Tea with the Changemakers

Fatherhood is a brilliant yet daunting concept in any man’s life. While you’re worrying whether you’ve sterilised enough bottles or how many nappies to take out friendship is the least of your worries. But as we age and become fathers it can become an increasingly lonely and isolated time, you’ve got your family unit but outside of that, there may not be an awful lot.Well, this is what happened to this week's podcast guest, Dan Flanagan, who founded Dad La Soul, a support group just for fathers! Whether you’re a single dad, married, gay, or trans Dad La Soul is there for any dad at any stage of their journey into Dadulthood.On the podcast this week Andy and Dan talk about the history of Dad La Soul and why and how Dan set it up, how fathers often neglect their mental health and candidly talk about what it’s like when things aren’t going exactly how you thought they would.All this and more on this week's Tea with the Changemakers.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

This week on the podcast we're opening the box marked too difficult once again - we're talking about miscarriage, discussing it openly and tackling the stigma surrounding it.Jennie Agg, an award-winning freelance health journalist, who has been featured in newspapers and magazines including The Times and the Daily Telegraph joins us on this episode to talk about her lived experience of miscarriage.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Invisibility, or maybe the ability to fly? Well, in this week’s episode, we’re speaking to a real-life superhero called Sebbie Hall, whose superpower is perhaps the greatest of all - his superpower is kindness.Sebbie first discovered his superpower during the pandemic, whilst we were all in lockdown. He had told his mum that there was a boy in his school who was at risk of social isolation, as he hadn't got an iPad or laptop to talk to his classmates on or to do schoolwork with while confined to the house. Sebbie wanted to help his classmate, and was even prepared to give him his own iPad! Instead, they came up with the idea of raising money for charity, to help Sebbie's classmate as well as the wider community.Inspired by Captain Tom Moore’s 100 laps of his garden ahead of his 100th birthday, Sebbie decided that he wanted to complete 100 acts of kindness in 10 days to raise £1,000. Sebbie's acts of kindness hugely benefitted the local community during the pandemic and spread happiness! Whether by popping notes through neighbours' doors or posting letters for people because they didn't want to leave their homes, Sebbie's simple but selfless acts brightened up hundreds of people's days!But Sebbie didn’t stop there... he wanted to make more people smile up and down the country, and eventually the smiles spread around the globe! Sebbie was awarded a World Compassion Award along with $10,000. This cash award enabled the family to set up The Sebbie Hall Kindness Foundation in 2022. The foundation has the aim of helping other young people who are disadvantaged due to disability.Combatting loneliness, spreading kindness, making people feel happy inside and making a difference, The Sebbie Hall Kindness Foundation is a huge player in fighting the social exclusion of people with learning difficulties and enables them to lead fulfilled lives, always keeping kindness at the forefront. Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

Upskirting, as defined by the UK government, is a highly intrusive practice which typically involves someone taking a picture under another person’s clothing without their knowledge, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks (with or without underwear). Shockingly, it wasn’t a specific criminal offence until 2019 – but had been in Scotland for over 10 years. On the podcast this week, we talk to the woman responsible for introducing the 2019 Voyeurism Act, Gina Martin.Gina, charged by what happened at British Summertime, aimed to change the law around voyeurism, starting and spearheading a social media movement that grew rapidly. Gina’s campaign eventually resulted in a petition that amassed over 110,000 signatures, and after an 18-month battle to illegalise upskirting, she finally won The Voyeurism (Offences) Act, commonly known as the Upskirting Bill. The Voyeurism (Offences) Act was introduced on 21 June 2018 and came into force on 12 April 2019.You can read more about it on the UK Government website and find exactly what is covered by the law  We would also encourage you to check out our Know Violence campaign for Cambridgeshire constabulary about acts that might not be illegal but are still unacceptable.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

‘Extinction’ – probably a word you associate with long-gone dinosaurs. How about ‘rebellion’? Thousands giving all for the cause on historical battlefields? Well, on this week’s Tea with the Changemakers, we welcome you to the rebellion, as we speak with Clare Farrell, who proudly co-founded the movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR). (You can choose not to join the rebellion, of course... that just means there’s more chance of us all ending up in the same state as stegosaurus and company – your call!)Now, you may know something of Extinction Rebellion already, having garnered a reputation for blocking roads and holding up ambulances; however, in this episode, we dispel a few myths (especially the ambulance one) that have often been fuelled by tabloid tattle and then parroted by more mainstream media outlets.Extinction Rebellion describes itself as an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse. On the surface, claims of societal chaos and ecological devastation may sound a little drastic and dramatic; however, with the tipping point of global warming approaching in 2030, the cost of living crisis, and the richest 1% of society getting ever richer while the vast majority are getting ever poorer, it could well be argued that society is already collapsing… This week, we hope that you’ll put any pre/mis-conceptions you may have about Extinction Rebellion aside, and appreciate them as a genuine catalyst for change. Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

Did you know there are now more food banks in the UK than there are branches of McDonald’s?Shocking we know, but foodbanks are now vital and sadly accepted part of society; and for the survival of an ever-increasing number of people up and down the UK who are struggling through the cost-of-living crisis.On this episode of Tea with the Changemakers we’re talking to an anti-povertycampaigner and food writer Jack Monroe who’s had more than their (un)fair share of controversy and trolling over the years.Jack Monroe at their core is a mother who found themselves in a tight situation with the cost of living, finding it difficult to feed their son. Jack started writing a blog about cheap and easy recipes back in 2010 (yes, the cost-of-living crisis was still a thing back in 2010…). Little did they know that their blog would resonate with a huge number of people and eventually led them to become a published author and a hugely influential figure in society.There are few figures like Jack Monroe in society, who have the sheer grit and determination to speak out on poverty and ignite genuine social change, and on this week’s episode of Tea with the Changemakers we think you’ll see a different more tender and relaxed version of Jack.Throughout their career they’ve been subject to scrutiny and their authenticity has been bought into question. There is no denying that Jack’s often-brash approach has rubbed some people up the wrong way – but isn’t that the point? Jack is authentic and saying it as it is, and has made it their mission to keep the conversation going around poverty and strives to genuinely help those who are struggling.  Check out our blog on this episode, McPoverty and a side of lies.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

Globally, 500 billion plastic bottles are used every year – that’s 66 bottles for every person on the planet! This week, we’re chatting to ape2o’s Anthony Newman, the man on a mission to tackle that alarming statistic. Anthony identified that a lot of people clearly have a thirst for water on the go, and favour the taste of bottled water, but there is an indisputable crisis with our consumption. In the UK alone, seven million plastic water bottles are thrown away every day; 80% end up burned, in landfill, or in our oceans and some microplastics end up being ingested by us.The B Corp-certified anti-plastic bottle water company operates an array of water dispensers in and around London, that provide commuters and travellers with on-demand chilled still or sparkling triple-filtered UV-treated purified water, for the affordable price of £0.25 per half litre!ape2o has already saved hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles from polluting our oceans, and impressively 10% of what you do spend with ape2o goes towards marine and freshwater conservation and clean-ups. The first recipient of ape2o’s 10% promise was the Zoological Society of London, and the money donated helped ZSL develop their marine and freshwater conservation!Check out ape2o’s website where you can find out where ape2o’s dispensers are located and get your hands on a variety of merch, including the 100% plastic-free SILVERBACK bottle mentioned in this episode. Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

This episode contains conversations about and references to suicide.This week on the podcast, we’re talking to Mike, Andy & Tim, the 3 Dads Walking. Coined ‘the club that no one wants to be part of’, the 3 dads all lost their daughters to suicide and have staged two country-spanning walks to support the charity, PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide), and to raise awareness of the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of under-35s in the UK.Mike, Andy & Tim connected with each other in circumstances that no parent wants to find themselves in - losing a child. Beth (Mike’s daughter), Sophie (Andy’s daughter) and Emily (Tim’s daughter) took their own lives, and the 3 dads have channelled their immeasurable loss and grief into helping others.By raising awareness, the dads have been able to ensure that conversation around admittedly difficult topics stays open and relevant in society. Most importantly, their efforts have helped to signpost where young people who are struggling can access support without feeling stigmatised. PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK is a confidential support and advice service for:Children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide.Anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide.HOPELINEUK advisers want to work with you to understand why these thoughts of suicide might be present. They also want to provide you with a safe space to talk through anything happening in your life that could be impacting on your or anyone else’s ability to stay safe.Call: 0800 068 41 41Text: 07860 039 967Email: pat@papyrus-uk.orgOpening hours:9am to midnight every day of the year.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

Neurodiversity and equality should be present in every business, and there’s one man who’s built his entire business around those principles.This week, Simon Akers joins us on Tea with the Changemakers for a chat about his marketing agency, Archmon, and how he works with clients to grow their businesses the right way and promote inclusion at every step. After working in ‘agency-land’ down in London and peeking behind the veil, Simon chose to go it alone to tackle the inequalities and lack of diversity of which agencies often fell afoul. Simon’s business model sees him working with authentic and genuine clients, while he is also dedicating 10% of his week to social causes, including increasing neurodiversity in the workplace and promoting social mobility. On this week’s episode, we talk brands and their authenticity, neurodiversity, how having a diverse workforce can make companies more vibrant, and how companies need to promote and support social mobility. Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

Mark King, the man responsible for the rollout of over 20,000 defibrillators to over 18,000 state-funded schools, joins us on the show this week.Mark founded The Oliver King Foundation after his son, Ollie, sadly and unexpectedly died from a cardiac arrest while competing in a swimming race in a PE lesson at school. Ollie had Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), which is a hidden heart condition that kills 12 young people every week.Mark started the charity to improve the amount of and access to life-saving defibrillators up and down the country. It’s believed that if the school had a defibrillator and were trained on how to use it, then Ollie’s life may have been saved.After years of campaigning, Mark delivered the first of 20,000 defibrillators to Oliver’s school, King David High, on Friday 20th January, as part of a government-backed rollout to ensure that almost 18,000 state-funded schools up and down the country have access to at least one potentially lifesaving defibrillator.In this episode, Mark tells us about his and Ollie's story, the work that the foundation does, how the government are finally rolling out defibrillators to schools up and down the country, and all about his next venture, as he begins setting up test centres to identify young people with SADS and cardiac disorders - with long-time supporter, former footballer Jamie Carragher.Find out how you can donate, fundraise, and support The Oliver King Foundation on their website here: https://theoliverkingfoundation.co.uk/Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

A new social media platform that’s committed to being socially responsible... What?! This is definitely not the Metaverse! This week on Tea with the Changemakers, we introduce you to a new way of doing social media. In this episode, Andy chats to Sue Fennessy, the founder of WeAre8, about how the B Corp certified brand is going to shake up socials, by putting 50% of advertising revenue from videos users choose to watch into their 8Wallets - cash it out, pay it forward to charity, or even put it towards your EE phone bill.  Andy and Sue chat all things social media - the good, the bad and the legless (sorry Metaverse!), the upsides and downsides of super-apps, wealth redistribution, and how social media networks need to empower their users.Check out this blog post on our website to read in more detail about how WeAre8 are empowering users to create powerful and meaningful social change in just 8 minutes each day! Just a quick warning: This episode contains a fair few instances of strong language throughout- it can’t always be helped, as we’re a passionate bunch here at Tea with the Changemakers, but hopefully you’ll still choose to grab yourself a brew and enjoy this episode! Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

“Life’s not fair” - ever had anyone tell you that? Isn’t it time that life was ‘fair’?  This week on the podcast, Andy's chatting with Sarah Atkinson, CEO of The Social Mobility Foundation, and Hannah Ayane, a graduate from their Aspiring Professional Programme. A recent study carried out by The SMF found that professionals from working-class backgrounds earn on average £6,718 less than someone from a more advantageous background in the same job. Furthermore, The SMF found that even at leadership level in businesses, working-class chief executives earn on average £16,749 less than their peers.  The Social Mobility Foundation are the people tackling those statics and working to rid society of systemic barriers holding back working-class professionals. They exist to provide opportunities for 16-17-year-olds who may be unable to get career support from their schools or families.  The SMF work with young people from all across the UK, in their years prior to and during university, and their Aspiring Professionals Programme offers tailored support across 11 career sectors including, accountancy, architecture, banking & finance, biology & chemistry, business, digital, engineering & physics, law, media & communications, medicine, and politics. https://www.socialmobility.org.uk/Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

This week on the podcast Kelly's chatting with Catherine Benfield, a mother and qualified teacher who's living with OCD. Catherine, who was diagnosed with OCD after giving birth to her son, started a blog on her experience of living with OCD; how she dealt with it was to personify and externalise it in the form of cheeky character, Olivia! Catherine bought her OCD to life in the form of Olivia, an incredibly stubborn hare/ alien. "Olivia takes the things that go through my mind, the types of things that go through EVERYBODY’S mind, and turns them into something they really don’t need to be. She takes anything from thoughts to images, to urges (for ease of writing in future I’ll refer to these under the umbrella term of ‘thoughts’) and runs with them. In fact, Olivia worries so much, that when she senses a thought she doesn’t like the look of, she investigates it straight away, and if she’s not sure about the findings of this investigation, she repeats it… and repeats it… and repeats it - she is nothing if not thorough!" Catherine Benfield.www.tamingolivia.comCup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

This week on the podcast Andy's chatting with Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind; the charity who are actively fighting for mental health by providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Stephen, one of Mind's spokespeople, manages their Infoline and is Mind's in-house expert on all things mental health. In this week's episode, Stephen speaks to Andy about how important it is to look after your mental health, seek out help when things get too much, how COVID has affected the collective mental state of the country, and how the cost of living crisis could see a spike in mental health problems, disproportionately among those who are already struggling.Mind provides a wide range of services that aim to support people on their journey to better mental health, and after recently re-branding are definitely not passive in their approach, they're now more boldly "fighting for mental health".Visit their website to find out how you can support Mind in various ways, including donating and fundraising.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

On the show this week, we’re joined by bio-bean’s Managing Director, George May, and he'll be chatting to Andy about how bio-bean are utilising spent coffee grounds from the 98 million cups of coffee that the UK consumes every day.bio-bean work with some of the largest companies in the UK, including Costa, Greggs, and McDonald's, to transform spent coffee grounds into something of value and contribute to a circular economy. This best-for-the-world B Corp was founded over 8 years ago by Arthur Kay, a student at the time when he noticed a film of oil collecting on his americano. Arthur was struck by the amount of spent coffee wasted every day, and with the knowledge that the grounds contain oil, a valuable fuel, vowed to do something more environmentally friendly with them.bio-bean is all about creating change and difference for our world by innovating coffee waste. Through their Coffee Logs, stocked by many UK supermarkets, as well as coffee pellets and Inficaf-based products, bio-bean can divert millions of tonnes of spent coffee grounds from ever ending up in landfill.Visit bio-bean's website to find out more!Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

This week’s episode contains conversations about eating disorders and suicide.  Zoe Burnett has first-hand experience in conquering atypical anorexia, and depression and is a suicide survivor. Now as a published author, TEDx speaker and charity worker (at First Steps Eating Disorder Service) she uses her lived experience to educate others, and rebel against unhealthy social norms. On this week’s show, Zoe shares her story with Kelly and speaks candidly about what it’s like to live with an eating disorder and how it affects your mental health, set point theory and how she’s “recovering loudly so others don’t suffer in silence.” Zoe continues to speak out because of the societal shift in attitude that’s needed regarding diet and weight. In this episode Zoe shares some shocking and alarming statistics with us. ·      Over 80% of 10-year-olds are now scared of being fat.·      90% of teenage girls avoided an activity because of the way they looked.·      87% of teenage boys avoided an activity because of the way they looked. The statistics speak for themselves, and Zoe speaks out to ensure that we continue to have conversations about eating disorders in the hope that they will change attitudes, educate, and most importantly reach people who are struggling and may need help.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope”— Lady Bird JohnsonThis week on Tea with the Changemakers we're chatting with Jess Visser, founder of Strength & Stem, the charity that utilises floristry to empower women who have survived modern slavery.Shockingly they're an estimated 136,000 victims of human trafficking in the UK today, and even more alarmingly 81% of trafficked victims in London are women. Jess wanted to do something to tackle this statistic. For two years Jess volunteered as a mentor and wanted to support disadvantaged women on their journey to employment. While volunteering Jess was able to witness the disadvantages women face first-hand. Jess' passion was and still is to help support women and help them to access skills training and employment. Jess is the Founding Trustee of Strength & Stem and has now expanded into South Africa through sister charity, Strength & Stem South Africa.If you're a corporate that regularly orders flowers or you want to give the personal gift of socially responsible flowers to a loved one, then be sure to check out Strength & Stem's website.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

This week on the podcast we’re joined from Uganda by ex-Balenciaga designer Bobby Kolade, who has set up his fashion house BUZIGAHILL in Kampala, to challenge the Global North's consumption of fast fashion.Bobby set Buzigahill up as a response to the Global North discarding clothes, often in poor condition, and exporting them to Africa. He was infuriated by the fact that people in the Global North believe that people in Africa (in countries such as Uganda) want sweat-stained and soiled clothes. Bobby identified that whilst fast fashion in the Global North exists then Uganda will forever be swamped by second-hand clothes, often of poor quality.Bobby simply determined that enough was enough, and decided to send the second-hand clothes saturating Uganda's textile industry back to where they came from, by upcycling and repurposing them. Buzigahill’s first collection ‘Return to Sender’ does exactly that, selling clothes back to the Global North at an increased price, and is the catalyst that's reigniting Uganda’s textile industry.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

This week Kelly Evans, your usual host, joins Megan our Marketing Executive for a chat about how Social Change became a B-Corp.Social Change, founded by Kelly Evans, became a B-Corp in March 2022 and was awarded a B Corp score of 109. Most businesses score between 40 and 100, with 80 points required to become certified. Social Change is a behavioural insights and marketing company, and they exist to help people understand human behaviour and design campaigns and programmes that will positively impact or change people and communities.For anyone who hasn’t heard of B Corp before, it represents a new kind and way of doing business. Instead of focusing on just making money, a B-Corp certified business is conscious of its impact on people and the planet. There are already over 4000 Certified B Corporations in more than 70 countries across the globe, with over 900 of them located in the UK. Together they are building a network of businesses that are committed to building an inclusive and sustainable economy that benefits all.So this week on this special episode of Tea with the Changemakers hear all about Social Change’s journey to becoming a B-Corp.Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!

Arguably one of the most influential changemakers in the UK joins us on the show this week, founder of The Silver Line Helpline and Childline; Dame Esther Rantzen.On this week's episode, we're talking about loneliness and how it's a growing issue within our society, the invaluable work The Silver Line Helpline does, how a cat from over the road has adopted Esther, and how important it is to have fun and continue to well into your old age.Last week on the show we were joined by Alasdair Stewart, Director of National Operations, and as part of his role, he manages The Silver Line Helpline which is a free, confidential telephone service just for older people and provides friendship, conversation and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We were interested in finding out more about The Silver Line Helpline, and how it continues to provide an invaluable service to tackle and prevent loneliness among our elderly population. The trouble with loneliness is that it's often unspoken about because of the stigma attached to it, however, it is chronic within the elderly. A review carried out by The National Institute for Health and Care Research found that "one in four adults over 60 reports feeling lonely" and "for those aged more than 75, the figure is almost one in three (31%)"So who better to tell us more about The Silver Line Helpline, and how it's tackling loneliness than the founder herself, Dame Esther Rantzen.Call free on 0800 4 70 80 90Cup only half full? Follow Tea with the Changemakers on TikTok, for behind-the-scenes content and clips from our episodes!