ONEOFTHE8

We talk to remarkable New Zealand based businesswoman, and solo mother of two, Jennifer Del Bel. We hear how a meeting with a father and his daughter Emma, a young woman with Down’s Syndrome, would change everything and lead to the launch of a whole new business called Downlights. We also hear how, through that business, Jennifer is setting a powerful and inspirational example to others for the introduction of more inclusion and diversity into the workplace.

We talk to former NFL player and founder of the Adaptive Training Foundation, David Vobora. We hear how a career curtailing injury, and a chance meeting with a man who had lost parts of both arms and both legs, altered the trajectory of David’s life. We also hear how that chance meeting led to David developing ground-breaking work that builds physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual strength in those who need it most.

We talk to Tokyo-born, London-based artist and graphic designer, June Mineyama-Smithson (aka Mamimu), a true creative soul on a mission to inject optimism into the world through her art. We hear about June’s collaboration with neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart on a project for ITV Creates that is designed to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.

We talk to Andy Young, founder and inspiration behind ‘My Outsourced IT’ and a man with a noble vision to equip disadvantaged homes with free laptops and tablets. We hear how Andy is connecting the disconnected by repurposing donated equipment, and at the same time looking after the planet by off-setting his carbon footprint.

We talk to Dutch designer, innovator and nature lover Matilde Boelhouwer. We hear how she has merged creativity with entomology and engineering to develop ‘Insectology: Food for Buzz’. We also hear how her awareness of a declining insect population has motivated Matilde to create a stunning collection of artificial flowers that also act as emergency feeding stations for our all-important pollinators.

We talk to Marie, founder and CEO of ‘The Choir With No Name’, and with Sal, Liverpool choir member and ambassador. We hear how their work is giving many homeless people a much-needed sense of identity, community and belonging. We also hear how the choir has grown since first founded in London, with the successful model now replicated in Birmingham, Liverpool, Brighton, and soon to be Cardiff.

We talk to local gym owner and community-driven philanthropist, Adam McCreevy. We hear about the life stories and personal experiences that have inspired him to make a life-changing impact on other people’s lives, including moving from his family home in Ireland to the Wirral at the pivotal age of 11, and losing his idol to suicide. Adam tells us about why he started the Wirral Health CIC Project, how he managed to help feed 2,000 children during lockdown, and why he believes it’s so important to invest in your immediate economy. In Adam’s own words, “the most valuable thing you can give somebody is your time”, so press play and join us in giving this admirable human being some of ours.

We talk to best-selling author and keynote speaker Marc Wallert. We hear how Marc and his parents were taken at gun point and held hostage by a terror group for 140 days in the Philippine jungle. We also hear how Marc survived this ordeal through a strategy of positive visualisation, self-efficacy, gallows humour, and the strength gained from helping others.

We talk to plane crash survivor, motivational speaker, humanitarian and spiritual guru, Tulsi Vagjiani. We hear about the tragic incident that took the lives of Tulsi’s family and left her with 45% burns to the face and body at such a young age. We also hear how discovering spirituality and realising her purpose lead Tulsi to becoming an advocate for others with a visible difference. We learn more about how she plans to change the dialogue of the future around beauty and self-acceptance.

We talk to Will and Denia, two members of an exceptional organisation, Free Movement Skateboarding. We hear how Will, Denia and this Athens based team are using skateboarding to support and integrate refugees and marginalised young people. We also hear how they reach isolated communities in the city and around the outskirts of Athens by packing a portable skatepark into the back of their van