Hello! America has seen a wave of recent union victories by Amazon and Starbucks workers, and this week we’re looking at why they’ve succeeded where many others have failed, and what UK unions can learn. We’re joined by Starbucks organiser Casey Moore, Director of CLASS, Ellie Mae O’Hagan and General Secretary of Prospect Union, Mike Clancy.

Plus, Geoff celebrates his birthday! 

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Happy Easter! To celebrate, we have a special episode on the magic of the wildlife on our doorstep. 83% of us live in urban areas and are surrounded by myriad known and not-so-well known wildlife wonders including birds, insects, hedgehogs and yes, foxes and rats. 

But our furry and flying city-dwellers are vital to our ecosystems, and there are untold joys and benefits of paying more attention to them, so says author of Wild City, Florence Wilkinson and the one and only David Lindo, also known as the Urban Birder, who joined Ed and Geoff this week. 

Find out why foxes are causing Ed a headache and birds are staying away from Geoff’s garden. 

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Hello! This week we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Newsround, and finding out how the way our children get their news has changed over the years. To celebrate the milestone, we’re joined by Newsround Editor Lewis James, and to hear more about other ways kids access current affairs, we’re joined by Anna Bassi, Editorial Director of The Week Junior, and founder of Picture News, Kate Harrison.

PLUS we have a very special dispatch from our local correspondent, Gene (Geoff’s son).

Email your comments, questions and episode ideas to [email protected] or at www.cheerfulpodcast.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

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This week we’re going behind the headlines on the so-called Great Resignation - which has seen record numbers of job vacancies advertised as people leave and move roles. 

Has Covid really revolutionised the world of work? And who is benefiting from the changes?

To find out, we’re joined by Joe Fuller from Harvard Business School, David Zentler-Munro from the University of Essex, and Abigail Adams-Prassl from the University of Oxford. 

Plus Geoff is back (sat down) at a gig.

Email your comments, questions and episode ideas to [email protected] or at www.cheerfulpodcast.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

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This week we’re giving Ed another reason to talk about his swimming, and diving into our rivers. Rivers are such an important part of our landscape, ecosystems and communities. They provide two thirds of our water supplies and support a vast array of wildlife, but are in bad shape. Only 14% of our rivers pass the bar for ecological health, and farming, water industry and the climate crisis are all making things worse.

To find out more and hear what’s being done to protect and preserve our rivers, we’re joined by Alastair Chisholm from the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management, Christine Colvin from the Rivers Trust and Alec Taylor from WWF.

Email your comments, questions and episode ideas to [email protected] or at www.cheerfulpodcast.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

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Hello! This week Ed and Geoff are off to the pictures, as they find out how cinemas have survived covid, and why they’re still so important to our communities and culture. To usher them through the episode they’re joined by Phil Clapp, CEO of trade body the UK Cinema Association, Kevin Markwick, who runs 2 independent cinemas successfully, and star of stage and screen, Fiona Shaw.

Plus Ed and Geoff share their earliest cinema memories. 

Email your comments, questions and episode ideas to [email protected] or at www.cheerfulpodcast.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

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This week we’re looking at energy storage, and the technologies being developed to improve how we store and use renewable energy. Clean energy storage is vital to decarbonising the economy, so to get to grips with it we have Jillian Ambrose, energy correspondent at the Guardian, Simon Skillings from E3G, and Nina Skorupska from The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean technologies.

Plus, Ed’s been bothering people on public transport (again).

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Hello! This week we’re joined by podcasting royalty, as David Runciman, host of Talking Politics, joins Ed and Geoff for his victory lap. After 6 years, David and co-host Helen Thompson are hanging up their headphones on one of the smartest political podcast of our time. Ed and Geoff find out why they’re stopping in the middle of arguably one of the most important political moments of a generation, who David’s favourite interview was, and why his love for audio means this is far from the last we’ll hear from him. 

Plus, Geoff can’t get unstuck. 

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Hello! This week we're looking at the legislation passing through parliament which would have British Sign Language recognised as an official language in the UK. Eighty-seven thousand people in the UK say BSL is their preferred language, but they are discriminated against in everyday life, from using essential services to speaking to doctors, their local council or at work. 

To find out how this Bill could help make the UK more accessible to BSL users, we're joined by David Buxton, Chair of the British Deaf Association, Ben Fletcher, who was the first deafblind candidate for MP, and Chloe Smith MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work.

Plus Ed reveals his missed opportunity is Silicon Valley. 

Email your comments, questions and episode ideas to [email protected] or at www.cheerfulpodcast.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

A full transcript of this episode is available on our website, and the interviews will be uploaded to our YouTube channel this week. 

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Hello! This week we’re talking about the crisis of fuel poverty as people are hit by rocketing energy bills.

Torsten Bell from the Resolution Foundation sets the incoming energy bill rises in context, Adam Scorer from National Energy Action tells us how people are facing the crisis up and down the country, and Dr Elizabeth Blakelock shares some interesting solutions which have been trialled to help those most in need. 

Plus Geoff drops a Wordle brag on Ed. 

And here's the link to Gabrielle Shammash's article about UK Politics as breifly mentioned in the episode https://www.theindy.org/article/2578

Email your comments, questions and episode ideas to [email protected] or at www.cheerfulpodcast.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

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