The Expanding Worlds Podcast

Alison Berkley from Invictus Enterprises talks about the impact of the pandemic on Invictus and how the way they've responded has actually opened up new opportunities. She explains how the pandemic meant that future plans they had for program delivery got accelerated and why the pandemic could be a catalyst for more easily sharing best practice and the growth of community based employment opportun...

David Hunter from Acceptable Enterprises talks about the impact of the pandemic on their various businesses. While the online business is growing, other parts haven't been so lucky. But opportunities to pivot have been found as well the chance to expand other initiatives. Find out why David is also focused on showing how providing social value has an economic value and why social enterprises could...

The podcast is back after a short break with a new name to reflect a renewed passion to promote real change. Find out why we changed the name and what we are doing next including what to look forward to in our first series which is looking at the impact of the Pandemic on work opportunities for people with Additional Needs. Visit our sponsor site for resources to support you to build a better futu...

By changing attitudes we change behaviour, and this is something the guests on this week's episode are part of making happen. Celia and Maya from WAVE talk about the ethos behind WAVE, and how it aims to bring people together, and by doing that helps change the way they think and their attitudes.    Celia explains why she started the organisation, what kind of support it provides and how it is gro...

The average person has between 12-15 jobs in their work life. This makes developing transferable skills an essential part of any employability training. A great example of how to make this happen comes from Sunflower Bakery. This week's guest Sara Portman Milner, co-founder of Sunflower Bakery, shares their story as well as offering  advice to anyone thinking of starting a similar enterprise.  Sar...

Sometimes we need to change direction quickly and find the right information so that we can make an informed decision as to which road we need to take. This week's guest Kerrie Highcock helps provide that information. Kerrie is the Family Development Manager at North East Autism Society, and her role is not only to provide support but to help people identify where to find information that is usefu...

When we go to the theatre we see a different world than the one we live in. Theatre can broaden our horizons challenge our perceptions and this is exactly what the CO/LAB Theater Group aims to do. CO/LAB provides, people with additional needs, a space to be creative and along the way change their perceptions of themselves as well as the perceptions of the communities they live in.  This week guest...

When we're young we think we can do anything, be anyone, achieve everything. But as many of us get older we learn to fit into the box of expectations. For young people with additional needs this box can be small, with many assuming that they will not be entering the employment market any time soon.  This week's guest Alison Thwaite, the Employment Development Manager of the Workfit programme run b...

For many young people with additional needs finding a job can be incredibly challenging. It takes planning and for most requires them to go way outside their comfort zone. This week's guest Dr Michael Reiter runs work readiness workshops and he talks us through the three areas he focuses on to help the emerging adults in the group find and keep a job.  Michael talks about the importance of setting...

If not now when? Planning for the future can be scary for anyone but it's especially hard when that planning is for a young person who we know will face any number of challenges as they  navigate towards their ideal life.  In this episode Carol Wakeford from Heartventure shares her story about how she and husband have planned and then worked towards providing an independent future for their son. C...

We all appreciate the importance of good mental health but sometimes lack the toolbox and even the support to consistently achieve it. This is often the case for young people, particularly those with an additional need.  In this episode, we are talking with Kimmy Obongonyinge from Kooth a UK-based organization offering an innovative way of delivering support when and where young people want it.  K...

Emotions are part of being human.  But for many of us there are times when we wish we had better tools to manage our emotions. This can be especially true for young people with additional needs who often face extra internal and external emotional triggers. In this episode we hear from Dana Bishop a Relax Kids coach on some of the strategies that can be used to not only manage the way we feel but t...

Everyone has unique skills; everyone is a specialist in something. This is something this week's guest Thorkil Sonne from Specialisterne understands completely. Specialisterne which translates from Danish as "The Specialists" is an organisation focused on helping young people with additional needs find meaningful employment. The focus is on matching the skills of the individual with the role not t...

Sometimes it's the small ideas that can have the biggest impact and this is certainly the case with this week's guest Ric Womersley from Spotlight Brewing. Ric founded Spotlight Brewing to make great beer whilst providing genuine employment opportunities for people with additional needs. Not only is Spotlight Brewing doing this very successfully but through their products they are educating their...

We sometimes feel that we are alone in our journey but often by simply looking around we realise we are not. The focus of this week's podcast, Yoocan proves this in the way they provide an online space to share stories and to inspire each other. In this interview Moshe Gaon co-founder of Yoocan explains why Yoocan exists and what its primary aims and objectives are. Moshe also talks about how impo...

Accepting ourselves by embracing our strengths and understanding our weaknesses is key to our own happiness. How to do this is the theme of this episode with Alis Rowe founder of The Curly Hair Project.  Alis talks about her own journey from when she was diagnosed in her early twenties with Asperger syndrome. She explains why she created The Curly Hair Project, what is does, and how it aims to hel...

One of the best things about becoming an adult is that no one can tell you what to do, when to do it and what time to be home. However, that's not always the case for young people with additional needs. Often they still have rules in place that don't apply to their peers. Stay Up Late is all about changing that and making it easy for anyone to stay up late, stay out late and enjoy the social they...

Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? Most of us didn't but we figured it out along the way because we were given opportunities for part time work or work experience. For many young people with additional needs this doesn't happen, meaning they don't always have a clear idea of their options. In this episode Guy Chaudoir from Scope explains why this shouldn't be the case, and discus...

It's fine to be aware and even try and understand autism but actually what matters most is acceptance. This is the view of Kieran Rose, also known as The Autistic Advocate. Kieran has autism so he speaks from personal experiences and explains why he believes that acceptance is what is needed even more than awareness. Kieran shares his personal journey and provides practical advice for both parents...

It's not only about finding work, but it's also about matching the skills of the person with the job. This is the view of Derek Groves, from Employment Futures, who discusses the idea of vocational matching and the many benefits it brings to a young person with additional needs and employer. He also talks about how employers still have some way to go in terms of being flexible in their employment...

What next? is a question we constantly ask ourselves as we help our young people navigate through the education system. As they get older and age out of the system, this question becomes more urgent and often the answer isn't as easy to find. This week's guests Adeel and Anthony asked that exact question and when no answer was obvious they created their own solution: Able Coffee Roasters. Able Cof...

Finding a supportive safe space for our children to have a variety of social experiences is so important. In this episode, we hear about CASPA which is providing that space and doing a whole lot more. Helen Dyer from CASPA explains not only how CASPA came about and what it does in terms of providing social experiences for a range of age groups. Importantly as CASPA has grown and the young people w...

Only successful organizations can provide sustainable, long term paid employment and expand to provide more job opportunities. This weeks guest Patrick Bardsley  and Tim Howe from Spectrum Designs certainly understand this. Spectrum Designs is a social enterprise making custom apparel, such as hats, hoodies, and T-shirts. Spectrum Designs focusses on the enterprise as much as the social, and in do...

We all understand why work is an important step towards independent living, but all to often the employment opportunities are limited for young people with additional needs. This weeks guest Pascal Fintoni is not only helping to create employment opportunities in digital marketing, but he is also having the conversations around reasonable adjustment that will help create a greater number and a wid...

For most of us being part of a community is essential for our wellbeing and often starts where we live. This week's guest is Jillian Copeland from Main Street, an organization not just building a community but actually building the space where that community can grow and thrive. However, as Jillian explains, Main Street is much more than about building an apartment block where people with and with...