UWE Bristol

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we will be celebrating the people shaping Black community identity, wellbeing, culture, and leadership across Bristol and the Southwest.

Under the Black History Month theme "Honoring Our Communities", this conversation, in collaboration with UWE Bristol's Equity program, will be hosted by Stacey Olika, Creative Equity Project Manager at Channel 4 and Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe honouree.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address

Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T

Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Useful links:

https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/career-development/equity

https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

To hear more from the series please visit https://www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-distinguished-address-series

In this episode, Dr Peter Brindle is joined by Olivia Crossing and Annie Taylor, both experienced NHS nurses and co-founders of RateMyShift, an award-winning digital platform that gives NHS staff a real-time voice about their working day.

RateMyShift is a continuous feedback platform designed to prompt meaningful conversations between line managers and colleagues in real-time. Starting life as a box of smiley faces on a staff notice board, it evolved into an Excel spreadsheet and a QI project, and then into the digital communication platform it is today. Built for healthcare staff, by healthcare staff, it is a tool that can be used to identify problems early within a health and care setting, to stop them from developing into bigger, unresolved problems in the future.

We explore RateMyShift's origins and evolution, and Annie and Olivia's dynamic together as co-founders. We talk about how hierarchy creates communication gaps that managers may not even be aware of, and also of the crucial role of coaching in helping managers turn data into change. Underpinning all of it is a simple concept that staff who feel heard and valued are better able to give patients the care they deserve. RateMyShift sits in the gap between intent and improved experience.

Find out more about RateMyShift: https://www.ratemyshift.app/

Stay healthy and take care!

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series we discussed how Trees are transformational, and our region has a bold mission ahead: to create England’s new national forest. But can it be done, and what will the benefits be for communities, wildlife, and businesses?

Chaired by Darren Reynolds (UWE), this session features John Everitt (Chief Executive, National Forest Company) who will share the national strategy for transforming landscapes. Joined by Jamie Audsley (CEO, Western Forest) and Leah McNally (CEO, Avon Wildlife Trust), to discuss plans for Bristol and explore how everyone can get involved.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address

Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T

Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-distinguished-address-series

Useful links:

https://www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature/

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series we ask how circular economy practices such as repair, sharing, reuse and composting help Bristol’s communities build skills, strengthen social connections and ease the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis.

This panel explored the power of community-led initiatives to reduce waste, build resilience, and create a more sustainable, connected city.

Host Laura Fogg-Rogers, Associate Professor of Engineering in Society at UWE Bristol, was joined by by Anna Perry, Chair of Share Bristol; Jenny Liggitt from Heart of BS13; and Andy Street, Chair of Fare Share South West and Feeding Bristol. Together they discussed how initiatives such as repair, sharing schemes, composting and food redistribution can strengthen communities, develop practical skills and support people through the cost-of-living crisis. Celebrating Bristol’s existing successes while exploring future possibilities for a more circular and resilient city.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address

Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T

Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

Useful links:

Anna Perry - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaperryprofile/

www.sharebristol.org.uk

Jenny Liggitt - https://www.heartofbs13.org.uk/about-us/our-team-and-board/jenny-liggitt/

Our people - Fareshare South West - https://faresharesouthwest.org.uk/what-we-do-faresharesouthwest/meet-the-team/

Imagine losing part of your face, your smile, or even your identity and then meeting a team who can help you rebuild it. In this remarkable on site episode, hosts Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle take listeners inside the groundbreaking Bristol 3D Medical Centre, the first NHS facility in the UK to bring 3D scanning, digital modelling and 3D printing together under one roof to transform patient rehabilitation.

Our guest, Amy Davey, Lead Reconstructive Scientist and Lab Manager, guides us through the full journey: from ultra precise facial scanning to digital sculpting, from high tech resin and PEEK printing to the traditional hand crafting of prosthetics even down to the Singer sewing machine used to tailor bespoke silicon garments.

More than a technological deep dive, this episode explores the emotional and therapeutic dimensions of reconstruction. Amy shares powerful patient stories, including individuals rebuilding confidence after cancer treatment, trauma, or congenital differences, and reveals how a prosthesis can do far more than restore appearance it can help restore confidence and someone’s identity.

Along the way we discuss:

• How the Centre supports patients from infancy to older age

• The fusion of artistry, engineering and clinical care in modern prosthetics

• The evolution and future of 3D printed medical devices in the NHS

• The vital psychological aspects of appearance, identity and rehabilitation

• The Centre’s growing partnerships with universities and robotics researchers

• What ‘brilliant’ looks like for the next five years of innovation

This is an inspiring, moving and eye opening episode that showcases innovation in practice, delivered with compassion. A must listen for anyone interested in health, technology, engineering, patient experience, or the future of personalised medicine.

To learn more about the Bristol 3D Medical Centre and explore examples of their work, follow the link in the episode description.

https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-services/reconstructive-prosthetics/bristol-3d-medical-centre

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we explore the powerful role music can play in creating belonging, dignity and human connection. What is it about making music together that can instantly bring people closer? And how can this be used to support people who have been displaced from their homes?

We’re joined by Dr Jonathan James, Artistic Director of Dovetail Orchestra, a charity working across Bristol, Cardiff and London with musicians from displaced communities around the world. Through conversation and live demonstrations with members of the orchestra, this session offers unique practical insights into how collective music-making can foster connection, creativity and community.

This event is delivered in collaboration with the Centre for Music (CFM) at UWE Bristol, an organisation championing accessible and diverse musical practice, as part of their Festival of Sound programme.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address

Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr…2D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T

Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-dis…hed-address-series

In this episode of Let’s Talk Health and Care, Marc Griffiths and Peter Briddle explore the hidden complexities of the blood supply chain and the radical innovations that could transform it.

Our guests in this episode, Professor Wendy Phillips, Dean for Research and Enterprise, and Dr Helen Sanderson, Senior Research Fellow, both from the College of Business and Law at UWE Bristol, share insights drawn from a decade of pioneering research into redistributed manufacturing and next‑generation blood products.

Together, they discuss:

- Why the blood supply chain is far more vulnerable and complex than most people realise

- Their work to address battlefield blood supply challenges

- Emerging innovations including walk‑in blood banks, freeze‑dried plasma, and lab‑grown red blood cells

- Ethical and cultural questions around artificial versus donated blood

- How military‑driven innovation could strengthen resilience across the NHS and civilian healthcare

- What the next 5–10 years could look like as technology reshapes how and where we manufacture blood

This episode offers a fascinating look at the future of life‑saving care, from regulation to innovation pipelines to the possibility of “better‑than‑natural” blood.

The Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare Network: ⁠www.RiHN.org.uk

What to succeed in business without selling out? Join three inspiring UWE alumni for a panel discussion on how to carve out a successful career that aligns with your personal values.

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we explore how ideas of what was considered “natural” had been shaped, challenged, reclaimed, and mobilised for social change. It examined how concepts of “natural” had been constructed, contested, and transformed into fuel for activism. Through science, storytelling, activism, and lived experience, the panel discussed Pride as a living movement of resistance, visibility, and community.

Held during LGBTQ+ History Month, the panel was hosted by Louise Ndibwirende and featured Daryn Carter and Antonia Forster, inviting audiences to rethink what “natural” really meant — and how that understanding could be mobilised to build a more liberated future.

LGBT+ History Month

LGBT+ History Month (UK) was celebrated every February to honour the lives, culture, and achievements of LGBT+ people. Launched by Schools OUT UK in 2004, it promoted visibility, education, and inclusion across schools, workplaces, and communities. The 2026 theme was Science & Innovation.

Listen more from the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/sets/bristol-distinguished-address

Watch the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrOzUDjo8U6JTeJ02D-Bo_EtA47W6vG-T

Learn more about the Bristol Distinguished Address Series: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/events/bristol-distinguished-address-series

Join Karen Wallace, CEO of Right Way Credit Union, as she shares her journey from volunteer to leader and explores how design thinking is transforming financial services. In this episode, Karen discusses embracing technology on a shoestring budget, tackling challenges like automation and AI, and keeping human-centred values at the heart of innovation. Discover how a simple design thinking approach helped her team streamline processes, free up time for member care, and build confidence to tackle future challenges.