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 from a more equal and inclusive society.

In today's episode, Alison is joined by Kevin Telford, Robin Ferris, and Estelle Blanks:

• Kevin Telford, is a Strategic Adviser and Future FS Strategy Consultant at Monstarlab, and Co-Founder of Finpac.
• Robin Ferris, CEO of Bankuet, the UK's first zero-waste digital food donation platform, on a mission to ensure food banks get what they need, when they need it.
• Estelle Blanks, a Non-Executive Director at Nexus, Member of the CBI Innovation Council, and CEO of the Innovation SuperNetwork, a unique North East network supporting businesses in growth and innovation.

Today's discussion focuses on the disparities, opportunities, and outcomes between the North and South. Some context for our conversation includes:

• 38% of children in the North East live in poverty.
• 41% of key workers are living in poverty, with the North West being the closest rival for this unwelcome distinction at 29%.
• The North East has the lowest level of A-Level and GCSE results in the country.
• People in the North have a significantly lower life expectancy than those in the South, with many in the region spending their later years in much poorer health than the rest of the UK.

With this backdrop, today's episode will cover:

• The realities of being tied to the North.
• Social entrepreneurship.
• The cost of living crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Using innovation as a tool to support economic development.
• The blend of activism and entrepreneurship.
• The North East's legacy of innovation.
• System thinking versus transactional approaches.
• The debate between short-termism and long-term vision.
• The role of equity finance in social innovation.
• The challenges of investment and barriers to innovation.
• The concept of devolution.
• The idea of leaping up, not just levelling up.
• Education and educational attainment.
• Wealth inequality and government investment zones.
• The intersection of innovation, gender inclusion, and success assessment.
• The importance of purpose, sustainability, and impact.
• Strategies for solving social problems.
• The dynamic between collaboration and competition.
• Key thoughts and takeaways from the conversation.

Enjoyed the podcast? Subscribe now, and together, let's empower our communities for a brighter, more equitable future.

Alison Dunn (Host)

Kevin Telford

Robin Ferris

Estelle Blanks

Peter Bell (Producer)

This podcast was recorded by Moja and produced by Purpose Made.

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