Recorded on 03/09/2025

Dave Pike joined the Trades Union Conference (TUC) from the NEU (National Education Union) where he was leading on activist development and mobilisation. Dave has worked on several high-profile campaigns, including leading the NEU's response to Covid in the East Midlands and mobilising around pay campaigns, as well as a number of local disputes - including with a large education service seeking to restrict the voice of LGBT+ educators.

Further, Dave has a wealth of experience in organising with care workers and delivery drivers. He also brings to the TUC valuable experience in building resistance against the far right, and supporting the LGBT+ community.

https://www.tuc.org.uk/neyh

https://www.instagram.com/tucneyh/

https://bsky.app/profile/davepikesheff.bsky.social

https://x.com/TUC_NEYH

Jin-Theng Craven recorded on 03/10/2025

Infinitely curious and endlessly imaginative, Jin-Theng Craven thrives at the crossroads of art, culture, and storytelling. A former broadcast journalist, banker, and artists’ agent, she brings a rare multi-lens perspective to her work as a filmmaker and arts producer. Her projects span art exhibitions, international festivals, and documentary films — all driven by a desire to excavate hidden stories and bridge the worlds of “East” and “West.”

From co-producing Singapore Uncovered with Asia House in London to creating documentaries like Being and Becoming Chua Ek Kay (2013) and Ahmad Zakii Anwar: Edge of Obedience (2017), Jin-Theng has built a body of work that celebrates bold vision and meaningful collaboration.

Her latest venture, Bills and Beats, is a 360° initiative blending film, community, and financial literacy to empower young creatives.

Whether leading ambitious projects or amplifying the visions of others, Jin-Theng brings precision, imagination, and a globally informed eye to every collaboration.

Check out Bills and Beats:

https://billsandbeats.com/

https://www.instagram.com/billsandbeats/

Buy tickets for Bills and Beats: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bills-and-beats-how-money-goals-work-for-musicians-and-makers-tickets-1554914524199?aff=oddtdtcreator

Follow Jin Theng:

https://www.instagram.com/jin_theng/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jin-theng-c-creative/

Recorded on 27/06/2025

Laura Stubbs runs social media agency, Coucou Social Media, helping small businesses and charities in Leeds get their message out to a wider audience online.

She has worked in marketing for 15 years and is also a Trustee of Made with Music, a charity which bring accessible music events to families in Yorkshire. Laura formed her social media agency in 2023 to enable her to support her autistic son. Her family flexi-schools (part home educates) and are passionate advocates for SEND reform.

https://www.instagram.com/coucousocial

https://www.coucousocial.co.uk/

https://www.designmyfuture.eu/

Listen to the Ahead Partnership episode here: https://the-working-hours-podca.captivate.fm/episode/Olivia%20Collins

Recorded on 05/08/2025

Emlyn Hagan was born in Liverpool and has lived in Leeds for nearly 28 years.

Leaving school at 16 Emlyn completed an apprenticeship with Ford Motor Company in Liverpool, following which he worked as an Electrician – Control Specialist. In 1994 he took voluntary redundancy and moved to Ware in Hertfordshire to work as an Electrical Technician in a pharmaceutical factory.

A brief spell as a Technical Support Manager in Newcastle followed before he moved to Leeds to complete a 4 years BSc in Business Information Systems. In year 3 of his degree Emlyn found a placement with a corporate insolvency data software company which led to a permanent position as a Data & Development Manager. Emlyn left this position due to a period of poor mental health following years of managing depression, anxiety, social phobia and body dysmorphia. He took a year or so off work and during this time decided that he no longer wanted to work in the private sector or full time. He found employment with Mencap Pathway, first as a Job Coach, moving up to being a Senior Education & Employment Coordinator by the time he left. Emlyn’s next step came as a result of seeing an advert for an Employment Specialist for Community Links/Leeds Mind.

Emlyn has worked for Leeds Mind for around 16.5 years in a variety of roles – Employment Specialist, Job Retention Specialist, Employment Peer Support Coordinator and since 2022 has been the Lived Experience & Peer Support Team Leader. His current roles involve managing a variety of lived experiences projects within the charity, this gives him an environment where he can make a difference and be his authentic self.

Emlyn’s had a variety of part time jobs or additional jobs over the years including running market stalls, driving a delivery van for a flower shops, managing a charity shop and helping to run a CIC. Alongside working for Leeds Mind Emlyn manages his own business, Emlyn Hagan Coaching & Change, which offers therapeutic coaching with a focus on sessions in nature for people wanting to make changes in their life. He lives in his partner Chris and their cat Rita.

Follow Leeds Mind:

https://www.instagram.com/leedsmind/

https://www.facebook.com/LeedsMind

Join the Befriending Service:

https://www.leedsmind.org.uk/services/befriending-leeds/

Follow Emlyn's Coaching Business:

https://www.facebook.com/emlynhagancoaching

https://www.instagram.com/emlyn_hagan/

Follow Emlyn's Bike Powered Events:

https://www.facebook.com/Grassrootsevents

https://bike-power.co.uk/

Recorded on 22/06/2025

In this engaging episode, join Kirsty Elton as she shares her unique journey from aspiring teacher to Viking-inspired business coach.

Kirsty opens up about her early dreams, her experiences in healthcare recruitment, and the pivotal moments that led her to where she is today. She dives into the challenges of her MS diagnosis, her perspectives on social media, and her passion for making a lasting impact through her work and her recently published book.

Discover the wisdom behind her leadership style, her thoughts on work-life balance, and what drives her to keep pushing forward.

You can find Everwyk Consulting at: https://www.everwyk-consulting.co.uk/

Or follow her on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstyelton/

Kirsty's book: https://amzn.eu/d/f5JMaX6

Listen to Alan Thompson's episode: https://the-working-hours-podca.captivate.fm/episode/work-is

Recorded on 19/06/2025

In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Dr Stewart Manning recounts his lifelong passion for medicine, shaped by childhood experiences and a genuine desire to care for others.

From memorable stories about medical school pranks and meeting famous personalities while serving as the Leeds United doctor, to the impactful charity work he now pursues in retirement, this episode takes you through the highs and lows of a storied career.

Learn how personal tragedies and professional challenges shaped Dr Manning’s approach to patient care and advocacy, and gain a greater understanding of the human side of medicine. Discover how he's continuing to make a difference through various charitable endeavours and the lessons he's learned along the way.

Mentioned in the episode

https://www.leedsunited.com/en

The Manning's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SCaBSIENmpIWwtcuGgA7q?si=c3b87e5930c1433d

https://www.yorkshirecancercommunity.co.uk/

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

https://canceralliance.wyhpartnership.co.uk/

https://www.therobertsinclairdavidsonfoundation.org/

https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

https://www.st-gemma.co.uk/support-us/donate/

https://www.cancer52.org.uk/

https://elladawsonfoundation.org.uk/

https://www.anthonynolan.org/

https://canceralliance.wyhpartnership.co.uk/latest-news/t-shirt-competition-helps-spread-cancer-messages-far-and-wide

https://cancersupportuk.org/

https://beryl.cc/scheme/leeds

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/beryl-burton-cyclist

https://www.mndassociation.org/

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/people/roundhay-park-dream-wedding-for-leeds-woman-with-motor-neurone-disease-480794

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/council-speech-on-plan-to-move-leeds-war-hero-arthur-louis-aaron-vc-statue-587951

Recorded on 07/04/2025

Olivia Collins is the Marketing and Communications Manager at Ahead Partnership, a purpose-led business which drives inclusive growth and social impact through bespoke skills and careers engagement programmes that support young people.

Olivia is a Philosophy graduate from the University of Leeds, specialising in ethics and aesthetics. Olivia started her marketing career in the recruitment industry before gaining experience agency-side and moving to Ahead Partnership.

In her current role, she develops and implements marketing and communications strategies for social impact programmes across the UK.

Olivia's favourite programmes to work on include initiatives that help to break down barriers and challenge stereotypes for young women before they enter the world of work. These include Ahead Partnership’s flagship Girl Tech programme which connects young women aged 12-14 with role models in digital and technical roles aiming to address gender diversity and bias in the digital and tech sectors.

More information about Girl Tech can be found here: https://www.aheadpartnership.org.uk/girl-tech

https://www.linkedin.com/company/girls-and-tech/

You can find Olivia on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-c-m-collins/

Recorded on 12/06/2025

Michael Guy is a digital strategist with a background spanning leadership business analysis and accessibility. He spends his time making sense of messy systems. Over the years, he’s worked with charities, membership organisations, and SMEs—often at that difficult, slightly tangled stage where everyone knows something needs to change, but no one’s quite sure where to start.

His role is often about helping teams focus, prioritise, and move forward with confidence rather than deploying technology for the sake of it. A firm advocate for value and impact Michael translated his approach into his business Kingsbury Consulting. Michael says, “I get a real buzz from bringing clarity to complex challenges”.

Right now, he’s building a small, focused team that helps organisations plan and deliver digital change. He spent the last few years defining and refining a proprietary strategic framework. He’s running workshops and getting under the skin of how things work (and don’t), and shaping practical roadmaps that will actually get used.

Kingsbury Consulting’s mission is to help charities, public sector teams and small businesses make smart decisions, bring the right people along for the ride, and avoid wasting time or budget on the wrong things. He and his company are committed to making high quality Big Thinking accessible to everyone and he’s built a business on the principle of Leadership of Authority through Creative Collaboration.

You can find Michael at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelguy

https://www.linkedin.com/company/kingsburyconsulting/