Transforming Our Futures

Vincent Sheehan describes himself as a classical music analyst, writer of weird rock songs, Church of England priest and teacher. Growing up in a musical family, Vincent was immersed in an eclectic array of music from an early age learning to play the violin at primary school in Hertfordshire and being taught to play the guitar by his guitarist Dad. Music was always going to play a major part throughout his life. Vincent studied music at Liverpool University, trained to be a music teacher at Middlesex University, trained to be a priest (Church of England) and gained a theology degree at St Mellitus College. Vincent is now a Primary School teacher at Freezywater St. George’s and Associate Vicar at St Peter’s Grange Park.

In this Podcast we will explore three particular songs played through guitar and violin that has influenced Vincent Sheehan’s life thus far. We will also explore what philosophers have said about music and how important it is in our everyday life, having major influences in the direction of our life and the decisions we make both consciously and unconsciously.

Music is and originates from a unique sort of science. As such, it intertwines with our everyday lives and shapes us. Whether it is in a public place or the comfort of our homes, music makes a difference. Without it, influential German philosopher Nietzsche said, “life would be a mistake”. Plato once said “music is a moral law. it gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” 

In this Podcast we interview Anthony Fisher the founder of Chela and Mario Elia their marketing manager.

Chela is a company that supplies a range of specialist industrial cleaning solutions for the mass transport market but it has a research department that works to ensure that the products it produces are sustainable and with a low carbon footprint.

They work towards ensuring that their supply market is also sustainable and work with their customers to not only sell their products but also have a training arm to help their green agenda.

Anthony Fisher who founded the company believe that collaboration between companies to achieve a sustainable future is an essential business model in the 21st century

You can find out more about Chela and what they do on the website at www.chela.co.uk 

In this Podcast we talk to Clare Donovan about how she set up Cooking Champions to help those in need and how it has now expanded into a project that has served 40,000 meals to local people.

Cooking Champions is an Enfield based, food focused social enterprise. The emphasis is on supporting local business and they work with the Enfield Food Alliance - a network of food organisations working together to improve access to healthy food.

Clare not only tells us about what they do but also about their ambitious plans for the future

In this Podcast we will be interview Natasha Robinson about her studies, her concerns and her hopes for the future - and ask he whether these concerns reflects those of her generation.

Students are becoming increasingly concerned about their future in a time of climate change. So many are studying climate change both at undergraduate and graduate level. They do this not only to increase their knowledge but also because they want to make a difference. They want to do something about climate change and help create a more sustainable future.

Natasha is doing a Masters that looks at how you can best get the message about climate change across to citizens and particularly whether Festivals are an active means of doing this. She also wants to find out whether events like Festivals can lead to further action once the events are over.

Natasha wants to get involved in community action once her research is over so she can translate her ideas into practical action and so we will also explore with her the relationship between ideas and action.

In this Podcast Hannah Dyson talks to Tony Kelly about what drives him to educate young people and adults on the dangers of gambling and how he turned his life around to lead the battle against gambling addiction. In this webinar we will discuss Tony’s personal journey including recovery tools and will explore Tony’s current work with Red Card and why it is important to educate young people and adults on the dangers of gambling.

After growing up with his sister and five brothers,  including his twin Mel in Coventry, Tony Kelly became the youngest ever player in the Bristol City first team at the age of 16 before being snapped up as a pro by Stoke City where he spent 3 years under managers Alan Ball and Lou Macari. Tony played in the Swedish second Division as well as the second, third and further Divisions of the English Football League in a 9 year career.

Tony’s career saw highs of scoring a last-minute goal against Liverpool at Anfield in the 1991 League Cup to the lows of suffering from racial abuse and pervading this much longed for football career was a gambling addiction.

Despite hanging up his boots in 1999, at the age of 35, his gambling demons were still a part of his life as nothing had prepared him for how to deal with his addiction.

Tony’s gambling addiction led to him to lose over £500,000, his house and partnerr. Tony was able to overcome this and now works with young people to educate them on gambling and the dangers of this getting out of control in anyone’s life.

Tony teamed up with the Professional Footballers’ Association to write a book called "Red Card" with the aim of ensuring that everything is done to give all footballers the knowledge of what can be done.

In this Podcast we interview Diana Finch about how she and her colleagues created local networks to restore the local economy to Bristol.

The problem is that mainstream economic thinking is still based on a theoretical approach where economics is considered in isolation from people and planet.  The well-being of the people, the natural resources that we use to make our goods, the pollution and waste we create - these are all considered external to the economic model

Diana believes we urgently need to change our economic system so that it respects the planet's ecosystem and addresses social inequality.

With others Diana created the Bristol Pound and is committed to developing projects to do to address social inequality and to also ensure our economy works within the constraints of our finite plane

In this Podcast Jane Maggs and Ian Harvey will discuss how local voices can be heard and how communities can be engaged.

Two years ago it was revealed that a 17-storey redevelopment was being proposed in Southgate that would substantially alter the look and feel of the town centre, a designated conservation area. Jane, as vice-chair of Southgate District Civic Voice (SDCV), led a campaign to ensure the views of local people were listened to.

She helped organise a community planning weekend in a local church to encourage the wider community to come together to discuss and respond to the application. Jane then contacted Civic Voice, a national charity representing the civic movement, to seek their help in facilitating a series of workshops to give local people a better understanding of the issues at hand – more than 250 people subsequently attended.

So we will be interviewing Jane and also Ian Harvey from Civic Voice about the initiative they set up of a community Panel and whether this can be replicated in Enfield as an important tool for wider engagement.

Civic Voice is the national charity for the civic movement in England. They aim to make places more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive and to promote civic pride.

In this Podcast we interview Councillor Isidoros Diakides on the Edmonton Incinerator and his views about being a representative from Haringey on the North London Waste Authority (NLWA)

Recently at a meeting of the NLWA several deputations were made to the meeting held there expressing objections to the development of an enlarged Incinerator in Edmonton, North London.

The NLWA is made up of representative of seven North London Boroughs and Councillor Isidoros Diakides is one of the representatives from Haringey.

After the deputations Isidoros asked for a discussion of members there because he said he felt disturbed by what he had heard but his request was turned down by the chairman.

In this Podcast we will ask him about the doubts he had and whether the NLWA is a truly accountable body and whether that accountability is open and transparent.

Are you curious to know about how the climate emergency is being taught in the national curriculum?

In this Podcast Katie English will discuss with Helen Karamallakis how climate change is addressed in schools and how it should be.

This webinar will explore the experiences of secondary school teacher Helen Karamallakis. Helen has worked in education for over 36 years, specialising in the science and health and social care fields.

During this time Helen has witnessed the horrors of climate change and how it is being taught in the national curriculum. We conclude by asking: “what can be done in schools to highlight the importance of the climate emergency?”.

In this Podcast we talk to Sarah Cotton from the Palmers Greenery that is a cafe in a local park but plans to be much more.