So many charities are doing such brilliant work, but almost all, without exception, are struggling finding the money, to not just continue doing what they’re doing, but to grow. One example is the Shelley Centre for Therapeutic Riding, based near Hadleigh, which uses horses to help children and adults who have disabilities.

Kevin Burch has been to meet the team for our latest podcast, including chairman Debs Bennett, Martha (a regular, long-term rider at the centre) and Jan Derbyshire (Hon President).

As Debs explains, this proudly independent charity welcomes about 150 people of all ages through the doors every week. However, even whilst run by volunteers, the centre costs in excess of £80,000 a year to run and, covering these costs is a constant battle.

Lessons are tailored to the ability and needs of each rider and the benefits they receive is nothing less than remarkable. As well as the therapy, they gain new levels of confidence, self-esteem, and independence, which can have profound effects on their physical health as well as mental wellbeing.

If you’d like to find out more about this wonderful charity, please visit www.shelleyrda.com

Emma Waddell is a very different kind of entrepreneur. She firmly prioritises being truly happy above money, and her happiness comes from creating beautiful dolls houses to the very highest standard. In this week’s episode, Kevin Burch visits Emma in her ‘paradise’ workshop, as Emma explains how she left the world of finance to set up her own business, Dolls House Grand Designs.

With over 40 years of experience with dolls houses and miniatures, Emma is recognised as one of the best in her field. She has a magical talent for designing and building dolls houses, before kitting them out with the most intricate furniture and fittings. Each dolls house features craftsmanship to the highest possible level, and Emma explains how her skill sets include everything from carpentry and electrics through to roof-tiling, plumbing and painting and decorating – all on a small scale.

Like all entrepreneurs, Emma has had to work very hard to build her excellent reputation. And in doing so, she’s earned the pleasure of working with big brands such as Jo Malone and Tiffany, making sets and props for their high-calibre adverts.

These houses span all ages and cultures and Emma is passionate about encouraging young people into the trade; with so many skills involved, such as creativity, design and even architecture. 

To find out more, please visit

https://www.dollshousegranddesigns.com

In the first episode of our new series, we look at the work of the dedicated youth charity, Inspire Suffolk, which helps thousands of young people realise their potential every year.

Colin Low chats to Terry Baxter about how Inspire came to be and, his role in leading the team of this independent charity. Starting from a sporting background in 2013, Inspire now works with more than 7,000 young people each year, empowering them to achieve a better future.

For those who have little support, the transition from school or college into adult life can be very challenging. Inspire runs a variety of personal development, wellbeing and employability programmes, designed to help build confidence levels of these 16-25 year olds and give them the skills and support to make positive decisions.

To find out more about this charity and the positive impact it has on young lives and their communities, visit

https://inspirecharityuk.org

Welcome to the first episode of 2025. We’ve now produced over 100 podcasts since we launched Suffolk Money four years ago, all supported by Kingsfleet.

Ahead of a new series starting next month, we look back on some of the memorable moments from 2024, with our sincere thanks to all the guests who joined us last year.

In the run-up to Christmas we test the mood on the High Street, in our latest podcast from Suffolk Money, supported by Kingsfleet.

For our last episode of 2024, Kevin Burch took a trip to Bury St Edmunds to talk to Mark Cordell, who works with his team to promote the town and Julian Milton, who runs a gift shop called Loft and Spires. Despite all the financial challenges the retail industry has been through and is currently facing, both remain optimistic about this festive season and beyond.

Julian explains how his independent shop, like many others in Bury, thrives by not only offering interesting products that can be bought impulsively, but also by offering outstanding customer service. His ethos is shared by many local business owners, who understand that by working together they can ensure Bury maintains its outstanding local and national reputation.

As CEO of the Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District (BID), Mark explains how he and his team make sure the town looks after its local repeat customers, as well as marketing Bury nationally as a town that people want to visit and spend time in. Already known as the Foodie capital of Suffolk, Mark is also keen to build Bury’s reputation as the best customer service town. BID provide advice and guidance to over 400 town centre businesses, to help them in achieving this and nurture a collective approach to ensure Bury St Edmunds remains an attractive prospect to locals and visitors alike. 

For more information about Loft and Spires, visit

https://www.facebook.com/loftandspires

And you can find out more about Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District (BID) on their website: https://www.ourburystedmunds.com

In this week’s Suffolk Money podcast, supported by Kingsfleet, we look at the hospitality industry, as it prepares – post Budget – for the hectic and financially critical festive period. Kevin Burch meets someone who knows the industry better than most; Jamie Smith, who runs Jamie Lee Smith Catering and who’s currently celebrating a landmark 25 years in the business. 

Many will also know Jamie for the outstanding reputation he’s built at 16 Steakhouse; one of the highest-rated restaurants Ipswich. Formerly Greshams and attached to Venue 16 (a popular wedding and events venue), Jamie reinvented his business here during lockdown, when he couldn’t continue outside catering due to Covid restrictions. Jamie knows the importance of staying ahead of the game, and has managed to thrive by staying flexible, positive and making sure he always has the right product to sell.

Embracing the different challenges that he and his carefully assembled team face every week with their high class outside catering service Jamie clearly knows where his market is and how to please his customers. 

His fascinating insights range from the importance of the festive season (having already made plans for Christmas 2025), to the value of watching countdown every day! To find out more about the business, visit https://jamieleesmithcatering.co.uk

Ahead of Remembrance Day, we have a fitting guest for our latest podcast from Suffolk Money, supported by Kingsfleet. Kevin Burch meets Adam Simpson-York, who has set up an initiative online, to try to reunite wartime medals and memorabilia with the families of the veterans who owned them.

Adam’s story is a truly philanthropic one and his reputation now proceeds him, due to the success he’s had this far in "returning the lost property that should never have really been lost". He finds and researches memorabilia that is being sold on ebay – anything from WW1 medals through to photos and named antiques and even bibles – and then traces their living relatives. A natural problem solver, Adam enjoys a mystery and his findings have brought joy to many – including Queen Camilla herself!

Kevin also meets Sam Moles, who Adam has helped with his detective work. Sam describes the elation he felt on receiving the detailed information that Adam bestowed him with about his memorabilia and the importance of the family connections made.

If you’d like to find out more Adam’s Facebook page is called Medals Going Home https://www.facebook.com/MedalsGoingHome

How do you breathe new life into neglected buildings? One man who knows is property developer and investor John Howard, who’s our guest in the latest podcast from Suffolk Money, supported by Kingsfleet.

Having worked on more than 4000 schemes in 88 different towns and cities across the UK, John’s career spans more than 40 years. In this episode, he tells Kevin Burch all about how it all began, lessons he’s learnt and advice he’d give to others, in what has become a highly competitive industry.

Many will know him for his involvement in high profile schemes, such as the Wine Rack in Ipswich, which had previously sat neglected for many years. He has also just taken on another complex challenge in Suffolk’s tallest structure, The Mill, on the town’s beautiful waterfront. 

John talks about the importance of getting out and talking to people, how he is driven by those he works with, the buzz he gets from doing deals; and how he’s like his dog, “enthusiastic and up for it”, wanting to make the most of every day!

As one of the UK's most experienced property developers and investors, John also hosts seminars and has written several books, based on his own vast industry experience. To find out more, visit www.johnhowardproperty.com

Earning money from doing what you love is something many us aspire to and, in this weeks’ episode of Suffolk Money, Kevin Burch meets somebody who is doing this with remarkable success.

Cally James runs Hippy Hut Pottery, near Bury St Edmunds, which she opened in 2022. Here, from her beautiful garden studio, Cally runs workshops and weekly classes for her pottery students. Most are regulars, who enjoy doing something fun, creative and therapeutic. Cally also makes sure she has time in her week to focus on her own work and experiment with new products; which include everything from ceramic birdboxes to garlic bowls!

The Hippy Hut itself was built by Cally and her husband for an astonishingly low cost. As Cally takes Kevin on a tour, they visit the kiln room and she explains where the real investment lies and the reason for her seeking a start-up business loan. When her initial kiln suddenly broke, Cally needed to quickly find nearly £10K to replace it, to keep her business going. She applied for a loan to cover the cost and was delighted to find that government-backed start-up loans offer good terms and conditions, plus help and support throughout and after the process.

Her success story has now landed her the role of an ambassador, promoting the value of start-up loans for small business, through the British Business Bank. Cally talks enthusiastically about how such loans can help other small businesses to thrive, with valuable mentoring and support as part of the package.

To find out more about Hippy Hut Pottery visit

https://hippyhutpottery.co.uk

And to find out more about start-up loans, simply visit 

gov.uk and search for start-up loans 

We have a wonderfully uplifting story in the latest podcast from Suffolk Money, supported by Kingsfleet, as Lesley Dolphin takes us on a tour of the Pathways Care Farm near Lowestoft.

Described as ‘an oasis of calm’ it supports countless vulnerable people, helping them to build confidence, learn skills and ultimately be part of something really special.

Founder and Director, Geoff Stevens, tells Lesley how his past experiences of running a business, working with disadvantaged people, and also caring for parents with Dementia, all led him to this point. Having left the corporate world, he’d made it his mission to find a way of looking after people, no matter what their difficulties are; helping them fulfil their goals and live their lives.

Geoff takes Lesley on a tour of the Farm, where they meet volunteers and farm workers alike; including Laura, Charlotte, Katie and of course Geoff’s wife Den. Here, everybody is equal and has complete ownership of what they do with their day.

With a clear vision from the start of what he was trying to achieve, with the help of his amazing, dedicated team, Geoff has developed a farm that was completely derelict and covered in brambles, to the beautiful 13-acre site it now is today; with everything from polytunnels to grow vegetables and paddocks for pigs and alpacas – to chickens in Peckingham Palace!

Having created this place of calm, amidst the hustle and bustle of busy, troubled contemporary life, Geoff has more ideas and would love to add a care home aspect to Pathways Care Farm. Not only would this be for people in their later years – helping them to live an enjoyable and fulfilling life – but also for young people who are struggling with education and need a place where they can learn and contribute to society.

To find out more about Pathways Care Farm please visit:

https://www.pathways-care-farm.org.uk