Episodes

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the season finale of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I speak with Judy Vickers, Executive Officer of Lifeshare and Spirit of Manchester Award nominee. Judy shares her journey from overcoming personal challenges, including domestic violence, to passionately working in the homelessness sector. She discusses her extensive work with Lifeshare, an organisation providing services to the homeless in...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the seventh episode of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Beth Powell, Managing Director of Creative City and a nominee for the Spirit of Manchester Award for Social Economy Champion. Beth details her motivations for supporting women and youth, her journey through personal mental health challenges, and the founding of Creative City. The organisation uses arts for empowerment, offering long-term com...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the sixth episode of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Shelley Roberts, CEO of Home-Start Manchester, an award-winning volunteer involving organisation. Shelley discusses her lifelong passion for supporting children,the impactful work of Home-Start in providing peer support for families with young children, and the challenges and successes they've faced. Shelley shares inspiring stories of how ...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the fifth episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I speak to Tracey Torley, director of Cracking Good Food and a Spirit of Manchester award winner for community and business collaboration. Tracy discusses her journey into food advocacy, stemming from her West Indian heritage, and her impactful work with organisations aimed at alleviating food poverty and promoting sustainable cooking practices. ...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the fourth episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Jan Iceton, Board Chair of Smart Works Greater Manchester. Jan discusses Smart Works' mission to support unemployed women aged 16 to 66 in rebuilding confidence and securing employment. Jan shares her journey in the sector, the pivotal role of Smart Works in empowering women, and the significant impact of their services. Featuring...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the third episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I interview Claire Biggs, Director of Sustainable Northmoor Urban Greening (SNUG) and Spirit of Manchester award nominee for Inspiring Campaign. Claire discusses her involvement with Longsight Community Artspace and the impact of their projects on the local community. From offering free art workshops and exhibitions to transforming an unuse...

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners. In the second episode of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe chats with Josh Deegan, a volunteer at Happy Somedays and Spirit of Manchester Award winner for Community Cohesion. Josh shares his inspiring journey of supporting the Wythenshawe community, discussing the inception and evolution of Happy Some Days from a lockdown initiative into a multifaceted community group offering free fitness sessions, sports, walks...

In the Season 9 opener of the 'Meet the Mancunian' podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe highlights award-winning activist Maria Romanenko's journey. Maria was nominated as Volunteer of the Year in the Spirit of Manchester Awards. Fleeing Ukraine amid war, Maria finds solace and purpose in assisting fellow Ukrainian refugees in Manchester, providing free walking tours among other support initiatives. She addresses the challenges Ukrainian refugees face, the shortcomings of official support ...

Celebrating Social Impact: Season 9 of Meet the Mancunian Podcast In Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe collaborates with the Spirit of Manchester Awards to feature interviews with award winners and nominees from the city's voluntary and community sector. Each episode, released weekly on Tuesdays, showcases Manchester's community champions dedicated to various causes. The season aims to inspire listeners to engage with the social impact sector and sp...