We Built This City: Greater Manchester

"...not the name on the back."  Lisa Morton observes from "that" Dianne Bourne that despite the perceived glamour of her work as a showbiz journalist, she's always grafting for her community of readers. Lisa delves into this value revealing how playing for the team, and the team's mission, galvanises success.  Mentioned in this episode: Thanks to our partners for this episode of We Built This City...

Dianne Bourne goes to the party so you don’t have to: “Manchester’s full of great people with stories to tell." As Showbiz Editor for the Manchester Evening News Diary page for 13 years, Dianne is no stranger to fame. She’s interviewed global superstars including Rihanna, at the Trafford Centre, Lady Gaga, in Whalley Range and Snoop Dogg, in Ordsall. Lisa Morton discovers how this gossip columnist...

Better yourself. Better your clients. Better your business.  Lisa Morton explores Will Lewis' inspiring revelation that he "fights like a dog to get the best results for his clients". She reveals how every business leader can take the value 'Champions Do Extra' and make it work for their organisation to become winners in their industry.  Mentioned in this episode: Thanks to our partners for this e...

“I've never been arsed about money. When I get out of bed in the morning, I just want to make sure we do our absolute best." From selling Mars Bars at school to negotiating multi-million pound property deals, this week Lisa sits down with Will Lewis, Director of OBI.  Will started OBI 10 years ago, in the middle of the debris of the banking crisis. Since then, he’s grown his business to manag...

Building a team is a continuous challenge for many business leaders. Lisa Morton reflects on Mark Fletcher's observation that the 2020 pandemic exposed those that were on the team, and those that weren't.  Find out how a simple rule like "No D*******s" not only helps you surround yourself with people who share your values, but also helps you make sure you’re not being one. Mentioned in this episod...

“Creating a world where people are free to love who they want.”   Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, brought Ariana Grande to the Pride stage in 2019, cementing it as an event that attracts global attention. Closer to home, Lisa Morton discovers how his fight for a more inclusive world is helping to break down barriers for Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community   We Built This City is a seri...

How do your values work together to help each other? Lisa Morton explores "Integrity" off the back of Joanne Roney's interview. She discusses how integrity can drive you in your decision making, and a surprise second value comes in to help.  Mentioned in this episode: Thanks to our partners for this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Fin...

What does it take to make history? Find out from Joanne Roney OBE.  Desperate to earn a wage to buy her first ever new coat, Joanne left school at 16 and got a job at Birmingham Council’s Housing Department. On day one, she had a dead rat thrown at her.  Find out how she overcame the obstacles (and rats), to become Manchester Council’s first ever female Chief Executive. We Built This Cit...

Discover what it means to live and work by your values. Lisa Morton delves in to her interview with Sir Howard Bernstein and discusses the idea of "Sweeping the Sheds".  Mentioned in this episode: Thanks to our partners for this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.


What values drive a CEO with integrity like Sir Howard Bernstein?    As the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council for nearly 20 years, Sir Howard got the city back on its feet after the IRA bomb in 1996. He then carried on his regeneration mission for almost two decades, galvanising public and private partnerships, changing the skyline and creating new communities in addition to bri...

Lisa Morton tells the story of Greater Manchester, interviewing one legacy maker at a time. Find out what to expect in Season 2.  2020 has been a tough year for Manchester, and the world. We Built This City  showcases people from the city region who've shown generosity and grit to pull the Manchester community through adversity. In Season 2 you'll hear stories of growth, determination, love, commu...

“Plant trees you’ll never see” means that we should all leave a legacy out of respect for those who follow us. This is one of the most important values of The Roland Dransfield Way – 15 values by which we try to hold ourselves accountable personally and professionally. Each of our We Built This City guests has shown that their personal journeys have at their heart a determination to leave Greater...

Ged King has dedicated his formative years to changing the lives of Manchester’s homeless community, but for the last five months, his altruism and soul searching has taken place in Thailand’s Koh Samui. Hear about Ged’s hopes of bringing his Skullfades Foundation to Thailand - cutting hair, changing lives, and finding his own spiritual space along the way.  We Built This City is a series of...

Star of Coronation Street, Shameless, East Is East and Emmerdale, Christopher Bisson follows one manta – make your own luck, and make the most of it.  Chris started his career by chance as a child model turned actor on Children’s Ward. CEO Lisa Morton finds out how making the most of his chances turned him into one of the nation’s favourite TV fixtures over the last three decades.  We Built This C...

Thom Hetherington says great taste comes from learning. Find out what you can learn from Manchester’s leading arts and food expert. CEO of Holden Media, Thom spends his life bringing celebrated arts and culture events to Manchester. Lisa Morton finds out what drove him to start the Northern Restaurant and Bar Show, and the Manchester Art Fair. We Built This City is a series of conversations with s...

Journalist Shelina Begum knows how to get a good story. Lisa Morton gets curious with the Manchester Evening News’ Business Editor to find out how she has been the voice for Manchester’s Asian and Business Communities for the last 20 years.  We Built This City is a series of incredible conversations with the incredible Mancunians - born, bred or adopted – who put the heart into modern Manchester....

Sir Richard Leese says there is one fundamental thing that rebuilt Manchester in 1996. Lisa Morton finds out what it is.      Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese was instrumental in rebuilding the city after the IRA bomb in 1996. Hear how he plans to pull the city through COVID, making it stronger and more formidable than ever before.   We Built This City is a series of conversations...

Discover what happens when you’re not frightened of failure. From teaching and radio presenting to being appointed High Sheriff, Eamonn O’Neal has achieved everything he’s ever set out to do. Here, Lisa Morton discovers what happens when you take the risks and the opportunities life throws at you.  We Built This City is a series of conversations with some of the amazing Mancunians - born, bred or...

What do Sir Richard Branson, Rita Ora and Usain Bolt have in common? They’re all on a first-name basis with Vikas Shah MBE.  Here, Lisa Morton delves into the life of one of the most successful entrepreneurs and philanthropists in the UK.   We Built This City is a series of conversations with some of the amazing Mancunians - born, bred or adopted – who put the heart into modern Manchester. A celeb...

Corin Bell has one clear mission: to end food waste. Lisa Morton finds out how Corin uses her catering business to do just that - and to feed thousands of vulnerable people in Manchester during lockdown.   We Built This City is a series of conversations with some of the amazing Mancunians - born, bred or adopted – who put the heart into modern Manchester. A celebration of the human grit, determina...

He built this city. Chris Oglesby is the CEO of Bruntwood with a £1billion investment portfolio across the UK. He tells Lisa Morton of the values, passion and drive it takes to building thriving cities - including his home one: Manchester. We Built This City is a series of conversations with some of the amazing Mancunians - born, bred or adopted – who put the heart into modern Manchester. A celebr...

On June 15th 1996 a bomb, planted by the IRA, exploded in Manchester City Centre. Thanks to the efforts of the rescue services, no one died. In this special episode previous We Built This City guests talk about their experiences on the day, and how the people of Manchester were able to build a new, stronger community in the face of adversity.  Voices include: Clint Boon, John Thomson, Diane Modahl...

“If you’re going to inspire people, you have to step up.” Hear how Stacey Copeland has been breaking down barriers in the world of sport for years as an FA Cup finalist and Commonwealth boxing champion - her work is only just getting started. A master of football and boxing, Stacey has since set her sights on a new mission – to challenge gender stereotyping and create a world where gender is never...

Has a song ever changed your life? If so, you have something in common with our next guest. “If I hadn’t seen such riches, I could live with being poor” – these two short lines gave Rose Marley the ambition she needed to give up her career and start a new business from scratch – a business that was destined to give back.     We Built This City is a series of conversations with some of the amazing...

Manchester is a city that thinks a table is for dancing on – and our latest guest has only gone and made it compulsory! Founder of Menagerie and Neighbourhood, Karina Jadhav has been a maker of memories for over a decade in Manchester, and she’s ready for the good times to roll back in.    We Built This City is a series of conversations with some of the amazing Mancunians - born, bred or adopted –...