Stay ConnectedAn occasional series revisiting conversations and ideas from Reasons to be Cheerful (2017-2024), formerly hosted by ex-Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, and Sony Award-winning radio presenter Geoff Lloyd.
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Hello! With around 10% of UK shops currently sitting empty, we’re talking about how communities can lead the revival of our high streets. Are Ed’s make-your-own sandwich shops part of the answer? Our experts aren’t convinced… Professor Cathy Parker tells us about the extent of current problems and why concern about high streets is nothing new. Vidhya Alakeson from Power to Change argues that the future of high streets lies in community businesses. Then ‘Mr Bishy Road’ Johnny Hayes explains the story of turning around Bishopthorpe Road in York.
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Hi-fi tycoon and all-round great guy Julian Richer talks about the lessons he’s learned from decades in business, handing Richer Sounds over to its employees & his vision for ethical capitalism.
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Hello! When they go short-term, we go long-term… This week we’re talking about how to represent the needs of future generations in decision-making. Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, tells us about her job and what the rest of the world can learn from it. Then policy wonks Laurie Laybourn-Langton and Andrea Westall discuss the causes of short-termism in politics, its impact on key issues such as the environmental emergency and how to design new institutions to overcome it.
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Legal eagle Lord Falconer is here to chat about what on earth happened in the Supreme Court last week and what the judgement says about Britain’s unwritten constitution.
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Hello! Here’s an episode you’ve been asking us to do for a while: we’re talking about the case for universal childcare. Susanne Garvis explains what we can learn from the childcare utopia of Sweden, where she spends more on pre-school for her puppy than her daughter. Then childcare experts Claire Harding and Jerome de Henau discuss problems with the UK system & how we could achieve universal provision. With benefits from parental employment to child development, it’s a no-brainer…
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Writer Stella Duffy is here to talk about Fun Palaces! First dreamt up in the 1960s, Stella and her team have made the vision of culture for all, and by all, a reality. Turns out it’s not too late to set up your own for the Fun Palaces weekend coming up in October.
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Hello! With an election on the cards, we’re talking about voter registration. The Resolution Foundation’s Laura Gardiner explains the relatively recent phenomenon of low youth turnout and Mete Coban tells us about what his organisation, My Life My Say, is doing about it. Then Danielle Root, voting rights expert at the Centre for American Progress, talks us through the success of new ‘Motor Voter’ laws, which have brought automatic voter registration to a number of US states.
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We have a brand new section for you! Anna Taylor, co-founder of the UK Student Climate Network, is our first ever ‘cheerful person’. She chats about her journey into climate activism, plotting in Camberwell’s Costa and why we should all join the Global Climate Strike later this week.
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Hello! There are 430,000 problem gamblers in the UK, with a further 2 million at risk of developing gambling problems. What’s driving this ‘hidden epidemic’ and what do we do about it? Charles and Liz Ritchie from Gambling with Lives share the story of their son who took his life after problems with gambling and discuss their campaign for reform. Then Henrietta Bowden-Jones, director of the National Problem Gambling Clinic, and Jim Orford, Emeritus Professor of Clinical & Community Psychology at University of Birmingham, talk about the need to take a public health approach to gambling and what this should mean for government policy.
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. International helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.
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Hello! Has our failure to understand Britain’s history played a role in recent political events? This week, we discuss teaching about the British Empire in schools with Professor Gurminder Bhambra, expert in postcolonial studies, and Jason Todd, former history teacher and now lecturer in history education. They give us an overview of the British Empire, before explaining its current place in history lessons and how we could do much better.
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Comedian John Kearns wants MPs paid more, wants fines for people who don't vote, wants a couple of weeks in Portsmouth under witness protection and wants to know where the rich people live
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Hello! At this live show recorded at the Underbelly Festival in London we’re talking about the climate emergency, Extinction Rebellion and reaching net zero carbon emissions. What’s the scale of the crisis? How do we reach net zero? And what’s it got to do with Geoff’s favourite mangos? We’re joined by Emily Shuckburgh, a leading climate scientist; Chris Stark, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change; and Farhana Yamin, environmental lawyer turned Extinction Rebellion activist.
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Radio host and fellow podcaster, Emily Dean (and her dog Raymond!), bought us fines for probing questions about childlessness, dogs in every office and grief badges
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Hello! It's the 100th episode of Reasons to be Cheerful! In this very special show, recorded live at the world’s most famous recording studio, we talk to a fantastic bunch of guests about the power of music education. Deborah Annetts from the Incorporated Society of Musicians and music teacher Jimmy Rotherham discuss the crisis of music education in schools and how much better it could be. Then KT Tunstall, Giles Martin and Rebecca Lucy Taylor tell us about their experiences of education, working in the music industry and recording at Abbey Road Studios.
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Hello! Summer’s here and the time is right for… the first of our episodes recorded live at the Underbelly Festival. Britain is one of the only countries in the world without a codified constitution. Is it finally time to do something about it? Professor Jeff King & Dr Hannah White discuss how our constitution works, its role in Bre**t and whether this could be an opportunity for reform. Jeff with a J talks us through his democratic argument for adopting a written constitution (spoiler: includes sortition!).
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Comedian Nish Kumar wants to ban the term "climate change" in favour of a term that sounds more urgent, an age based social media expiry, and a NO MORE politicians on comedy panel shows
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Hello! This week we talk to two inspiring organisations getting people involved in their communities to break down divides and tackle loneliness. We’re joined by Alex Smith from the Cares Family, a charity bringing young professionals together with older people, and Ivo Gormley from GoodGym, which encourages people to combine exercise with doing good. Then Emma and Joyce from Bristol tell us about the impact that GoodGym has had on them.
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Comedian Joe Bor want's to see a hairier Love Island, no drinking pressure, no more joke theft and financial incentives for getting fit
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