Let's Talk Social Value

In this bite-sized episode of Let's Talk Social Value: Stories and Insights, our host Michaela Pearson speaks with Hannah McDonnell, Executive Director of the Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire Community Rail Partnership, about the often-overlooked role travel plays in people's lives. Drawing on real-life examples, Hannah explores how access to transport can unlock employment, education, independence, and stronger community connections.  

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

What does protecting a national park really involve, and why should businesses care about access to nature? In this episode of Let's Talk Social Value, Sarah Stone speaks with Tom Usher, chief executive of the Dartmoor Preservation Association, about conservation, the legal campaign that protected wild camping on Dartmoor, and practical ways organisations can support access, volunteering and youth opportunity.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this episode of Let’s Talk Social Value, host Sarah Stone speaks to Chelsea Tooze, Global Director of Quality and Regulatory at 2San, a global medical device distributor.

Together, they explore the surprising connection between quality management, regulatory compliance, and social value - and why businesses need to rethink how these functions interact.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this Bitesize episode of Let's Talk Social Value, our Partnerships Consultant Michaela is joined by Emma Harris, Head of Partnerships and Programmes at Boards for Education (formerly Governors for Schools), to explore the impact of governance volunteering and how organisations can create lasting social value through skilled volunteering.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this episode of Let’s Talk Social Value, Sarah Stone is joined by Ben Carpenter, CEO of Social Value International (SVI), the global member-led network with a mission to change how the world accounts for value. Together they explore how the social value movement is evolving worldwide - beyond procurement and compliance - towards systems change that helps organisations measure what really matters for people and planet. 

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this episode of Let’s Talk Social Value, Sarah Stone is joined by Emma Jones, the UK’s Small Business Commissioner, to explore the real impact of late payment on SMEs - and what’s changing.

Explore how late payment impacts SMEs and supply chains, upcoming legislation, 60-day payment terms, and why prompt payment is critical to delivering real social value.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Jacob Hill to explore why businesses should rethink how they approach hiring people with convictions.

This honest and practical conversation challenges common misconceptions about risk, trust, and employability. Jacob shares why inclusive recruitment isn’t just a moral argument, it’s a commercial one, and how giving people a second chance can strengthen teams, improve retention, and create real social impact.

In this episode, we discuss:

▪ The stigma people with convictions face when applying for work
 ▪ Why employment is one of the biggest drivers of reducing reoffending
 ▪ The business case for inclusive recruitment
 ▪ What employers get wrong about risk
 ▪ How organisations can create the right support structures internally

This episode is for leaders, HR professionals, procurement teams, and social value practitioners who want to move beyond policy statements and take meaningful action.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this episode of Let’s Talk… Social Value Strategies, Sarah Stone is joined by Helen Longfils, Group Director of Social Value at Mitie, to explore how social value can move beyond CSR and deliver meaningful, measurable impact.

Helen shares how Mitie developed its Plan Thrive social value strategy, why good jobs are central to thriving communities, and how a theory of change helps organisations connect activity to long-term outcomes. The conversation covers inclusive recruitment, place-based delivery, ESG governance, and embedding social value across large public sector contracts.

A must-listen for anyone working in social value, ESG, procurement, public sector delivery, or social impact.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this Bitesize episode of Let’s Talk Social Value – Stories and Insights, Jacob Hill, interim CEO and board member at the Institute for Social Value (ISV), talks about stepping into the role and what he has learned so far about the organisation and the wider sector. 

The conversation explores how ISV supports social value practitioners, organisations and technology providers, and how it connects with Social Value International as the UK “chapter” and custodian of its training and accreditation offer.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected]. 

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Kathy Walker, Co-Founder and CEO of StartUp Sherpas, an edtech company delivering remote work experience and career readiness programmes through their own digital platform.

Kathy shares how StartUp Sherpas is helping to bridge the gap between the skills young people learn in school and the skills employers need in the modern workplace. She explains why the traditional education system struggles to keep pace with the rapid changes in the world of work, and how Start Up Sherpas uses innovation and entrepreneurship as vehicles to prepare young people for future careers.

Sarah and Kathy discuss the importance of scalability in education, the power of technology to reach more learners, and how nurturing entrepreneurial thinking can open up new pathways for young people across all industries.

We hope you enjoy this episode. If you have a topic you'd like us to discuss or you would like to be considered as a guest please get in touch at [email protected].