The Purpose Pod

Carers Week (8th - 14th June 2026) is a chance to shine a light on something truly important: the people across our business who care for others alongside their role.

Caring isn't always visible, but it's a big part of life for many people. To mark the week, we are sharing a special podcast episode where Julie Pickering, a BID manager in our marketing team, speaks openly about her experience as a carer, the challenges, and what's helped her along the way.

In this episode of the Purpose Pod, we sit down with the co founder of Generation Focus and a regional leader for Smartphone Free Childhood, Charlotte Ashton. She's one of the many voices at the centre of one of the fastest moving shifts in UK education: the push to remove smartphones from schools. This is something which is backed by our very own people who, in a recent internal survey, voted overwhelmingly in favour of a full social media ban or a ban with limits for U16s.

In this episode of the Purpose Pod, we sat down with Caitlin O'Sullivan from Birmingham Panthers. Gateley is a proud sponsor of Birmingham Panthers, having renewed our partnership to support for a second season.

Caitlin talks to us about her journey into netball, how the Gateley Gateway to Netball community programme will inspire a new generation of future players, and gives us her predictions ahead of an exciting season of netball.

In this episode of the Purpose Pod, our host sits down with Sid Williams, the co-founder and director of the Embassy charity. Sid tells us all about the Embassy Village, an initiative to help end homelessness in Manchester city centre.

Paul Reeve talks about his role at the Birmingham Royal Ballet, why making the arts accessible to everyone really matters, and how people of all ages can get involved and experience it in their own way.

In this episode of the Purpose Pod we speak to our Talent Development Director, Ruth Heaton. She discusses Gateley's health and wellbeing initiative, the importance of looking after mental health in a workplace, and delivers some ways that we can all look after our wellbeing through small actions every day.

In this episode of the Purpose Pod, we talk to Amanda Amass from Barratt Redrow. Amanda is responsible for charitable initiatives for Barratt Homes West Midlands, volunteering personally from a young age and highlighting her passion for helping people and supporting communities.

Throughout the episode Amanda tells us the importance and the impact that volunteering has on communities and people, as well as giving us some of her biggest highlights and ways to get involved ourselves.

In this episode of the Purpose Pod, we chat to Jane Land, the co-founder of Veganuary. Jane talks about how the charity transformed from a simple idea at a kitchen table into a global movement that encourages millions to try a plant-based diet in January. Jane shares invaluable tips for those participating in Veganuary, busts common myths about veganism and recommends essential resources that could support your vegan journey. Jane also talks about the benefits of incorporating more plants into your lifestyle could have on your health, animals and the planet.

In this episode we were lucky enough to visit Tasha, a biodiversity officer from the Heart of England Forest. She shares the fascinating aspects of her role in supporting woodlands and her journey into this field. She also highlights the importance of conserving our natural spaces and gives us some top tips on how we can support biodiversity in our everyday lives.

n this episode of the Purpose Pod, we are joined by Tom Clarke-Forrest, founder and CEO of Sport 4 Life, a leading sport for employment charity with a vision to create a level playing field where every young person has the opportunity to create a better future for themselves.

Here we discuss the evolution of Sport 4 Life, the challenges young people encounter in today's society and the positive impact the charity has had on so many young people's lives.