The U&K Podcast
Welcome to the podcast that helps you make the world better by being more Useful and Kind.
As we aim to develop prosocial behaviour and leadership especially with young people, our director, Duncan Fraser, hosts this podcast, joined by inspirational figures, looking at the pressing issues of our day.
We will hear from young voices about their hopes and dreams for the future and will be sharing tools to help you in your personal and professional lives to make a difference.
Episode 7: Equality
Today our theme focuses on ‘equality’.
Katherine is a Glasgow based, Australian writer, researcher, and passionate advocate for economic system change.She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance. Her brilliant book The Economics of Arrival: Ideas for a Grown-Up Economy (co-authored with Jeremy Williams) is a powerful and persuasive and searingly logical debunking of the notion of economic growth. Ben Phillips is the author of How to Fight Inequality which is in effect a seminal and powerful book on ways in which we can collectively fight inequality.Ben is Co-founder of the Fight Inequality Alliance. He advises the UN, governments and civil society organisations.
Episode 6: Creativity
Today our theme focuses on ‘creativity’.
We are thrilled to be joined to explore these issues today by two fantastic guests. Elspeth Murray is a Poet and theatre-maker based in Scotland. She describes herself as a ‘versatile versemonger and weaver of text styles’. I first came across her brilliant work in a fantastic publication of works she made with participants at a Mental health conference and she has accompanied me in spirit ever since as I have read some of those works at every leadership retreat I have ever led. Graham Fitkin is one of the funkiest composers of his generation. He has written for everyone from school kids in Southport to dancers in New York City Ballet. He is passionate about the role of the composer in the contemporary world. We are thrilled that all our podcasts begin and end with his piece Sciosophy from a very early album called Flak and we are also thrilled that he joins us today from his native Cornwall.
Episode 5: Vocation, Calling and Campaigning
Today our theme focuses on ‘what on earth are you doing with your life?’ in other words are you living it on purpose and making the most of it for the good of the world? In particular, we will explore Vocation, Calling and Campaigning. We are thrilled to be joined today by two fantastic guests to help us with this. Kate Lee is the poster girl for Useful and Kind having spent 30 years in the Third Sector and is now Chief exec of the Alzheimer’s Society (having started there at the start of the pandemic) Bernard Ross is THE go-to global guru for all things on decision science, fundraising and leadership in the ethical sector.
Episode 4: Young Leaders…The Obama Connection
Today our theme lies at the very heart of what we're trying to do, namely, develop young leaders, and how being useful, unkind can really help us, others and the world to be more balanced and to cope with the huge issues that we all face. As many of you know, our organisation is based on the words of advice, Barack Obama gives to his daughters and to interns and young leaders, namely, to be useful and kind. So we're thrilled and honoured to be joined today by both the Chief Executive of the Obama Foundation and by one of its first British Fellows. David Simas is the Chief Executive of the Obama Foundation and knew early on why being a change maker was important, as we shall hear in due course. For him, this was initially in the law. But after a significant career move into politics, he ended up at the heart of one of the most inspirational administrations in American History, he was Deputy Assistant to President Obama. Read the transcript.
Episode 3: Climate Change
The third episode is a chat with two inspirational people who have both put their lives on the line for their beliefs about the climate crisis. Bunny McDiarmid was one of the original Rainbow Warrior campaigners for Greenpeace who ended up its Executive Director and Dr. Larch Maxey a long-time campaigner, recently imprisoned (now released) for his part in the dug-outs under Euston, London as part of the HS2 Campaign.
This podcast really challenges and inspires us about what to do when being Useful and Kind isn't quite enough to bring about the change we all need in the world.
Episode 2: Mental Health
The second episode’s theme is Mental Health and wellbeing. We are told that there is a tsunami of mental health coming down the line post-pandemic. Duncan Fraser, Useful and Kind’s Director is joined by Abigail Speight working on the front line with young people, Nancy Hey, researching what really works to improve wellbeing and Karen Wilson who urges us to rethink mental health in the community.
Episode 1: Women in Leadership
The first theme is Women in Leadership. You might wonder, why on earth, in 2021 we are still talking about this. Duncan Fraser, Useful and Kind’s Director is joined by the inspirational Joanna Kerr and Maggie Semple to help us answer this question.
They are inspirational women not just because of their astonishing careers and track records, which are truly outstanding but because of who they are and how they live their useful and kind lives in the world. Don’t miss it.