Suffolk Money

Jenny Cousins, Museum Director

The UK’s Food Museum is located in the very heart of Suffolk and for this week’s podcast, we’ve gone behind the scenes with its director, Jenny Cousins.

Formerly the Museum of East Anglian Life, the Museum changed its name in 2022 to reflect the way the museum had been evolving in recent years. Jenny explains to Colin how the museum had become motivated by a mission to connect people with where our food comes from and the impact of our choices; past, present and future. Our local heritage is presented in a way that is relevant and engaging to today’s audiences, drawing parallels with today’s farming and addressing the technological, social and industrial issues connected to food.

Developed on farmland that was previously part of the Abbot’s Hall estate (with records that date back to the Doomsday book) the museum is set within an 84-acre site, with lots of buildings to explore and over 40,000 items in its collection – it’s quite the day out!

Jenny takes Colin on a tour of a few of the workshops, to get a flavour of the hands-on experiences available and, to meet some of the beautiful birds and animals on site. But there’s so much more to see and do, so to find out for yourself why not come and take a look.

For more information, please visit: https://foodmuseum.org.uk

Jason Alexander, Founder

Plastic Free July is a global movement, urging us all to do our bit for cleaner streets, oceans and communities. So, who better to talk to about the scourge of plastic in our environment, than Jason Alexander, founder of award-winning social enterprise, Rubbish Walks.

In this episode, Lesley Dolphin heads over to the banks of the River Orwell to chat to Jason about the impact rubbish is having on the environment; from drinks bottles and cigarette butts to lesser-known nurdles and bio beads.

Known to many as the Wildlife Gadget Man, before founding Rubbish Walks Jason had spent two decades designing wildlife camera systems. In 2014, whilst out photographing a sunrise he discovered a gannet on Bawdsey beach that had got caught in pink balloon and ribbon and subsequently died. It was at this moment that Jason knew he needed to do more the raise awareness about the impact we’re having on wildlife without even thinking about it.

His mission is now to spread the word, always seeking new and innovative ways of engaging with people and asking if they can think about making just one or two changes to help reduce the amount of plastic they use.

He also works with lots of schools and is passionate that education is key. Jason says “we’re not about building communities of litter pickers, we’re about building communities that don’t litter.”

To find out more about Rubbish Walks please visit: https://rubbishwalks.co.uk

And if you want to find out more about Plastic Free July you can visit their website: www.plasticfreejuly.org

Jason also advocates keeping up-to-date with what can and can’t be recycled here in Suffolk: https://suffolkrecycling.org.uk

Anne Beckett-Allen, Director

This week on the Suffolk Money podcast, we’re talking about funerals. Our guest, Anne Beckett-Allen, is someone who knows the industry inside out, having started out in the family-run business when she was just 16. She is now one of the top funeral directors in the country and talks to Colin Low about her role in the family-run business, Rosedale Funeral Home.

From very humble beginnings in 2004, Rosedale has gone from strength to strength and now has four funeral homes in Norfolk and three in Suffolk. They not only arrange funerals – providing exceptional support for the bereaved families – but also train funeral directors across the country, run support groups, creative writing workshops and also offer walks of remembrance.

As well as explaining how she arrived at where she is now, Anne also talks about people’s varying perceptions of funerals and, how important it is for people to come together to talk about their final wishes. Whilst funeral planning can be a difficult subject to approach, conversations now can later provide much comfort to the loved ones left behind.

Lots of resources around this subject can be found on the Dying Matters website, which aims to help people to talk openly and comfortably about death, dying and grief:

https://www.hospiceuk.org/our-campaigns/dying-matters

For more information about Rosedale Funeral Home please visit: https://www.rosedalefuneralhome.co.uk/

One woman, one motorhome, one great big adventure

Motivated by positive ageing and the benefits of slowing down to enjoy the journey, Siobhan Daniels is leading her own retirement rebellion. In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Colin chats to Siobhan, a retired television and radio journalist who, in 2019 sold most of her possessions and put her old life into storage. She then hit the road in her new motorhome to begin travelling the country, defying stereotypes and spreading a positive-ageing message.

As mistress of her own destiny, Siobhan has whole-heartedly embraced her new, more authentic life. In fact, her transition from feeling ‘broken’ in her mid-50s, to now feeling the “happiest [she] has ever been” has led to her to write a book, reflecting on her experiences and inspiring others to take their own journeys to find happiness.

Siobhan is bringing her wonderfully uplifting book, Retirement Rebel, to the Felixstowe Book Festival and will be speaking on Saturday 24 June 2023.

For more information or to book your tickets visit: https://felixstowebookfestival.co.uk

Patsy Johnson-Cisse, Managing Director

In this week’s episode of Suffolk Money podcast, Lesley Dolphin speaks to Patsy Johnson-Cisse, Managing Director of the charity Brave Futures, about the phenomenal work they do and the support they offer to young people who have had the worst start in life.

Brave Futures is a support service for children and young people up to the age of 18 years who have experienced sexual abuse. They work throughout Suffolk and Norfolk, providing a safe place for children and young people to make sense of the confusion they feel. They give victims the skills and tools they need to re-build their futures, manage the trauma they have experienced and help them move from victim to survivor.

The statistics about children who are currently being abused is shocking. Patsy explains how it is her mission to challenge the taboo around this difficult subject and, by raising awareness, to make it easier for children to come forward, knowing they will be listened to and supported. By engaging with children early and educating them with age-appropriate sexual education and information on who to contact if they need help, they can help the child to move forward. Early intervention is paramount, as this can give victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation chance to speak up and the tools they need to rebuild their futures.

Patsy is well supported by a committed and dedicated team, who organise some of Suffolk’s most popular fundraising events, such as the Annual Dragon Boat Race and Afternoon Teas. Such events are always well attended, not only by survivors, but also the police, funders and local personalities, and are vital in raising awareness and reducing the risk to children.

For more information about Brave Futures and the support services they offer please visit their website, where this are plenty of contact numbers and sources of information.

www.bravefutures.org and www.childline.org.uk

John Taylor and Nick Watts

There’s just over a week to go until the Suffolk Show takes place, on Wednesday 31st May and Thursday 1st June, at Trinity Park near Ipswich. So, in this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Colin Low is delighted to be joined by organisers John Taylor (Honorary Director) and Nick Watts (Deputy Show Director) who explain how the Show remains hugely important in bringing the community together; sharing their love of farming, the countryside and, of course, our county.

John and Nick are both passionate farmers and talk to Colin about their backgrounds, their personal experiences in farming and of course about the show itself, which is something uniquely Suffolk. They explain how their job is to maintain the excellent reputation of the show and its high agricultural bias, with livestock still being very much paramount to the success of the show.

With last year’s event drawing record crowds, the 2023 Show is on track to be equally as successful. Showcasing all that is great about the county, there will be an exciting range of food & drink and trade stands, plus visitors can enjoy a vast array of live events too. From show jumping to motocross, the Ring Programme features a long list of amazing attractions, including the Grand Parade which is always a spectacle to behold.

Guaranteed to be a fun day out for the whole family, the Suffolk Shows offers something for everyone.

To get your tickets or for more information about the show, visit: https://suffolkshow.co.uk

David Falk, Festival Director

In celebration of this year’s Suffolk Walking Festival (which launches on Saturday 13th May) for this week’s episode of Suffolk Money, Lesley Dolphin laces up her walking boots and takes her dog for a stroll with Festival Director, David Falk.

As they walk along the banks of the River Deben, Lesley and David take in the sights and sounds of the estuary and its wildlife, whilst chatting about what makes Suffolk such a special place to walk.

David explains how the Suffolk Walking Festival began back in 2008 as a much smaller event that has quickly grown into one of the largest walking festivals in the country. With 71 walks included in the two-week festival programme, you’ll find walks in every corner of Suffolk. Whether you’re a stroller or a stomper, a long or short distance walker, there really is something for everyone. There are even night-time walks that offer nocturnal wildlife experiences and, of course there are fully accessible routes for wheelchair users.

Having grown up in urban North London, David’s love of the outdoors was evident from an early age, as he always managed to find greenspaces to play in. His walking adventures as an adult have taken him all over the world – including hiking in the Rockies – but now, he finds his pleasure in slow walking and just being out in nature.

David is also Green Access Manager for Discover Suffolk; the County Council’s guide to getting outdoors. He tells Lesley how walking, cycling and riding in Suffolk can now be an interactive experience, with QR code trails and an app that offers a plethora of routes and locations, all over Suffolk. To find out more simply visit https://www.discoversuffolk.org.uk

For more information about the Suffolk Walking Festival please visit https://suffolkwalkingfestival.co.uk

Christine Luxton, CEO of Suffolk Wildlife Trust

With a lifelong passion for everyday nature and a champion of the joy to be found from the wildlife on your doorstep, Christine Luxton (chief executive of Suffolk Wildlife Trust) is a true inspiration when it comes to the protection and future of Suffolk’s wildlife and countryside.

In this week’s episode, Lesley Dolphin chats to Christine about our county’s nature charity – the only organisation dedicated to safeguarding Suffolk’s wildlife and countryside. From the cycling shed at the Trust’s HQ in Ashbocking, they talk not only about big news-worthy projects such as the transformation of the nature reserve at Martlesham Wilds, but also why Christine believes that nature should be more than a day out. Instead, she explains how nature can be part of our everyday and that if we make space for it, as a society we can achieve something rich and abundant. In return we’ll then benefit from the clean air and water we all desperately need.

Although Christine’s role as COE began in 2020, she has been part of the Trust for 25 years. The Trust celebrated 60 years in 2021, with staff and volunteers having saved some of the county’s most important wildlife sites as nature reserves over the last six decades. A membership organisation, the Trust has 1400 volunteers around the county, but looking to the future they need more members and businesses to come on board. With a shared ambition and a will to make a change, extraordinary things are possible and Christine’s message is one of hope: by thinking global and acting local, little by little we can bring nature back.

For more information about Suffolk Wildlife Trust please visit https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org

Bruce Leeke, CEO of Suffolk Libraries

On this week’s Suffolk Money podcast, we talk about libraries and, if you haven’t been in one lately, you’ll be amazed what’s changed. Colin Low’s guest is Bruce Leeke, chief executive of Suffolk Libraries and he explains about what has happened since Suffolk Libraries became the first council library service in the country to become an independent charity.

Although the main driver behind the change in 2012 was financial – with the spectre of library closures looming – Suffolk Libraries, the charity, has not only saved millions of pounds since its launch, but also made a huge impact on people’s lives across the county. 

Bruce explains how there is so much more to libraries than just millions of books, now that they are run by the community for the community. Dynamic, flexible and focused on delivering things that local people need, each library has moveable shelves, so can easily accommodate groups and activities. Offering over 10,000 activities, events and experiences across the 45 sites in Suffolk – from baby bounce to wellbeing clubs and even live gigs – libraries really have become the heart of the community.

Providing a service that exists purely for the benefit of its residents, Suffolk Libraries is a truly remarkable charity. Having stepped up to offer a crucial source of support, comfort and advice during the pandemic, they continue to meet the needs of local people as the current cost of living crisis develops, offering a place where people can connect and feel less isolated. Their work with local communities to develop ever more services to meet their needs is astonishing and, almost everything they do is free and accessible to all – you don’t even need a library card!

To find out more please visit: https://www.suffolklibraries.co.uk 

Novelist, musician, poet

Best-selling author Louis de Bernières knew from the age of 12 that he was going to be a writer. But success didn’t come overnight and, in this fascinating chat with Colin Low, Louis talks about how he got to where he is now. From his early education through to university and the many varied jobs he’s taken to support his writing (including landscape gardening, carpentry and teaching) Louis has had a remarkable life.

His big success came in the 90s with the publication of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which quickly became one of the most talked about books of the decade and won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. However, when asked to write the film script, Louis turned this down as he was busy working on his next novel, Birds Without Wings; which is considered by many, and by the author himself, as his real masterpiece. As well as writing, Louis’s other love is music, where his song-writing and gift for words and rhythm tie in of course with his poetry.

Louis will be talking about his latest book Light Over Liskeard onboard the popular Orwell Lady on 14th May, as part of a picturesque river cruise to launch the Felixstowe Book Festival, which is being held 16-25 June.

For full details about this special event and to find out more about the other authors taking part in the Felixstowe Book Festival please visit: https://felixstowebookfestival.co.uk

Tickets for A Trip with Louis de Bernières can be purchased at the following links:

https://orwelllady.co.uk/louis-de-bernieres-2023/

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/felixstowebookfestival