Meet the Mancunian Podcast: social impact stories from Manchester

In the seventh episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe engages with Ryan Miemczyk, Chair of Trustees at Manchester Young Lives. Ryan shares his journey into social work, driven by his passionfor supporting youth and his love for sports. He discusses the charity's mission to empower young people through play and recreation, providing alternative education...

Join host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe in the sixth episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast as she interviews Lydia German, Senior Content and Campaigns Officer at Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Lydia discusses her journey into wildlife conservation, inspired by her grandfather and her passion for environmental politics. She shares insights on the goals and challenges of Lancashire Wildlife T...

In the fifth episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Simon Owen,founder of Standby Productions and the first-ever ambassador for the Wildlife Trust of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and North Merseyside. Simon shares his passion for supporting the environment and his journey from birdwatching with his dad to making award-winning wildlife film...

In the fourth episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe speaks withMarianna Vaszilyliv, co-founder and project lead of United for Ukraine. Marianna shares her journey from being a teacher to passionately supporting Ukrainian refugees in the UK after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Marianna discusses the inception and evolution of United for Ukraine, which st...

In the third episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Kieran Innes, CEO of Tootoot. Kieran shares his inspiring journey from growing up in a council estate to co-founding Tootoot, apioneering platform that provides children with a safe, anonymous way to report bullying and safeguarding issues.   He discusses the development of Tootoot from a un...

In the second episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe speaks with Jolene Sheehan, a social entrepreneur, creative, and founder of Joy Ethic. Jolene shares her journey, from being a teacher in Manchester to founding her social enterprise dedicated to well-being and community connections. She discusses the transformative power of understanding one's co...

In the first episode of Season 10 of the Meet theMancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Mike Wild, Chief Executive of Macc. Mike shares his journey from volunteer work in school to leading Macc, an organisation supporting thousands of voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise groups in Manchester.   He discusses the challenges faced by the sector, such asfunding and wor...

Welcome to Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, hosted by Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. This season celebrates social impact community heroes across Manchester and aims to inspire listeners through their life experiences, challenges, and passion for their causes.   The season is dedicated to the memory of Deepa's rescue dog, Sandy who died last month. Join Deepa every Tuesday starting February 1...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the season finale of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I speak with Judy Vickers, Executive Officer of Lifeshare and Spirit of Manchester Award nominee. Judy shares her journey from overcoming personal challenges, including domestic violence, to passionately working in the homelessness sector. She disc...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the seventh episode of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Beth Powell, Managing Director of Creative City and a nominee for the Spirit of Manchester Award for Social Economy Champion. Beth details her motivations for supporting women and youth, her journey through personal mental health challenges, and...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the sixth episode of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Shelley Roberts, CEO of Home-Start Manchester, an award-winning volunteer involving organisation. Shelley discusses her lifelong passion for supporting children,the impactful work of Home-Start in providing peer support for families with young chil...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the fifth episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I speak to Tracey Torley, director of Cracking Good Food and a Spirit of Manchester award winner for community and business collaboration. Tracy discusses her journey into food advocacy, stemming from her West Indian heritage, and her impactful wor...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the fourth episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Jan Iceton, Board Chair of Smart Works Greater Manchester. Jan discusses Smart Works' mission to support unemployed women aged 16 to 66 in rebuilding confidence and securing employment. Jan shares her journey in the sector, the pivotal...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the third episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Claire Biggs, Director of Sustainable Northmoor Urban Greening (SNUG) and Spirit of Manchester award nominee for Inspiring Campaign.   Claire discusses her involvement with Longsight Community Artspace and the impact of their projects o...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners. In the second episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe chats with Josh Deegan, a volunteer at Happy Somedays and Spirit of Manchester Award winner for Community Cohesion. Josh shares his inspiring journey of supporting the Wythenshawe community, discussing the inception and evolution of Happy Some Days from a l...

In the Season 9 opener of the 'Meet the Mancunian' podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe highlights award-winning activist Maria Romanenko's journey. Maria was nominated as Volunteer of the Year in the Spirit of Manchester Awards.   Fleeing Ukraine amid war, Maria finds solace and purpose in assisting fellow Ukrainian refugees in Manchester, providing free walking tours among other support initiati...

Celebrating Social Impact: Season 9 of Meet the Mancunian Podcast In Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe collaborates with the Spirit of Manchester Awards to feature interviews with award winners and nominees from the city's voluntary and community sector.   Each episode, released weekly on Tuesdays, showcases Manchester's community champions dedicated to variou...

In the 16th and final episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe welcomes Matthew Carroll, Station Manager of Evolve Radio. Carroll shares his 25-year journey in community and hospital radio, discussing the personal and professional challenges he has faced, including struggles with mental health. He introduces his latest venture, Evolve Radio, aimed at bring...

In the 15th episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe speaks with Tanny Rowland, Secretary of Wythenshawe Safety Patrol. Tanny shares her journey from experiencing homelessness at 17 to co-leading a non-profit organization dedicated to community safety and support in Wythenshawe. They discuss various initiatives like street patrols, a community café, a gard...

In the 14th episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Hemant Patel, CEO of Anumana. They discuss Hemant's passion for community support, inspired by his mother and Indian cultural values, and his initiative, the Code Academy. Patel highlights the academy's mission to address challenges in the tech sector, such as lack of diversity, skills...

In the 13th episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Daniel Firea , a self-development YouTuber and photographer. Daniel shares his journey from a life filled with vices and bad mental health to one focused on positive self-development. He discusses the impact of stopping vices, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and finding faith. Daniel explains hi...

In the twelfth episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe speaks with Jazzy J, an Artist and Executive Committee Member of the Indian Association of Manchester. Jazzy J shares his passion for community support, rooted in his upbringing in Mumbai, and discusses his role in the Indian Association of Manchester. He highlights the organisation's efforts to b...

In the 11th episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Claire Hines, owner of Shine and a passionate advocate for shared community spaces. Claire shares her journey from volunteering at her children's school to starting her own eco-friendly business Shine within Emporium M33, a community-centric retail hub in Sale.   The discussion covers the...

In the tenth episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews volunteer and photographer, David McLenachan. David shares his journey from retirement to discovering a passion for volunteering, starting with The Met Theatre in Bury and expanding through various music festivals in Manchester. He discusses the challenges and rewards of volunteering, his pho...

In the ninth episode of Season 8 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe welcomes Advita Patel, founder of Comms Rebel. Advita shares her passionate journey towards fostering diversity and inclusion, recounting personal experiences of feeling excluded and how witnessing a colleague's poor treatment ignited her advocacy. Advita explains the inception of Comms Rebel, empha...