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 Professor Mike Waring, Chair of Medicinal Chemistry, and Professor Akane Kawamura, a Professor of Chemical Biology at Newcastle University. What starts as a conversation about drug discovery becomes a story about human impact, regional potential, and where life-saving innovation happens.

Professor Waring's office wall tells a story. Framed like a diploma hangs a handwritten letter from a stranger in France—a man with lung cancer who'd been told there was no treatment. His terror wasn't about dying. It was about leaving his disabled wife alone. Traditional chemotherapy would render him too weak to be her carer, and without him, she had nobody. Then came the phone call that changed everything. A doctor had spotted a genetic marker that made him eligible for an experimental drug—one that had started as chemical equations scribbled on whiteboards in Newcastle by Mike's team. "Now he takes a once-daily pill," Mike says, "and he's alive and healthy enough to look after the person he loves most."

That drug represents something remarkable happening in the North. Newcastle University has brought two cancer medicines to market with modest funding, yet the region continues losing its brightest minds to opportunities down south. The professors have a plan to change this: a Northeast Institute for Molecular Medicine employing 1,000 researchers, rivalling London's Francis Crick Institute.

The barriers reveal themselves in the numbers. While 46% of public research investment flows to the Golden Triangle, the North East could provide the trained scientists that Britain's £25 billion pharmaceutical export industry desperately needs. Northern institutions aren't just competing for resources—they're fighting the assumption that serious science happens elsewhere.

Episode Timestamps:

00:30 Meet the Experts

00:55 The Journey of Drug Discovery

02:55 Challenges and Resilience in Drug Development

07:01 Women in STEM

08:45 The Vision for a Northeast Institute for Molecular Medicine

11:14 The Importance of Location and Infrastructure

15:52 Investment and Political Climate

19:18 Future Challenges and Opportunities

22:52 Inspiring the Next Generation

Behind every policy discussion about regional investment are real people whose lives hang in the balance. The man in France who can care for his wife. The postgraduate student choosing between staying home and advancing their career. The families who could benefit from high-skilled, well-paid jobs in their communities.

The question is whether we'll invest in keeping that excellence here, or continue watching our brightest minds head elsewhere. Somewhere in France, a man is making breakfast for his wife because scientists in Newcastle refused to accept that innovation only happens in the Golden Triangle.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guests: Professor Mike Waring & Professor Akane Kawamura

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 compelling episode, Alison engages with Praful Nargund—entrepreneur, campaigner, and founder of The Good Growth Foundation. Together, they challenge conventional economic wisdom and explore a vision where good growth and equality go hand in hand.

Praful shares his deeply personal journey—from being born in Bradford to Indian parents who came to work in the NHS, to revolutionising access to IVF treatment, to his current mission of reshaping economic policy. His story show how lived experience shapes our understanding of systemic barriers and opportunities for change. The conversation also delves into the profound disconnect between economics and people's daily realities. As Praful notes, "there was a real sense in our work that when the economy grew, it did use to benefit us 20, 30 years ago," Praful explains. "That's been broken. It doesn't benefit us anymore."

Beyond diagnosing problems, Alison and Praful chart a path forward—one that prioritises "skills and bills" over abstract GDP figures, that recognises the transformative power of local SMEs, and that refuses to pit communities against each other in a competition for resources. They confront the harsh realities of political campaigning, the erosion of public trust, and the urgent need for economic policies that people can "see, feel, and touch" in their everyday lives.

This isn't just a conversation about economic theory—it's a call for a new approach to prosperity that prioritises human dignity and real-world impact. By connecting big ideas with people's lived experiences, Praful and Alison highlight how transformative change happens not through statistics, but through policies that make tangible differences in people's lives.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:15 Tackling Inequality

04:32 Education and Skills

06:08 Political Battlegrounds

09:27 Finding Resilience

11:32 The Birth of The Good Growth Foundation

15:53 "Skills and Bills"

22:17 Devolution Challenges

27:37 Regional Inequality Without Regional Division

29:15 170,000 Children in Cold Homes

36:55 Laying the Breadcrumbs

This episode serves as a powerful reminder that true economic transformation requires more than statistical growth—it demands policies that people can actually feel in their daily lives. By bringing together visionary thinking with practical solutions, Praful and Alison challenge us to reimagine prosperity as something that benefits everyone, creating communities where opportunity and fairness go hand in hand.

The great tragedy of modern economics isn't that we've failed to grow—it's that we've forgotten what we're growing for.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe now to stay updated on conversations that matter and help shape a brighter, more equitable future.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guest: Praful Nargund

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 revealing episode, Alison explores how a pioneering Newcastle-based initiative is transforming healthcare by looking beyond traditional medicine to address the social factors that truly determine our wellbeing, with two remarkable guests:

• Dr. Brigid Joughin, GP and former trustee of Ways to Wellness
• Steffen Laukard, Lead for the Persistent Physical Symptoms project at Ways to Wellness

The conversation examines Ways to Wellness' innovative approach to health that addresses the "wider determinants" – housing, social connections, employment, and joy – and how these factors often have greater impact on health outcomes than medication alone. Through social prescribing, this groundbreaking organisation is demonstrating that listening, acknowledging grief, and creating space for joy can transform lives while potentially reducing pressure on the NHS.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to The North Podcast

01:03 Understanding Ways to Wellness

02:04 The Role of Social Prescribers

02:51 Challenges in General Practice

07:09 Persistent Physical Symptoms Project

11:21 Impact and Feedback from Patients

18:27 Reducing NHS Costs and Hospital Admissions

20:00 Managing a Bespoke Service

22:56 Future of Ways to Wellness

24:55 Mental Health and Diagnostic Labels

32:23 Sustaining the Project

34:56 Conclusion and Contact Information

Throughout the discussion, Steffen shares his powerful "orange box" metaphor that illustrates how chronic pain gradually contracts life's joys until sometimes only pain remains. Ways to Wellness aims to expand that box again, creating space for patients to rediscover meaning while acknowledging their conditions.

As Dr. Joughin notes, "We're not a sausage factory, we're individuals" – challenging the NHS tendency toward economies of scale that often fail in healthcare delivery. The conversation concludes with reflections on sustainability and an invitation to innovators with ideas addressing social determinants of health.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe now to stay updated on conversations that matter and help shape a brighter, more equitable future for the North.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guests: Dr. Brigid Joughin, Steffen Laukard

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 thought-provoking episode, Alison explores the complex ways big business influences our health with three distinguished experts:

• Professor Mark Petticrew from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Research fellow May van Schalkwyk from the University of Edinburgh
• Associate Professor Chris van Tulleken from University College London, and author of the number one Sunday Times bestseller, "Ultra Process People"

The conversation delves into the commercial determinants of health—how corporations' practices, products and influence shape public health through marketing, lobbying and misinformation campaigns. The experts examine how industries such as alcohol, food, gambling and tobacco prioritise profit over wellbeing, often targeting vulnerable populations while positioning themselves as part of the solution.

The discussion reveals how these harmful industries employ sophisticated tactics to influence policy, science and public perception. From funding educational materials in schools to creating "independent" organisations, these industries have systematically worked to shift responsibility onto individuals while protecting their business models that depend on harmful consumption patterns.

Episode Timestamps:

01:10 Introduction to Commercial Determinants of Health

03:05 Why the Public Should Care About Commercial Influences

05:20 Ultra-Processing

26:10 Conflicts of Interest

35:25 The Challenges

41:50 Policy Solutions and Regulatory Approaches

The panel notes the parallels between tactics used by different industries—from tobacco to food to gambling—showing how they've learned from each other to protect profits at the expense of public health.

The conversation concludes with powerful policy recommendations: ending conflicts of interest in regulatory bodies and research, implementing comprehensive marketing restrictions, pursuing legal action against harmful corporations, and developing policy frameworks that address multiple aspects of public health simultaneously.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe now to stay updated on conversations that matter and help shape a brighter, more equitable future.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guests: Professor Mark Petticrew, Research fellow May van Schalkwyk, Associate Professor Chris van Tulleken

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Lord Richard Harrington, a distinguished British businessman and politician who was ennobled in 2022 after a successful career spanning four decades. From humble beginnings as the son of a Leeds market stall holder to Oxford scholar, successful entrepreneur, Member of Parliament, and ultimately, a life peer in the House of Lords, Lord Harrington's journey embodies transformation and resilience.

The conversation delves into Lord Harrington's pivotal work on refugee resettlement, where he twice served as minister—first implementing David Cameron's pledge to bring 20,000 Syrian refugees to the UK, and later, at Boris Johnson's urgent request, creating the innovative "Homes for Ukraine" scheme that housed 150,000 Ukrainian refugees. Throughout this work, Lord Harrington balanced humanitarian imperatives with practical challenges, creating systems that protected vulnerable people while addressing legitimate security concerns.

Most recently, Lord Harrington authored a significant review on foreign direct investment for the UK government, identifying critical barriers to investment including policy inconsistency, bureaucratic delays and insufficient regional devolution. His insights on post-Brexit economic challenges, the crucial role of mayoral authorities in regional development and the urgent need for stable industrial strategy offer a compelling vision for economic transformation in the North and beyond.

Episode Timestamps:

00:42 Lord Harrington's Early Life and Career

03:35 Transition from Business to Politics

11:45 First Refugee Resettlement Role with Syrian Refugees

13:29 Return to Refugee Work: Creating "Homes for Ukraine"

24:42 The Foreign Direct Investment Review

33:54 Brexit's Impact

39:06 The Role of Regional Mayors

42:37 Vision for UK's Investment Climate and Industrial Strategy

45:20 Challenges and Barriers to Progress

This episode serves as a powerful reminder that effective economic transformation requires stability, strategic focus and the courage to make difficult decisions. Lord Harrington's journey from Leeds market to the House of Lords demonstrates how personal experience can inform public policy, while his candid assessment of the UK's investment challenges offers a blueprint for meaningful change. By examining both the human impact of refugee policy and the economic imperatives of investment strategy, this conversation bridges the gap between compassion and pragmatism that lies at the heart of effective governance.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe now to stay updated on conversations that matter and help shape a brighter, more equitable future.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guest: Lord Richard Harrington

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 compelling episode, I speak with Michelle Minnikin, psychologist and author of 'Good Girl Deprogramming', about the systemic conditioning affecting women in modern society. Michelle brings both professional expertise as an organisational psychologist and personal insight through her late-diagnosis ADHD journey to illuminate the complex mechanisms of gender-based conditioning.

Through her fascinating research—drawing parallels between 1950s prisoner of war brainwashing techniques and contemporary patriarchal systems—Michelle reveals how deeply embedded conditioning shapes women's behaviours and choices. She shares how her ADHD diagnosis at age 42 sparked a journey of discovery, leading to groundbreaking work on understanding and dismantling 'Good Girl Conditioning'.

The conversation examines critical systemic issues, from workplace dynamics to online harassment, whilst exploring how conditioning manifests in everything from language choices to professional relationships. Michelle challenges current narratives around gender roles, advocating for conscious resistance to conditioning whilst acknowledging the real risks women face when pushing back against established norms.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:31 Meet Michelle Minnikin: psychologist and author

01:11 The inspiration behind Good Girl Deprogramming

02:32 Understanding Good Girl conditioning

05:13 The patriarchy and its impact

06:00 Manifestations of Good Girl Conditioning

08:55 Challenges and pushbacks

13:05 The role of men in addressing gender issues

17:42 Impact on young women and future generations

23:00 Reclaiming power and challenging systems

30:50 Final thoughts and future projects

This episode serves as both an awakening and a call to action in addressing systemic gender conditioning. Through Michelle's insights, we explore how seemingly separate issues—from workplace behaviour to social media interactions—connect to create and perpetuate cycles of gender-based oppression. Her vision for change, including practical steps for individual and collective action, offers hope for a more equitable future.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of online harassment, sexual violence and gender-based discrimination.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe now to stay updated and help shape a brighter, more equitable future.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guest: Michelle Minnikin

Producer: Peter Bell

Resources:

1. 'Good Girl Deprogramming' by Michelle Minnikin (2023)
2. The demise of DEI signals the demise of human decency

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 powerful episode, Alison speaks with Professor Greta Defeyter OBE, Director of the Healthy Living Lab at Northumbria University, about the devastating impact of food insecurity. With one in five children living in food-insecure households, Professor Defeyter brings both academic expertise and personal insight to this urgent conversation.

Through her remarkable journey—from returning to rural Suffolk in the mid-80s as a single mother with just 16 pence and a pair of hiking boots to a leading academic researcher and recent recipient of an OBE for her services —Greta illuminates the complex web of challenges facing food-insecure families. She shares how a chance encounter with a child stuffing toast into his pockets at a school breakfast club transformed her research focus, leading to groundbreaking work on food insecurity and school feeding programmes.

The conversation delves deep into systemic issues, from the normalisation of breakfast clubs and food banks to the barriers preventing eligible families from accessing free school meals. Professor Defeyter challenges current approaches, advocating for auto-enrolment systems and questioning why £88 million in unused free school meal allowances vanish from school systems annually. The discussion reveals how seemingly simple solutions, such as providing water fountains in schools or allowing meal allowances to roll over, face bureaucratic hurdles that disproportionately impact the most vulnerable students.

Episode Timestamps:

00:42 Defining Food Insecurity

02:18 Professor Defeyter's Personal Journey

04:32 The Evolution of Breakfast Clubs

06:08 Impact of Food Insecurity on Child Development

13:02 Barriers to Access

27:48 Affordable Food Hubs and Alternative Solutions

32:35 Policy Recommendations

40:34 Auto-enrolment and Future Solutions

This episode serves as a powerful call to action in how we address food insecurity. Through Professor Defeyter's insights, we see how seemingly separate issues—from school food standards to data sharing between government departments—connect to create and perpetuate cycles of food poverty. Her vision for change, including auto-enrolment for benefits and reimagining school food systems, offers hope for a more equitable future.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe now to stay updated and help shape a brighter, more equitable future.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guest: Professor Greta Defeyter OBE

Producer: Peter Bell

🔗 Key Publications

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 compelling episode, Alison delves into the heart of Northern entrepreneurship with Charlie Hoult, a visionary fourth-generation businessman whose family legacy has helped shape the North East's business landscape. As the driving force behind Hoults Yard Business Centre, Charlie embodies the transformative spirit of modern entrepreneurship while honouring the rich industrial heritage of his family's century-old enterprise, which began with Maling's Pottery.

Through intimate conversation, Charlie unveils the delicate balance of preserving family legacy while embracing innovation and change. His journey from traditional industry to creating a dynamic business hub reflects the broader evolution of the North's economy. The discussion explores how Hoults Yard has adapted to modern workplace demands, pioneering hybrid work solutions and fostering a vibrant community of entrepreneurs. Charlie's involvement with the National Innovation Centre for Data demonstrates his commitment to positioning the North East at the forefront of technological advancement.

This episode transcends typical business discourse by examining the intersection of family values, entrepreneurial spirit, and regional development. Charlie's insights into community-building offer a blueprint for sustainable economic growth in the North. His story exemplifies how traditional business wisdom, when combined with forward-thinking innovation, can create lasting positive change in our communities and challenge the systemic barriers facing Northern development.

Episode Timestamps:

00:30 Meet Charlie Hoult

01:06 The Legacy of Hoults Yard

10:12 Adapting Through Crises

11:27 Charlie's Diverse Career Path

15:06 Entrepreneurial Insights and Challenges

19:28 Risk-Taking and Business Planning

21:43 Balancing Family and Risk

22:17 Generational Change and Entrepreneurship

23:31 Political Aspirations and Community Impact

26:37 Tech Innovation and Regional Development

35:15 Conscious Capitalism and Networking

40:34 Future of the North East

45:04 Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a masterclass in modern entrepreneurship, demonstrating how traditional business values can evolve to meet contemporary challenges while maintaining their core purpose. Charlie's story reminds us that true business success isn't just measured in profits but in the lasting impact we create in our communities and the opportunities we create for future generations.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe now to stay updated and help shape a brighter, more equitable future.

Host: Alison Dunn

Guest: Charlie Hoult

Producer: Peter Bell

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.