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 Mark Squires, a business leader and philanthropist who became a trustee after witnessing young people "flooding" into a mid-Victorian building because "they've got nowhere else to go," and Ben Roman, Chief Executive of the Lighthouse Project, who transformed St. Michael's Church in Byker, Newcastle into a £4.2 million youth and community hub. Through community consultation and architectural innovation, they've created something that addresses both the heritage of the building and the urgent needs of families who've been failed by fragmented support systems.

The Lighthouse Project represents something more fundamental than renovation—it's a complete rethinking of how support reaches families. Where most systems send people from office to office, appointment to appointment, the Lighthouse Project brings services together under one roof. A parent seeking housing help might also find job training, digital literacy classes, and childcare in the same space.

This isn't charity, it's recognition that communities need somewhere to call home. British Engines committed ten years of funding, Ringtons pledged five years of revenue support.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Opening the Doors to a New Community Hub

01:34 The Heart of Byker: A Community's Story

02:59 Transforming a Historic Church

07:20 Community Involvement and Feedback

21:32 The Role of Business in Community Development

26:10 Looking to the Future

The episode underscores how heritage, community needs, and innovative solutions can empower residents and foster genuine community spirit. When a young boy walked through the doors for the first time and asked his teacher, "Is this a five-star luxury hotel?", he wasn't confused, he was recognising something his community had never seen before: a place built to their potential, not their problems.

Host: Alison Dunn 

Guests: Mark Squires & Ben Roman

This podcast is produced by Purpose Made.

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