The Quiet Revolution

The UK feels like it is returning to darker days. Divisive language is back in public life, symbols of exclusion are resurfacing, and many organisations are unsure how to respond without retreating into silence or statements.Hosted by Joy Warmington, CEO of brap and a veteran of 25 years at the sharp end of the equality sector, this five-part series takes listeners inside the rooms where the real work is happening. From NHS trusts to major charities, we follow the collisions, the resistance, and the breakthroughs that occur when principles meet power.This is not a podcast about quick fixes, toolkits, or tick-box equality. It is a space not to be performing, but for doing what matters. It explores the human cost of measuring progress differently and the personal liberation that comes from staying with the discomfort.The Quiet Revolution launches February 2026.Follow or subscribe now to join the quiet revolution.

In this debut episode of The Quiet Revolution, host Joy Warmington sits down with brap colleagues Cheryl Garvey (brap Associate) and Lakshnie Hettihewa (Psychotherapeutic Lead) to ask a difficult question: Have we gone backwards?As racist rhetoric returns to public life and flags appear on our streets, they explore whether the last few decades of progress were real, or merely a veneer that hid a society in deep distress. This raw conversation moves beyond the diagnosis to ask how we hold space for grief without validating hate, and why true progress means fixing the conditions where racism grows.In this episode, we cover:The Veneer of Progress: Why the "politically correct" era forced honest conversations underground, only for them to explode now.Backlash as Evidence: Why the current unrest might actually be a sign that the old systems are under threat.The Politics of Grief: Understanding how survival mode and loss of identity fuel division, and how to address the fear without validating the racism.Hope in Resistance: Why the counter-resistance is just as important as the backlash.Guest Bios: Cheryl Garvey and Lakshnie Hettihewa are senior brap Associates and long-time activists at brap, bringing decades of experience in navigating systemic oppression, community cohesion, and organisational change.Resources Mentioned:brap Website & ToolsJoin the Equality RepublicMusic featured:Melting Glass by Eden AveryFloodsNeutral State by Blue SagaEntanglement by Luba HilmanMissing Memories by Christopher Moe DitlevsenOut of the World by Axon TerminalFauna

"I have felt a fraud at times." Next Tuesday, we go behind closed doors at The Royal Free.Subscribe now so you don't miss it.

In Episode 2 of The Quiet Revolution, we step behind closed doors at The Royal Free London, one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, to witness a profound shift in leadership.Host Joy Warmington takes us inside the room where Group Chief Executive Peter Landstrom and his executive team stop "performing" equality and start confronting the reality of it. In a system that rewards certainty, metrics, and control, Peter admits to feeling like a "fraud" and discusses the moment he realised that his own leadership might be upholding the very norms he thought he was challenging.We also hear from Crystal Akass (former Chief People Officer), the strategist who lit the spark. She explains her radical approach to flip the traditional EDI model on its head: instead of focusing interventions on those experiencing racism, she focused accountability directly on the white leaders who hold the power to dismantle it.This is not a story about a perfect plan. It is a raw, honest look at the paralysis of white leadership, the "iceberg of racism," and what it takes to build the stamina for a quiet revolution.In this episode, we cover:The "Fraud" Confession: Why Peter Landstrom felt daunted by the "huge beast" of systemic racism and why standard NHS problem-solving skills don't work here.Flipping the Model: Crystal Akass’s strategy to stop fixing the people experiencing racism and start fixing the white leadership who run the system.The "Dinner Table" Moment: The breakthrough where anti-racism moved from an intellectual exercise to a "whole body response" of passion and shame.The Trap of "Zero Tolerance": Why relying on data and statements often hides the fact that leaders are upholding discriminatory norms.Imagination vs. Metrics: Why the NHS needs to stop looking for new data and start looking for a new imagination.Resources & Links Mentioned:brap Website: https://www.brap.org.ukEquality Republic: https://www.brap.org.uk/republicAnti Racism for White leaders: https://www.brap.org.uk/coachinghttps://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/news/royal-free-london-celebrates-double-win-hpma-awardsMusic Featured:Melting Glass by Eden AveryFloodsNeutral State by Blue SagaHara Noda, Wood and SkinOstinato VieveriThe Great White North by Eden AveryMissing Memories by Christopher Moe DitlevsenCrucial Calculations by Gavin LukeOut the the world by Axon TerminalFauna

It sounds completely ridiculous. But as we explore in our next episode, that is exactly how "bonkers" the concept of race actually is when deciding human value and worth.In Episode 3 of The Quiet Revolution, we hit pause on our external case studies to take you inside the "brap engine room." Joy Warmington sits down with senior brap Associates Cheryl Garvey and Lakshnie Hettihewa to break down the six core principles that guide their anti-racism practice.They start with the most fundamental truth: "race is an idea, it's not a fact." If you want to know what it actually takes to dismantle systemic racism beyond toolkits and tick boxes, this episode is the map you need.

In Episode 3 of The Quiet Revolution, we hit the pause button on the outside world to take you straight into the "brap engine room". If our previous episode showed you part of the practice of anti-racism, this episode gives you the map to navigate the territory.Host Joy Warmington sits down with brap colleagues Cheryl Garvey and Lakshnie Hettihewa to break down the six core ideas that guide every part of their practice. We move past the desire for easy toolkits and checklists to explore what it really means to dismantle racialised thinking and challenge systemic oppression.From the absurdity of judging human value by "ear size" to the necessity of looking at white-dominated power structures instead of just minoritised groups, this conversation unpacks the "jigsaw puzzle" of genuine equity. It is a rally call to realise that you are the system, and that disrupting power starts with you.Guest Bios:Cheryl Garvey and Lakshnie Hettihewa are senior brap Associates and long-time activists at brap, bringing decades of experience in navigating systemic oppression, community cohesion, and organisational change.In this episode, we cover:Dismantling Racialised Thinking: Why race is an idea, not a biological fact, and why we must constantly catch ourselves remaking it.The Unexamined Norm: Why we need to stop looking at marginalised groups as the "problem" and turn our gaze toward how white power is held and used.The "Tick Box" Trap: Why a "complexity mindset" is crucial, and how the desire for simple, scalable solutions prevents us from treating the root causes of racism.Building a Coalition: Why anti-racism cannot be left solely to Black and Brown people, and why collectivising is our most powerful tool against oppression.Disrupting Power: The realisation that you don't just exist within a system, you are the system, and making a different choice creates a ripple effect.Resources & Links Mentioned:brap Website: https://www.brap.org.ukEquality Republic: https://www.brap.org.uk/republicMusic Featured:Melting Glass by Eden AveryFloodsNeutral State by Blue SagaOstinato VieveriCrucial Calculations by Gavin LukeOut the the world by Axon TerminalFauna

"It feels like you're being knocked out, but then having to come back again and enter that fight again."When organisations commit to anti-racism, the stress is often channeled onto the people of colour leading the work.In our next episode, we step inside the charity sector. Mabinty Esho, Head of DEIB at Comic Relief, speaks with profound vulnerability about the personal toll of this work, the challenge of keeping hope, and why it feels like stepping into a boxing ring every day.If you want to understand the human weight of dismantling systemic racism, this is essential listening.Episode 4 launches Tuesday 24th March.Subscribe to the podcast here: https://podfollow.com/the-quiet-revolution #TheQuietRevolution #brap #AntiRacism #CharitySector #Podcast #Leadership

In Episode 4 of The Quiet Revolution, we step into the charity sector, a space defined by its values, public promises, and mission to do good. But what happens when that external promise collides with the messy internal reality of confronting inequality?Host Joy Warmington explores the journeys of two household names: Comic Relief and UNICEF UK. We hear from Mabinty Esho (Head of DEIB, Comic Relief) about the grueling personal toll of leading this work as a Black woman, feeling like she is constantly stepping into a "boxing ring". Comic Relief CEO Samir Patel candidly discusses the fallout when the work moves from safe "diversity" to charged "anti-racism," and how a leader holds belief when teams start to lose hope.Finally, UNICEF UK CEO Phillip Goodwin unpacks the tightrope walk of integrity for a "white boss": how do you celebrate progress without dismissing the pain your staff is still experiencing?Guest Bios:Mabinty Esho is the Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Comic Relief.Samir Patel is the CEO of Comic Relief.Dr Philip Goodwin is the Chief Executive of the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK). Between 2015 and 2024, he was Chief Executive of VSO, a charity that brings together local, national and international volunteers to work alongside the world's most marginalised and vulnerable communities to build generational change. He was previously CEO of TREEAID, a development organisation working on agro-forestry in dryland Africa. He spent 11 years with British Council and held leadership positions in Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan and Belgium including being Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa. Philip has been a community development volunteer in Timbuktu, Mali and a researcher on poverty issues at the Overseas Development Institute. He has a PhD and MSc in rural resource planning and environmental policy and a degree in agricultural economics.In this episode, we cover:The Illusion of Kumbaya: Why the naive assumption that anti-racism is just "the right thing to do" crumbles upon contact with reality.The Boxing Ring: The immense personal weight placed on Global Majority staff tasked with fixing the system.The "White Boss" Dilemma: The tension leaders face when trying to express pride in progress while colleagues are still suffering.The Slow March of Progress: Why leaders must become architects of change, not just sponsors, and commit to the long haul.Resources & Links Mentioned:brap Website: https://www.brap.org.ukEquality Republic: https://www.brap.org.uk/republicMusic Featured:Melting Glass by Eden AveryFloodsNeutral State by Blue SagaOut the the world by Axon TerminalMissing Memories by Christopher Moe DitlevsenCome to, Alan EllisThe Great White North by Eden AveryHara Noda, Wood and SkinFauna

"It's having the skin peeled from your eyes, because once you've seen it, you see it everywhere and you can't unsee it again."What happens when white NHS leaders stop treating anti-racism as an intellectual exercise, and start reckoning with what it asks of them personally?In the Season Finale of The Quiet Revolution, we head to South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. We hear from Ian Garlington and CEO Vanessa Ford about the moments that shattered their illusions, and why the fear of "getting the language wrong" is no longer an excuse to stay silent.Episode 5 launches Tuesday 7th April.Subscribe to the podcast here: https://podfollow.com/the-quiet-revolution#TheQuietRevolution #brap #NHS #AntiRacism #Podcast #Leadership