and one of our key partners is City Academy the secondary school in St George. This week's guest is the Head of Inclusion at the school, Hardeep Konsal.Neil talks with Hardeep about the future of schools, challenges young people face, education, league tables and more.To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

In this week's episode of The Empire Fighting Chance, Neil talks to Dayton Powell about youth violence, gangs and criminality. Dayton has lived experience of this having spent time in prison for violent offences.Today, he supports young people to move away from criminality into alternative positive lifestyles via his organisation Each One Teach One.Dayton also works at Empire Fighting Chance delivering programs at the gym, helping teenagers overcome anxieties associated specifically with knife crime. So, why do young people carry knives? Why do they join gangs? How can we understand this better and how can we support and redirect positive outcomes for young people?

In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast, host Neil interviews Dr. Craig Johnson, a senior lecturer at the University of the West of England and co-founder of the Alliance of Working Class Academics. Dr. Johnson discusses the impact of class on young people's lives, drawing on his own experiences growing up in a council estate in Scotland. He explores the challenges faced by young boys in education and the effectiveness of referral units and the prison pipeline. Listen as Neil and Dr. Johnson delve into these important topics and discuss potential solutions.

In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast we go across the pond to Canada. Neil Maggs talks with Jan Fox, the executive director of REACH Edmonton, Alberta.REACH is an organisation which brings together communities to develop safety strategies for the city, they support current social programs and fill any gaps in the system. REACH have partnered with Empire Fighting Chance through their shared interest as members of the international Peace in Our Cities initiative.Neil and Jan talk about this partnership, the importance of building international networks when it comes to violence reduction work, her trip to Bristol and much more.To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

In this episode of the Empire Fighting Chance podcast, we go all celebrity.Host Neil Maggs talks with his old mate Joe Sims, an actor known for being in hit TV series Broadchurch who has recently become the presenter of the BBC radio Bristol breakfast show. Neil and Joe discuss his career and why he's crossed the rubicon into radio broadcasting as well as the difficulties of breaking into media and acting based on class.They also discuss Joe's work in charity: he's linked to various good causes in Bristol, supporting sport for development trusts and setting up his own project called 500 reasons, with another unannounced project in the pipeline...To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org

In this week's episode of Empire Fighting Chance, Neil talks about the role that business can play with young people in offering opportunities to avoid a path into youth violence, crime and unemployment. It's Nick Day; a businessman of 30 years who is supporting Empire through 'Box Careers' and recently became an Empire community ambassador.However, he is better known as the voice of Bristol Rovers Football Club. He was the MC at the ground for many years, known for his catchphrase "I can smell gas". He has interviewed top boxers, including world champion Lee Haskins from the Sanigar stable, and his son has benefited from programs at Empire and gone on to fight as an amateur boxer.Neil and Nick discuss business, boxing, and football.To support Empire Fighting Chance and to find out more about the work we do, head to www.empirefightingchance.org