This Is The North

Welcome to 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.109 children are pulled into poverty every single day by the two-child benefit cap. That's three primary school classes. Daily. In November's Autumn Budget, that policy was scrapped, lifting 350,000 children out of poverty, including 70,000 in the Northeast. But scrapping the cap doesn't fix the childcare infrastructure that's still broken.In this episode, Alison sits down with Amanda Bailey of the Northeast Child Poverty Commission, Ang Broadbridge of Ways to Wellness, and Dr. Steph Scott from Newcastle University to discuss their new research on childcare in the Northeast. What they found reveals a system that traps families: you need to be employed to access childcare, but you need childcare to be employed. For families on low incomes, there's no way out.The research captures stories that policy discussions often miss. A mother who gave up work, relying on her own mum for childcare, describing her mum "moaning all the time", not about inconvenience, but about a relationship fraying when something is both a favour and a financial necessity. Parents who feel "punished for wanting to work," guilty no matter which choice they make. Childcare providers running food banks for their own staff. As one participant put it: "We pay people more to care for our coffee than we do to care for our children."Alison and her guests explore what happens when childcare doesn't exist for children with complex medical needs, why holiday provision creates impossible choices for working parents, and how informal childcare arrangements (grandparents, family members), hold the system together while fraying under the weight. They discuss the mental health toll on parents, the workforce crisis facing childcare providers, and why this isn't just about the early years but extends through school age.The conversation examines what regional leadership can do, why current support schemes feel impossibly complicated to navigate, and what it means to view childcare as essential infrastructure, not a luxury, but a foundation for family incomes, children's development, and economic stability. Child poverty costs this country £39bn annually. The cap cost £3bn to scrap. The question isn't whether we can afford to invest in children and families. It's whether we can afford not to.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:00 The Impact and Challenges in Childcare12:56 Complexities of the Childcare System26:56 Policy Implications and RecommendationsHost: Alison DunnGuests: Amanda Bailey, Ang Broadbridge, Dr. Steph ScottRead the full research report here.This podcast is produced by Purpose Made.

Welcome to 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.In this episode, Alison sits down with Juliet Sanders, founder and CEO of Feeding Families, a charity born from a single act of kindness in 2016 that has grown into a regional lifeline feeding tens of thousands across the Northeast.It started with two unwanted sofas. When Juliet delivered them to a house in Gateshead, what she found stopped her in her tracks: five children under seven, no furniture, and a mother who wrapped empty boxes for Christmas because she had nothing to give them. "We came out of the house and thought, what do we do? We can't just walk away."When Juliet posted on social media asking if anyone needed help, 200 people responded within an hour. Crucially, it wasn't just people asking for help, it was people saying "If I knew who to help, I would help." She thought maybe they could support 50 families that first Christmas. They supported 719.Today, Feeding Families works with 366 partner organisations, providing food, toiletries, and culturally appropriate provisions to families who fall through every other safety net. A Newcastle school discovered children weren't attending because they couldn't maintain basic hygiene. When Feeding Families provided soap and deodorant, attendance improved.Juliet opens up about her own challenging experiences, living on a bag of pasta, surviving domestic violence, and discovering ten siblings she never knew existed through Ancestry. "When you've been in really difficult situations, there's nothing really left to fear."They explore systemic issues driving food insecurity, including the two-child benefit cap, and why many struggling families are actually in work. Juliet articulates her vision for policy changes but is brutally honest about the limits of charity: "I can only put a sticking plaster on a gaping wound."As Juliet prepares to retire, she reflects on founder syndrome with remarkable self-awareness: "The work matters more than ego."Timestamps: 00:00 A Chance Encounter Sparks a Movement01:18 Introducing Juliet Sanders and Feeding Families01:55 The Birth of Feeding Families06:24 The First Christmas Miracle07:44 Scaling Up: From One Family to Thousands10:01 Challenges and Changes in the Northeast13:24 The Unique Model of Feeding Families17:03 Addressing Cultural Needs and Inclusivity20:49 Juliet's Personal Journey: Adoption and Family24:54 A Tragic Loss and a New Hope25:18 Reuniting with Siblings26:54 Discovering More Family31:03 Leading an Organisation37:00 A Unique Qualification39:04 Challenges and Resilience41:49 Addressing Food Insecurity47:59 A Call to ActionHost: Alison DunnGuest: Juliet SandersThis podcast is produced by Purpose Made.How You Can Help: Visit feedingfamilies.org.uk

Welcome to the 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.In this episode, Alison sits down with Jimmy McLaughlin OBE on the fifth anniversary of his podcast 'Jimmy's Jobs of the Future' - a show that went from stay-at-home dad project to interviewing prime ministers about the question Westminster struggles to answer: where are all these new jobs actually coming from?When Jimmy worked at Number 10, he'd get calls at 10 to 8 in the morning. Debenhams collapsing. Wilkinson's going under. Ten thousand jobs gone. He'd brief Theresa May, who kept asking: "We're at record employment. You only tell me about losses. Where's the growth?" The answer was one or two people hired every week by companies like Gym Shark in Birmingham or Double 11 in Middlesbrough. Businesses creating seven out of every eight jobs in Britain but never making announcements because they're too busy building.Five years and millions of listeners later, Jimmy walked back into Number 10 to interview Sir Keir Starmer. Same building. Same question. Different answer: nearly a million young people under 25 now aren't in education or work.Jimmy and Alison discuss why businesses won't hire graduates this year, how AI might devastate middle-class professionals while skilled trades see wages double, and why we're asking 16-year-olds to choose careers before they're ready. They explore the Northern golden triangle, what devolution delivers, and what five years taught Jimmy about why work matters not just for income, but for dignity, purpose, and possibility.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to Jimmy McLaughlin 00:40 The Genesis of Jimmy's Jobs of the Future 01:45 Insights from Number 10 03:02 Highlighting Northern Companies 10:44 Impact of AI on Jobs 18:44 Opportunities and Challenges in the North 22:56 Collaborating in Politics 23:49 The Future of Education and Jobs 26:44 AI and Social Inequality 32:11 Challenges for the Younger Generation 35:58 Podcasting Insights and Evolution 42:37 Reflections and MotivationsAfter five years and millions of listeners, Jimmy's conviction remains clear: work isn't just about income. It's about dignity, purpose, and possibility. A million young people need not just jobs, but futures.Host: Alison Dunn Guest: Jimmy McLaughlin OBE This podcast is produced by Purpose Made.

Welcome to the 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.In this episode, Alison sits down with Sir Andy Street, a Conservative who spent seven years proving something Westminster insists is impossible: that cross-party collaboration actually works. Street never had a Conservative majority on his board. Fourteen Conservative MPs, fourteen Labour MPs, and for seven years every single financial decision was taken cross-party. When his own government tried to cancel HS2, he held a press conference outside then-PM Rishi Sunak's hotel and led the 10 o'clock news. Region first, party second.From being rejected by Birmingham City Council and Marks & Spencer to spending 30 years rising to CEO of John Lewis, Street's path wasn't conventional. He joined John Lewis because they hired "mavericks." He became mayor because it was "an executive job rooted in a place."Street speaks candidly about "the Rubicon moment", fiscal devolution, holding taxes locally and what he learnt from those seven years. Now chairing Birmingham Rep, he draws parallels with the North: "Newcastle has its proud tradition. You had shipbuilding, coal mining. We didn't. But the stories are basically the same. You need to understand your past to be able to plan your future."Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:23 Sir Andy Street's Early Career and Aspirations02:15 Joining and Growing within John Lewis02:46 The Mutual Model of John Lewis03:33 Challenges and Successes in Retail07:11 Transition from Retail to Politics09:43 The Role and Impact of a Mayor11:25 HS2 and Infrastructure Challenges16:53 Reflections on Mayoral Achievements18:23 Integrity in Leadership19:21 Challenges of National Collaboration20:37 The Evolution of Devolution21:57 Fiscal Devolution and Political Regrets23:12 Conservative Party Conference Insights31:05 The Role of Arts and Culture35:05 Future Prospects and Personal Reflections36:40 Advice for the Next GenerationIn an era when frustration is rising and voices offering complaints without solutions are gaining ground, Street's story reminds us what leadership should look like. Values-led leaders who put people and place before party, who understand that serious problems require serious answers, and who refuse to compromise their integrity for political convenience. Seven years proved what's possible when leaders refuse to compromise their values. The question now is whether we're ready to demand that kind of leadership everywhere.Host: Alison DunnGuest: Sir Andy StreetThis podcast is produced by  Purpose Made.

Welcome to the 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.In this episode, Alison speaks with Dr. Mark Deeks — a North East musician whose work spans atmospheric doom metal, community choirs, and wellbeing retreats. Mark shares his personal journey through loss, including the heartbreak of losing his daughter Laurie at 20 weeks, and how music became both a memorial and a tool for survival. At 3am one morning, a star chart in Lori’s name became a melody — hidden on his album as Only Three Shall Know, but known at home as Laurie’s Theme.From early influences and teaching experiences to founding Sing United, which has raised over £48,000 for Northern causes, Deeks shows how music works as connection, healing, and community. He challenges clichés about “soothing” genres, champions intentional playlists as mental health interventions, and explains why place — from colliery sites to Holy Island — can shape the way we heal.Timestamps00:00 A Heartbreaking Beginning01:19 Meet Dr. Mark Deeks: Musician and Healer01:53 Early Musical Influences03:37 The Impact of Teaching and Online Lessons08:11 Music as a Tool for Wellbeing11:32 The Power of Community Singing15:22 Exploring Diverse Musical Styles21:09 Personal Loss and Musical Tribute (Laurie’s Theme)29:08 Future Projects and Final ReflectionsDeeks reminds us that grief isn’t just private sorrow, it’s a public health crisis often left unspoken, especially for men. His story is proof that the North already holds the tools we need: community, creativity, and the courage to listen.Host: Alison DunnGuest: Dr. Mark DeeksThis podcast is produced by Purpose Made.

Welcome to the 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.In this episode, Alison speaks with Eileen Ferguson, co-founder of Ad Gefrin, Northumberland's first whiskey distillery, who turned a derelict family transport depot into a £4million+ cultural destination that employs 60 people in a town where young adults typically plan their escape.Ferguson's story begins with her great-grandmother, widowed at 36 with three children already buried and pregnant with her sixth. Standing at the graveside with no inheritance or support, she started taking in washing, then bought a corn mill, then owned the farm. Four generations later, Ferguson faced a similar choice with the family's abandoned depot: sell it for housing or build something that could regenerate Wooler.The numbers reveal what traditional rural development misses. During public consultation, 4,000 people walked through the doors —double Wooler's population—because someone finally asked what they wanted. One hundred percent community support. Not for a distillery, but for what a distillery made possible: five interconnected businesses including tourism, hospitality, retail, and a museum celebrating the Anglo-Saxon palace that once stood nearby.Timestamps: 00:00 A Legacy of Resilience 02:30 Introducing Eileen Ferguson and Ad Gefrin04:29 Transforming a Family Site 07:47 The Importance of People and Community 11:48 Community Response and Impact 16:42 Environmental Considerations 18:28 Challenges and Achievements 24:46 Future Vision and LegacyFerguson accidentally proved that rural areas don't need saving, they need someone who refuses to accept that they deserve less. When a place has been "forgotten by successive governments," the choice is simple: wait for systems to save you, or build the system you need.Host: Alison DunnGuest: Eileen FergusonThis podcast is produced by Purpose Made.

Welcome to 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by Society Matters Community Interest Company and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.In this episode, Alison speaks with Mark Squires, a business leader and philanthropist who became a trustee after witnessing young people "flooding" into a mid-Victorian building because "they've got nowhere else to go," and Ben Roman, Chief Executive of the Lighthouse Project, who transformed St. Michael's Church in Byker, Newcastle into a £4.2 million youth and community hub. Through community consultation and architectural innovation, they've created something that addresses both the heritage of the building and the urgent needs of families who've been failed by fragmented support systems.The Lighthouse Project represents something more fundamental than renovation—it's a complete rethinking of how support reaches families. Where most systems send people from office to office, appointment to appointment, the Lighthouse Project brings services together under one roof. A parent seeking housing help might also find job training, digital literacy classes, and childcare in the same space.This isn't charity, it's recognition that communities need somewhere to call home. British Engines committed ten years of funding, Ringtons pledged five years of revenue support.Timestamps: 00:00 Opening the Doors to a New Community Hub01:34 The Heart of Byker: A Community's Story02:59 Transforming a Historic Church07:20 Community Involvement and Feedback21:32 The Role of Business in Community Development26:10 Looking to the FutureThe episode underscores how heritage, community needs, and innovative solutions can empower residents and foster genuine community spirit. When a young boy walked through the doors for the first time and asked his teacher, "Is this a five-star luxury hotel?", he wasn't confused, he was recognising something his community had never seen before: a place built to their potential, not their problems.Host: Alison Dunn Guests: Mark Squires & Ben RomanThis podcast is produced by Purpose Made.

Welcome to the This Is The North podcast, your source of transformative conversations - an intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.In this episode, Alison speaks with Calum Grevers, a disability consultant, campaigner, and speaker who has built a remarkable advocacy career challenging how disabled people are seen, heard, and valued in society. Calum first gained national attention when he crowdfunded £50,000 for an accessible flat after facing a 1,000-day waiting list for social housing in Edinburgh — a campaign that completely transformed his life and opened doors to influence policy at the highest levels.The conversation tackles one of society's most overlooked topics: disability and dating. When Alison asks Calum if he can remember seeing someone like him portrayed authentically on television, his answer is stark — he can't think of any positive examples. Only villains: bitter, vengeful characters whose disability makes them monsters rather than equals. This absence of authentic representation has real consequences, from everyday interactions to the brutal realities of online dating where Calum has faced shocking cruelty masked as curiosity.Calum explains the crucial difference between the medical model of disability which focuses on individual limitations and the social model, which identifies societal barriers as the real problem. From inaccessible restaurants that limit social connections to misconceptions about workplace accommodations (the average cost is just £75), these barriers shape every aspect of disabled people's lives. The discussion reveals uncomfortable truths about why major media organisations call disability love stories "too controversial" and why we're more comfortable seeing disabled villains than disabled lovers. Calum's insights challenge listeners to examine their own assumptions about human worth, vulnerability, and the stories we tell ourselves to avoid confronting the reality that disability is simply part of human experience — one that any of us could join at any time.Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome01:13 – Misconceptions06:40 – Barriers16:23 – Disability And Dating34:43 – Becoming an AllyThis episode forces an honest reckoning with how society treats its most vulnerable members and what that reveals about our collective values. Calum's story demonstrates that changing attitudes isn't just about kindness — it's about recognising that inclusion benefits everyone, because disability doesn't discriminate and most of us will need accessible spaces eventually. In a world that often treats disabled people as either inspiration or tragedy, this conversation offers something rarer: authentic humanity and practical wisdom for building a society that works for everyone.Enjoyed this episode? Share this episode with someone who works in media, hiring, or accessibility. Most importantly, when you encounter a disabled person in daily life, just say hello. Change starts with recognition, and recognition starts with visibility.Host: Alison DunnGuest: Calum GreversProduced by Purpose MadeSocial Model of Disability