The Good Shepherd Wolverhampton Podcast

Episode 18: ”Every Hurdle I Jump I Am Getting Further.”

In our latest podcast we welcome back Michael from our art group for an update on his work over the last few months.  He also wants to issue a challenge for people across the country to submit their art and share the creativity which is such a huge part of the group at the Good Shepherd.  

Episode 17: ”Fifty Miles For Fifty Years.”

In our latest podcast we are joined by Good Shepherd CEO Tom Hayden and Housing First worker Paul Burns, who are taking on a fundraising challenge to mark the charity's 50th anniversary.

Tom and Paul are 'going for gold' with a 50-mile walking challenge in May, heading from Wrexham to Snowdonia before rounding things off - by climbing Snowdon!

It's all to raise vital funds for the Good Shepherd's Community Food Pantry which supports families in need across Wolverhampton.

In the podcast Tom and Paul chat about their motivations for the challenge, their own experiences of family life growing up and why the work of the Good Shepherd is so important.

Click here if you would like to make a donation to the challenge.

Episode 16: ”They Made Me Feel Like I Was Worth Something.”

In Episode 16 of the Good Shepherd podcast, we were delighted to be joined by Anne, who is on the Housing First project.  Anne has had issues in her life after being the victim of a violent relationship which saw her turn to drugs and suffer with other complex issues. Thanks to the support from the Good Shepherd and Housing First, Anne feels she has got a second chance at life.  She is joined for the podcast by her Key Worker Ram and the Good Shepherd's Housing First team leader Surinder.

Episode 15: ”If you’ve got a talent, go out and do it.”

This shorter podcast is a bit different to our normal interviews.  Michael, a service user who attends our art and photography class, has a wonderfully powerful voice so we asked him if he wanted to record some jingles for our podcast and the exhibition connected with our role as ambassadors for the British Art Show.  Instead, when he sat in front of the microphone, he chatted about his own journey through art, Wolverhampton as a whole, and the Good Shepherd.  We have put the clips together for Michael's own version of 'Radio Good Shepherd'. 

Episode 14: ”This Has Given Me A Lifeline.”

Andrew has been a long-term rough sleeper who struggled with addiction and being able to settle in accommodation.  After being referred onto the Housing First programme, he has now been in his property for over a year and has also received support to address other complex issues.  This is thanks to partnership working across the city with the Good Shepherd linking with other agencies including Wolverhampton Homes, P3 and Recovery Near You.

In the latest edition of our podcast, Andrew tells his story and why he is so grateful for the support, looks back on a "wonderful" day at the Black Country Museum, and explains why he can now feel optimistic for the future.

He is joined by his Support Worker from the Good Shepherd, Dan Turner, and the Housing First Team Leader, Surinder Kapur.

Episode 13: ”Life As The Mayor.”

The Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Greg Brackenridge, took office last May and will, before he steps down in three months time, have presided over a time of different phases of the pandemic but also hopefully some optimism for the future.

In joining us for an episode of the Good Shepherd podcast, funded by the Heart of England Community Foundation, the Mayor talks about how much communities have pulled together to help each other out during the pandemic.

He also looks back on some fantastic work with Olympic medalist Ben Whittaker, and what it was like to take him on in the ring, what life entails as a Mayor and Councillor, and his career in the Fire Service. There is also a notable prediction about what will happen at Wolves in the near future!

The Mayor is joined on the podcast by two Good Shepherd Key Workers, Dan Turner - who works on the Housing First programme - and Neil Booth, who heads up the New Start Project focused on supporting ex-offenders. Dan and Neil explain their roles and discuss with the Mayor how important it is to provide this support.

Episode 12: ”A Solution-Based Approach to Life.”

Councillor Lynne Moran has been involved in local politics for over 40 years.  Currently serving as one of three councillors representing St Peter's Ward, which covers the area of the Good Shepherd, she also became a trustee of the charity last year.  In our latest podcasts she explains the day-to-day role of a councillor, why she so enjoys getting involved in charity work, and her thoughts for the future of Wolverhampton.

Episode 11: ”You Never Know What You Are Going To Walk Into.”

Superintendent Simon Inglis is the man with overall responsibility for the policing of Wolverhampton.  We are delighted he joined our Chief Executive Tom Hayden for this podcast which covers a range of issues relating to Simon's background and motivation for joining the Police, what policing has been like during Covid, a changed approach to offending to try and offer people the potential of a better future, and much more.  The pair also talk about the importance of positive relationships with charities like the Good Shepherd and others across the City.

Episode 10: ”Finding New Ways Of Working.”

Arron Owen is the national lead for criminal justice working with Cranstoun, an organisation offering a wide range of services across England.  Arron is heavily involved in working closely with West Midlands Police on initiatives to reduce drug use and drug-related crime, including finding other methods of education to try and prevent people who have committed minor offences from needing to be processed through the Criminal Justice System, instead offering a different path.  Arron explains more in this podcast, for which he is joined by Good Shepherd Senior Key Worker Leon Barrett, previously employed as a Drug Worker at Cranstoun. 

 

Episode 9: ”It‘s about the next step, not the last step.”

For our next podcast we are joined by two people who are very well-known across Wolverhampton and are now both, in different ways, supporting the community.  

Paul Burns is a long-time worker at the Good Shepherd who was formerly a volunteer but now supports service users on the Housing First programme.  John Price, better known on social media as Jack Sparra, is someone who needed the support of the Good Shepherd in the past but now volunteers to help many different local charities.

In this wide-ranging discussion the pair touch on their respective backgrounds, how they deal with poor mental health, the determination they have to helping people and why it is so important to keep looking forward.

Podcast 9 is John and Paul!  But unfortunately there isn't any singing. Or fortunately.

WARNING: Several cases of explicit language.