Meet the Mancunian Podcast

28/10/2025

🎧 Episode 2 is out now!
Meet Francis Duncan, Community Engagement Manager at Irish Community Care, in this inspiring episode of Meet the Mancunian hosted by Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. 💚
Francis opens up about his work supporting the Irish and Irish Traveller communities in Manchester — tackling misconceptions, overcoming bias, and celebrating culture. ☘️
💡 Did you know?
✅ 33% of Manchester’s population are of Irish descent
✅ Romani gypsies, Roma and Irish Travellers are distinct community groups
✅ There are around 300,000 Irish Travellers in the UK
Tune in to hear how culturally appropriate communities and advocacy can make Manchester more inclusive and connected. 🌆
🎧 Listen now: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/s11e2

Spirit of Manchester Irish Community Care Manchester

25/10/2025

💬 “Never give up. I think in life we face so many challenges but it’s so important to never lose track of the goal and our vision.” – Jillian Alexander, Founder, Unbound Programme

Jillian joins Meet the Mancunian 🎙️ to talk about tackling modern slavery, supporting survivors, and why believing in your purpose matters.

🎧 Listen to this inspiring audiogram from Jillian!

📌 Full episode & transcript: www.meetthemancunian.co.uk


Spirit of Manchester

21/10/2025

💙 Season 11 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast is here! 🎉

🎙️ Host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe speaks with Jillian Alexander, founder of the Unbound Programme and nominee for the Spirit of Manchester Awards (Inspiring Campaign category).

✨ Jillian shares her journey in tackling modern slavery, from early volunteering to supporting survivors through the Unbound Program. She talks about challenges faced, lessons learned, and the power of Manchester’s community spirit.

👉 Listen to the episode & read the transcript: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/s11e1



Spirit of Manchester Unbound Programme

14/10/2025

✨ Season 11 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast launches on 14 October 2025!
This season, I’m proud to collaborate with the Spirit of Manchester Awards, shining a spotlight on nominees who are making a real social impact in our communities.
These inspiring episodes explore the journeys of community champions—their motivations, challenges, and purpose.
🎧 Listen to the Season 11 trailer here 👉 https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/season-11-launch-celebrating-community-champions-with-the-spirit-of-manchester-awards/
📅 New episodes every Tuesday!
Thank you to Mahua Roy for the stunning season artwork.

SSpirit of ManchesterJJoy EthicWWFM 97.2

07/10/2025

✨ One week to go!

The Meet the Mancunian podcast is back with Season 11, launching on 14 October 2025.

This season, I’m partnering with the Spirit of Manchester Awards to spotlight the inspiring journeys of local community champions making a real difference.
I am also thrilled to be partnering with the Joy Ethic show on All FM, Wythenshawe FM and Grow Radio to feature content from the Meet the Mancunian podcast.

📅 New episodes every Tuesday – starting next week!
🎧 Watch out for the Season 11 trailer coming soon.



Spirit of Manchester Joy Ethic Ben Cooper WFM 97.2 Grow Radio

20/05/2025

🎧✨ Exciting News! The Meet the Mancunian is collaborating with the Spirit of Manchester Awards for the second time! Tune in to hear inspiring stories of social impact from award winners and nominees making a difference in Manchester’s community sector. 🌐❤️

Read more on https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/p/Partnerships/
Spirit of Manchester

18/05/2025

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the wonderful Jolene Sheehan and featuring on the Joy Ethic show on ALLFM 96.9. Please give it a listen to hear about how living in India, Russia, Saudi Arabia and UK has shaped my purpose and life philosophies, the Meet the Mancunian podcast and my twin causes - inclusion and animal welfare. (The interview starts 27 minutes in)

Joy Ethic
https://www.mixcloud.com/JoyEthic/episode-40-stories-that-grow/

On this episode, we celebrate the power of community storytelling. 🌱 Jubilee Gardens Makeover with MENCAP Me Time The Me Time team in Denton share interviews and reflections on transforming a community garden. 🎧 Listen to more from them on the ALL FM Training Podcast: bcped.podbean.com 🎨 Ch...

09/05/2025

Check out this inspiring quote from Season 10, Episode 12 of the :
🔊 “Some things take a bit of time, When you’re working with community groups and with people coming at this from different angles, we need to give them the space to navigate things themselves as well.” – Sophie Jones
Sophie Jones from In Our Nature 🌍 shares how local communities are making climate impact real in Manchester. 🎧 Listen to the audiogram to hear more from Sophie.
📌 Catch the full episode & transcript here: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/s10e12


In Our Nature MCR

06/05/2025

🎧 Season 10 Finale – Taking Climate Action with Sophie Jones
In the final episode of Meet the Mancunian Season 10, I chat with the brilliant Sophie Jones from In Our Nature. 🌱💬 She shares her journey from childhood environmentalist to championing sustainable projects across Greater Manchester. 💚
From textile upcycling to encouraging public transport, Sophie shows us how community-led climate action can be inclusive and practical—even in a cost-of-living crisis.
🌍 It’s a heartfelt episode full of impact stories, advice and hope for a greener future.
👉 Listen now: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/s10e12
📢 We’ll return with Season 11 in October 2025. Until then, enjoy our archive of 120+ inspiring episodes!
⏰ Highlights:
(02:03) Sophie’s Journey into Climate Action
(03:05) What In Our Nature Does
(05:02) Engaging Communities
(09:51) Success Stories
(14:26) Personal Reflections
🌿
In Our Nature MCR

02/05/2025

Check out this inspiring quote from Season 10, Episode 11 of the :
🔊 “Happiness is the most important thing. And a sort of eternal search for what happiness means. Knowing you’ll have more good days than bad days.” – Chris Marsh
I speak with Chris Marsh from Forever Manchester about the power of local community action 🏙️
🎧 Listen to the audiogram to hear more Chris
📌 Catch the full episode & transcript here: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/s10e11

Forever Manchester

29/04/2025

🚨 New Podcast Episode! 🚨
Had a great conversation with Chris Marsh, ambassador for Forever Manchester, on Meet the Mancunian! 🏃‍♂️❤️
We talk about:
💬 (01:38) Chris’s journey into community support
🏙️ (04:19) The powerful impact of Forever Manchester
💪 (06:55) Fundraising challenges and achievements
✨ (14:41) Discovering Greater Manchester’s hidden community gems
🧠 (17:19) Personal lessons from giving back
🌟 Forever Manchester supports over 1,300 projects each year across Greater Manchester!
🎧 Listen now and read the transcript: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/s10e11


Forever Manchester

22/04/2025

✨ NEW EPISODE ✨
Ever wondered what it’s really like to run a food bank?
In the latest episode of Meet the Mancunian, I speak with Zoe Marlow, Food Bank Manager at Dandelion Community Church. From her personal experience seeking support to helping others through crisis, Zoe shares what compassion and resilience look like in action 💪❤️
We talk:
🥫 Food poverty and stigma
🫂 Community-driven solutions
🌍 Her inspiring journey to Africa
🔥 Fuel poverty and the need for holistic support
🙌 How YOU can make a difference
🎧 Listen now at: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/s10e10


Trussell The Dandelion Community - part of The United Reformed Church