Spark Changemakers

In this heart-opening episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki sits down with Neil Denton - mediator, professor, and co-lead of The Relationships Project - to explore why relationships are not “soft extras,” but the very foundation of healthier, happier, more resilient communities.

Neil shares the vision behind The Relationships Project: embedding relationship-centred practice across schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods, and governments. Together, Nikki and Neil reflect on why relationships are “common sense but not common practice,” how bridges between people can be widened and strengthened, and why the stories we tell each other can either divide us or heal us.

From supermarket queues to disaster recovery, Neil reveals how simple acts of connection ripple outwards - and why the survival of whole communities can hinge on trust and collaboration.

Highlights:

🌱 Why good relationships are both an end in themselves and a means to every goal

🌉 Bridge-building: repairing damaged connections and creating new ones

🧅 The “onion of wisdom” - a simple model for relationship-centred practice

💡 Why young people need relational skills as much as STEM subjects

🌍 The ripple effect of kindness, storytelling, and human connection

Resources:

👉Learn more on the Relationships Project website

👉 Explore The Centre for Creative Conversation

👉 Follow The Relationships Project on X and on BlueSky

In this inspiring conversation, 21-year-old changemaker Sash Jayasinghe shares how a wake-up moment in Sri Lanka sparked a year of intentional action: founding 4Lanka, a social-impact venture to help South Asian young people discover purpose, build confidence, and turn ideas into reality.

Sash recalls bringing Simon Squibb’s Dream Machine to the first comprehensive school in Wales — and watching students light up as a two-minute chat turned vague hopes into real, do-able dreams.

We also explore discipline as self-trust (yes, including marathon lessons!), the power of working smart as well as hard, and why relatable role models matter — “you can’t be what you can’t see.”

Highlights

🎙️The moment Sash chose purpose and service over autopilot.

🎙️Dream Machine in a Welsh school: from “I don’t know” to “here’s my dream.”

🎙️Why creativity, financial literacy, nutrition & purpose belong in the school curriculum.

🎙️Discipline, integrity, and bringing body–mind–spirit to the mission.

🎙️4Lanka’s vision: free programmes, tools and community for South Asian youth.

Connect with Sash:

🚀 Follow 4Lanka and Sash on Instagram: @4lankaofficial and @sash.jm

🚀 Connect with Sash on LinkedIn: Sash Jayasinghe

🚀 Read Simon Squibb’s book and learn about the Dream Machine

In this inspiring conversation, Nikki speaks with Ceri Reed, founder of Parents Voices in Wales, a not‑for‑profit organisation championing the voices of parents, carers and young people with lived experience of neurodiversity and/or poor mental health.

Ceri shares her deeply personal journey into advocacy, the importance of early intervention, and why centring relationships and co‑production is the key to transforming systems. From challenging outdated approaches to education, to embedding therapeutic parenting principles, Ceri offers a blueprint for working collaboratively with policymakers, schools and services — without losing sight of the child at the heart of it all.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, policymaker or changemaker, this episode will leave you with hope, practical insights and a renewed belief that systemic change is possible when we lead with empathy, trust and courage.

Listen to hear about:

💬 Why parent voices matter in shaping policy

💬 Building trust between families, schools & services

💬 Co‑production as a culture shift — not a meeting

💬 The power of therapeutic parenting

Connect with Ceri and Parents Voices in Wales:

• Visit the Parents Voices in Wales website
• Follow Parents Voices in Wales on Facebook and Instagram
• Connect with Ceri on LinkedIn
• Learn more about the NEST framework in Wales

In the latest episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki speaks with Joanne Baldock, founder of Heol Chwarae Rôl – Role Play Lane, a vibrant community hub in South Wales using imaginative play to support children, families, and young people with additional needs.

From her roots in teaching to creating an inclusive, joyful space where learning happens through real-world role play, Joanne shares how her passion for creativity, community, and compassion sparked the creation of a social enterprise that’s so much more than just a play centre.

Together, Nikki and Joanne explore:

• The transformative power of play in early childhood development
• Why imaginative environments grounded in real life are vital for building communication and life skills
• How Role Play Lane supports family wellbeing, neurodivergent children, and community connection
• The challenges of funding, burnout, and being a changemaker in today’s world and why being wired differently might just be a superpower

This is an inspiring listen for educators, parents, and anyone dreaming of a more human, heart-centred way of raising the next generation.

Connect with Joanne:

• Learn more about Heol Chwarae Rol - Role Play Lane on their website
• Follow Role Play Lane on Facebook
• Connect with Joanne on LinkedIn

Don't forget to check out Season 1 and 2 of The Spark Changemakers Podcast here.

In this powerful episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki sits down with Shannon McDougall, the principal of Tokoiti School in South Otago, New Zealand — a small rural school with a mighty vision. Shannon shares how he's turned his lifelong passion for equity, wellbeing and creativity into a living, breathing culture of authenticity and connection.

From making education completely free for every child, to developing Te Noho Tahi — a holistic wellbeing model that centres human presence over performance — Shannon’s leadership is a masterclass in conscious education. He opens up about how his school has embedded daily rituals that uplift staff and students, how AI is being harnessed to create more space for human connection, and why relationship is at the heart of all true transformation.

This is more than a conversation about schools — it’s about humanity, belonging, and what becomes possible when we lead from who we are, not just what we do.

✨ Topics include:

• Making education truly free and accessible
• Putting teacher wellbeing first (and meaning it)
• The Te Noho Tahi wellbeing model and “space for listening”
• AI as a time-saving gift for relational practice
• Building a whole-school culture of presence, equity and love

🔗 Connect with Shannon:

• Learn more about Tokoiti School: https://tokoiti.school.nz/
• Explore Te Noho Tahi, Shannon's relationship and wellbeing framework here
• Dive deeper into Shannon's philosophy over on his blog: https://tenohotahi.substack.com/

In this deeply reflective episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki Giant is joined by Gary Lougher, founder of 2nd Ascent Coaching and the creator of Heroic Kids - a storytelling-based mentorship program helping children and their families reconnect with emotional intelligence, resilience, and their true nature.

From his own corporate burnout, to his journey into working with children and families, Gary shares his profound insights into trauma, evolutionary mismatch, toxic culture, and the importance of rewilding our souls. The conversation explores how children can become leaders of a new world - not by fitting into broken systems, but by reclaiming ancient wisdom, self-compassion, and connection with nature.

Together, Nikki and Gary unpack:

• Why listening is one of the most vital — and neglected — human skills
• How Heroic Kids supports children and parents to grow side-by-side
• The power of storytelling and nature-based learning in healing trauma
• Why emotional regulation is the foundation of leadership
• How we can raise a generation of conscious changemakers

This is a call to all mentors, parents, and educators to slow down, reawaken to what matters most, and walk alongside our young people as they step into their power.

Connect with Gary and learn more:

🔗Visit the 2nd Ascent website

📣Learn more about Heroic Kids

🌱Get a copy of Gary's book, Rewilding Your Soul

✨ Follow The Spark on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

In this heartfelt and deeply inspiring episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki sits down with her sister, Claire Watson - educator, spiritual guide, and founder of Zen Clubs.

Claire shares her powerful journey from burnout and breast cancer to personal transformation and soul purpose. With warmth, wisdom and humour, she talks about the challenges of teaching, the impact of toxic stress, and how her healing journey helped her reconnect with childhood foundations of spirituality and self-awareness.

Together, Nikki and Claire reflect on growing up in a home filled with crystals, chakra charts, and angel cards - and how those early experiences have shaped their shared path. Claire opens up about the inner work that saved her life, including emotional healing, ancestral patterns, epigenetics, and the science of thoughts becoming biology.

Now, through Zen Clubs, Claire is bringing this knowledge to the next generation - offering children simple, powerful tools to understand emotions, shift thought patterns, and return to their inner spark.

This episode is a reminder that healing is possible, transformation is real, and our challenges can become our greatest teachers.

🌀 Topics covered:

• Burnout and the pressures of the education system
• Navigating cancer as a spiritual awakening
• The science behind thoughts, emotions, and healing
• Childhood spirituality and reclaiming your spark
• Creating Zen Clubs to support children’s wellbeing

Whether you’re on a healing journey yourself, supporting young people, or seeking deeper meaning, this conversation is not to be missed.

✨ Learn more:

• Visit the Zen Clubs website: Zen Club
• Follow Zen Clubs on Instagram: Zen Club on Instagram
• Connect with Claire by email: [email protected]
• Check out the books Claire mentions: Louise Hay, Diana Cooper and The Body Keeps the Score, What the Bleep Do We Know and Elizabeth Kubler Ross

Learn more about The Spark Movement and the Spark Changemakers Podcast on our website: www.TheSparkMovement.com

In this moving and eye-opening episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki Giant sits down with Ryan Wood and Julie Jones from Invisible Walls, a not-for-profit organisation in Wales working with children and families when a parent is in prison.

Ryan and Julie share how Invisible Walls was born from a desire to keep families connected, and why something as simple as a school report shared across prison walls can change the course of a child’s life. With honesty and compassion, they describe the stigma and silence that often surrounds parental imprisonment, and how schools, communities, and even school inspectors are beginning to shift their approach to these hidden children.

From quilts stitched with love to school discos raising funds, to ground-breaking parent–teacher sessions held inside prison, this conversation shines a light on the golden thread of family belonging—and the small, human actions that ripple into systems change.

This episode is a reminder that dignity, connection, and compassion can break down walls we cannot see—and open new pathways for children to thrive.

🌀 Topics covered:

• The founding of Invisible Walls and its mission to support families
• How trauma-informed training helps schools respond with empathy, not judgement
• Parent–teacher meetings inside prisons—centring children in the conversation
• The “golden thread” of family ties and why it reduces reoffending
• Stories of community love, from handmade quilts to grassroots fundraising
• Shifting systems: how prisons, schools, and inspectors are beginning to change

Whether you’re an educator, changemaker, or simply someone who believes in the power of kindness, this conversation will inspire you to see the invisible — and remember that every child deserves to feel seen, safe, and connected.

💡Learn more:

• Visit the Invisible Walls website
• Follow Invisible Walls on Facebook
• Learn more about the Lord Farmer review mentioned in the show
• Visit the Project Linus website, providing support to children in need

In this deeply moving episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki Giant is joined by spoken word poet, author, hip-hop artist, and creative practitioner Duke Al. Known for his raw, honest storytelling and lyrical brilliance, Duke opens up about how poetry became his lifeline while navigating OCD, intrusive thoughts, and later, a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

Together, they explore the transformative power of creative expression, the stigma surrounding mental health, and the beauty that can arise from suffering. Duke also shares his spiritual journey and how reconnecting with faith has shaped his perspective on pain, purpose, and resilience.

This is an episode about vulnerability, perseverance, and the choices we make in our darkest moments. Duke's voice is one of truth and light - a testament to the healing power of words.

🔸 Featured Topics:

• Creativity as therapy and connection
• Finding purpose through adversity
• The role of faith and free will
• Using poetry for social and personal change

📕 Duke’s poetry collection: Imagine We Traded Bodies with Sheep (2025)

🔗 Learn more about Duke: DUKE AL | Spoken Word Poet, Author & Hip Hop Artist

🔗Visit The Spark Movement website

📲Follow Duke on Instagram: @dukealpoetry

✨Follow The Spark Movement: @lightaspark.movement

Calling all changemakers! We’re back with season 3 of the Spark Changemakers Podcast, the show for people who want to change the world, leading with passion and purpose.

Hosted by Nikki Giant, founder of The Spark Movement, our third season brings a whole host of changemakers from across the globe to inspire you to find your Spark. If you feel a call to do something meaningful in life, and you want your work to also be your joy, then this show is for you.

New episodes will drop every Friday at 8am GMT, starting Friday 29th August, with guests joining Nikki from the USA, UK, New Zealand, and beyond, all with one common goal: to leave the world better than they found it.  

In this season, guests will include:

• Duke Al, poet, author and hip-hop artist, who shares how poetry became his lifeline while navigating OCD.
• Shannon McDougall, principal of a small rural school in New Zealand with a mighty vision; one that centres human presence over performance.
• Claire Watson, teacher turned entrepreneur, who shares her powerful journey from burnout and breast cancer to personal transformation and soul purpose
• Ryan and Julie from Invisible Walls, a not-for-profit organisation working with prisons and schools to ensure incarcerated fathers can maintain a relationship with their children.

Join Nikki and a community of 'ordinary extraordinary' individuals who are ready to spark change and leave a lasting impact on the world.

Subscribe Now!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode, and share it with others who are passionate about creating change. Learn more at https://thesparkmovement.com/#podcast