UWE Bristol

In this powerful episode of Let’s Talk Health and Care, Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle take listeners inside Empire Fighting Chance, a Bristol-based organisation transforming the lives of young people who have been, in their own words, “knocked down by life.” Through boxing-inspired therapy, culturally competent support, and deep community connection, Empire Fighting Chance is reshaping how we think about mental health, violence prevention and youth engagement.

Marc and Peter speak with Co-Founder Martin Bisp, who shares the origins of their unique model, the evidence behind their impact, and what traditional services can learn from meeting young people where they truly are. Together, they explore the challenges of working with young people affected by trauma, the urgent need for systemic change—including calls for an Office of Violence Prevention—and the importance of empowering local communities rather than replicating top-down interventions.

Listeners will also hear from a box therapist, who brings to life what therapy looks like in the gym environment, and a young person turned staff member, who shares their journey through adversity and how this approach helped them rewrite their story.

Marc and Peter close this episode with reflections on what health and care professionals can take from the Empire model: the value of culturally relevant support, the power of safe non-clinical spaces, and the need to be braver in commissioning innovative approaches for those who need them most.

A compelling episode that challenges assumptions, highlights community-led innovation, and offers a hopeful look at what’s possible when we design services with young people, not for them.

Links:

Empire Fighting Chance - https://empirefightingchance.org/

Uncovered: Identity-Based Mass Violence in Urban Contexts | IBMV - https://ibmv.org/

Episode 3 welcomes Steven Wright from GR Finance with the conversation focusing on using customer insight to inform inclusive language.

Episode 2 welcomes Jo Price from Darlington Credit Union with the conversation focusing on clear communication and empathy in customer messaging.

Episode 1 welcomes David Henderson from Penny with the conversation focusing on internal culture and inclusive strategy.

In this special reflective episode, hosts Dr Peter Brindle and Professor Marc Griffiths look back over a remarkable year of Let’s Talk Health and Care, exploring the themes, insights, and powerful human stories uncovered across 10 episodes and 15 inspiring guests.

From 3D-printed food and smart socks to social enterprise, restorative justice, and community-led health innovation, this episode weaves together the key patterns that have emerged across conversations, technology with purpose, research with impact, and people at the heart of everything.

Peter and Marc revisit:

- The transformative potential of low-cost, high-impact tech, including web-based stroke rehab, 3D-printed prosthetics, and digital continence tools.

- The vital role of community-driven care, with reflections on Caafi Health, the For All Healthy Living Centre, and the shift towards neighbourhood-based health models.

- Tough but necessary conversations, including confronting racism in healthcare and exploring the sensitive realities of child sexual abuse through restorative justice.

- Entrepreneurship with social purpose, spotlighting innovators driven by personal experience and their determination to create fairer, more accessible solutions.

- What it means to build a truly modern, civic-facing university, connecting research, education, tech and community partners in ways that shape healthier futures.

In this episode of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, step into the world of immersive arts – where creativity meets cutting-edge technology and audiences are part of the action. This inspiring evening will explore how art is being reimaged in bold, interactive ways, whilst making art more inclusive and accessible. Hosted by Verity McIntosh and featuring a panel of artists working with the grant Being Human Festival

This event is part of the Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 - 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.

About Verity

Verity McIntosh is Director and Principal Investigator of Immersive Arts, a £6m UK-wide programme of research, training, funding and events, supporting over 200 artists to engage with immersive technologies. Funding for Immersive Arts is provided through a collaboration between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England (ACE), the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).

Verity is Associate Professor of Virtual and Extended Realities at the University of the West of England where she founded one of Europe's first dedicated XR masters programmes. Through her research she works collaboratively with creative practitioners, companies, communities, policymakers and governments around the world. Her work has been discussed in the UK’s House of Commons and House of Lords, EU Parliament, Council of Europe and in multiple print and media contexts. Current research interests include inclusive and accessible experience design in XR, the ethics of virtual presence, and the role of human rights in multi-person, spatial computing paradigms.

Bristol Distinguished Address Series: The Bristol Distinguished Address Series (BDAS) - Events | UWE Bristol

Watershed: Watershed | Cultural cinema, talent development and creative technology in Bristol

Being Human Festival https://www.beinghumanfestival.org/

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 the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, we explored the dynamic evolution of the publishing and creative industries through the lens of Stephen's extensive experience. It delves into how technological advancements, sector strategies, and leadership approaches are reshaping creative communities. Paying particular attention to engagement with UK Government through bodies such as the Creative Industries Council and regional growth in cities such as Bristol. Hosted by Nikesh Shukla, award-winning novelist and screenwriter, the event will also address the continued technological developments and their implications for the creative sector; highlighting opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable leadership in a rapidly changing cultural and economic landscape. Stephen Page is Non-Executive Chair of Faber & Faber, one of the world’s leading independent literary publishing houses, where he was Chief Executive from 2001 to 2021.

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, we’re on location at the For All Healthy Living Centre in Weston-super-Mare - a unique space that brings together a GP surgery, café, library, children’s centre and community services all under one roof.

We are joined by Mark Graham, Chief Executive of the Centre, and Jo Pool, Director of Nursing at Weston General Hospital, to explore how collaboration across sectors is creating new, community-centred approaches to healthcare.

Together, they share how a shared mission to improve local health outcomes has brought hospital and community leaders together to rethink how services are delivered with a focus on accessibility, prevention and people-first care.

An introduction to the Microsoft Power Suite – Your gateway to automation, building simple applications and analysing your data.

This podcast is designed for business users who are looking to understand how to access and utilise automation.

Session structure

• What is the Power Suite of Applications

• Power Automate

• Power Apps

• Power BI

• Power Pages

• Co-Pilot Studio

An introduction to the Microsoft Power Suite – Your gateway to automation, building simple applications and analysing your data.

This podcast is designed for business users who are looking to understand how to access and utilise automation.

Session structure

• What is the Power Suite of Applications

• Power Automate

• Power Apps

• Power BI

• Power Pages

• Co-Pilot Studio