Spare a Thought

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

In this episode of Spare a Thought, Tom speaks with Luke Young, Head of Policy at Citizens Advice. Luke has previously worked for organisations including NUS Wales, Stonewall, the Senedd, and the Labour Party.
Tom and Luke discuss the people who shaped Luke’s worldview, the work of Citizens Advice, the unique challenges facing Wales, recent UK Government changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and three policy changes Luke would introduce to improve the lives of millennials and young people in the UK.
If you have been impacted by anything discussed in this episode, you can find support and information at the Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
For the latest updates, follow Tom on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ and subscribe to his newsletter on Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/

Season 1 Highlights

This month Spare a Thought celebrated 1,000 downloads. As a way to celebrate, Tom has put together a retrospective of Season 1, to look back at the conversations he had with the first cohort of guests. 
You can find the links to the individual episodes from Season 1 below:
Spare a Thought for the Iris Prize
Spare a Thought for Refugees
Spare a Thought for International Students Part 1
Spare a Thought for International Students Part 2
Spare a Thought for International Students Part 3
Spare a Thought for Dima Hamden
Spare a Thought for the RNLI
Spare a Thought for Creativity
You can find all previous Spare a Thought episodes here: https://spareathought.podbean.com/
You can also subscribe to Tom’s Substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/
And follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparetom/ 

Compassionate Leadership and Purpose-Driven Business

In this episode of Spare a Thought, Tom speaks with Paul Hargreaves, CEO of Cotswold Fayre, a UK-based wholesaler committed to ethical and sustainable business. Paul is also the author of two influential books, Forces for Good, which explores how businesses can help create a better world, and The Fourth Bottom Line, a guide to flourishing in a new era of compassionate leadership.
Together, they discuss how Paul came to found Cotswold Fayre, why businesses can and should be forces for good, and how compassionate leadership can strengthen both company culture and financial performance. The conversation also explores Britain’s broken relationship with food, and how individuals and organisations alike can lead more purposeful, fulfilling lives.
You can find out more about Paul, his businesses, work and books at https://www.paulhargreaves.co.uk/ 
You can follow Tom on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ 

Cuts at Cardiff University

At the end of January, Cardiff University announced plans to cut academic staff in a bid to plug a £30 million shortfall in its finances. A formal consultation with staff, titled Securing our Academic Future, is underway and will conclude in May.
Universities across the UK are facing financial pressures thanks to student visa restrictions causing a dip in international student numbers, growing competition to attract top UK students and home student fees not rising with inflation. However Cardiff has been criticised for the severity of its proposed cuts, and for the way they have been communicated.
Many departments and academic schools at Cardiff will be affected. Under current proposals, the School of Modern Languages faces near-total closure.
In this episode, Tom speaks to people directly affected by the changes including current and former students, the branch president of Cardiff UCU, and the president of NUS Wales to understand the human cost behind the cost. He also interviews Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, an academic and entrepreneur, who explains why Cardiff, and many other UK universities, are making such difficult decisions.
Links, reading and petitions 
Cardiff University’s Securing Our Academic Future statement: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/2894086-securing-our-academic-future
The University’s Update on Cardiff University in Kazakhstan: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/2903220-update-on-cardiff-university-kazakhstan
You can sign the Save Modern Languages at Cardiff University here: https://www.change.org/p/save-mlang-at-cardiff-university
And view the SaveCardiffLanguages website:https://www.savecardifflanguages.org/ 
You can sign the petition to Save Cardiff University’s School of Music: https://www.change.org/p/save-cardiff-university-school-of-music 
You can sign the petition to Save Cardiff University’s School of Nursing:https://www.change.org/p/save-cardiff-university-school-of-nursing 
Find out more about Professor Dylan Jones-Evans’s work on his website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-dylan-jones-evans-obe-3755a711/?originalSubdomain=uk 
Keep up to date with Cardiff’s UCU branch: https://www.cardiffucu.org.uk/
Learn more about NUS Cymru: https://www.nus-wales.org.uk/ 
Professor Leighton Andrews, an academic at Cardiff’s Business School and former Welsh Government Education Minister’s Substack posts on:
An alternative to Cardiff University's plans: https://ukania.substack.com/p/an-alternative-to-cardiff-universitys
And We Need a Wales-wide review of Higher Education: https://ukania.substack.com/p/we-need-a-wales-wide-review-of-higher

Supporting Those Living With Long Covid

Content warning: This episode features personal experiences of living with long Covid. While some listeners may find aspects of this discussion difficult and triggering, we believe these stories are important to share. Listener discretion is advised.
In this episode, Tom is joined by breathing coaches Vikki Jones and Jackie Baxter to explore what it means to live with Long Covid, how breathwork can support recovery, and the broader support needed for the Long Covid community.
Vikki was a personal trainer living in Arizona when the pandemic hit. She moved her teaching outdoors to keep clients active - but in the summer of 2020, she contracted Covid and has been living with Long Covid ever since. Her life was turned up-side down, but she has found a new path in becoming a breathing coach. 
Jackie caught Covid just a week before the UK went into lockdown. A music instructor with an active lifestyle, she initially recovered but later developed Long Covid. It took her three years to fully recover.
After Vikki appeared as a guest on Jackie’s podcast, the two decided to collaborate. Though they've never met in person, they co-founded Breathing for Long Covid & ME/CFS - a coaching service that uses breathwork to support the physical and mental health of others living with Long Covid and ME/CFS, grounded in their own lived experience.
You can follow Vikki and Jackie on Breathing for Long Covid & ME/CFS: https://www.instagram.com/longcovid_breathing/
Their classes are starting May, which you join here: https://payhip.com/b/zhNV4
You can also join the Breathing for Long Covid & ME/CFS Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/271297139041871/
They have a YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@longcovidbreathing
And a free 30 min workshop: https://youtu.be/KKDlECcMb9c
You follow Tom: https://www.instagram.com/sparetom/
You can subscribe to Tom's substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ 

Living with Long Covid

Content warning: This episode features personal experiences of living with long Covid. While some listeners may find aspects of this discussion difficult and triggering, we believe these stories are important to share. Listener discretion is advised.
Five years after the pandemic started, we live parallel lives. There are those who have returned to the ‘old normal’, they have retained their routines, their social lives, the jobs they had before Covid-19. And there are those who have been left behind, suffering from long Covid. 
In this episode Tom brings together the voices and stories of 12 ‘long haulers’ impacted by long Covid.
You can follow Vikki and Jackie on Breathing for Long Covid & ME/CFS: https://www.instagram.com/longcovid_breathing/ visting their website: www.LongCovidBreathing.com In May they have classes starting: https://payhip.com/b/zhNV4You can also join the Breathing for Long Covid & ME/CFS Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/271297139041871/ And visit their YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@longcovidbreathingThe free 30 min workshop they gave in Feb: https://youtu.be/KKDlECcMb9c 
Long Covid Support: https://www.longcovid.org/
You can follow Amy Butterworth here.
You can subscribe to Tom's substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/
Also, feel free to follow Tom via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparetom/

Spare a Thought for Feminism

Recent surveys seem to indicate that many in society, particularly young men, believe equality has gone too far, that women’s rights are infringing on their ability to succeed.
In this conversation, recorded in February 2024, Tom speaks to Dr Iain McKenzie about feminism, the role men can play in the feminist debate and, why reading feminism is like wearing a new pair of glasses that helps us understand the inequalities that exist in our society.
Dr Iain McKenzie is a Reader at the University of Kent, teaching on a broad range of topics including liberalism, resistance and feminism.
Iain has compiled a list of recommended reading for anyone interested in finding out more about feminism. You can find his reading list here
You can subscribe to Tom's substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/
Also, feel free to follow Tom via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparetom/

Spare a Thought for Welsh Women's Football

To celebrate international women’s day, Tom speaks to Professor Laura McAllister CBE and Lowri Roberts about Welsh Women’s football. 
Together Tom, Laura and Lowri discuss the development of the women’s game in Wales, Cymru’s journey to the 2025 Women’s Euros and the opportunities that will open up.
Professor Laura McAllister is Vice President at UEFA, she is a former Wales Women’s football international and captain, and a professor of Public Policy and the Governance of Wales at the Wales Governance Centre in the School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University.
Lowri Roberts is a sports consultant who was formerly the Head of Women’s and Girls Football at the Football Association Wales. Before working for the FAW she worked for the Football Association, and has held various roles in the game.
You can subscribe to Tom's substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/
Also, feel free to follow Tom via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparetom/

Spare a Thought for Wales

Gwern Gwynfil is the acting Director of New Wales, a new Welsh cross-party think tank, and is the former CEO of Yes Cymru, Wales’ independence campaign group. 
In this episode Tom speaks to Gwern about the Welsh language, surprising facts about Wales, the successes and shortcomings of devolution, and the future of Wales.
You can find out more about New Wales by heading to their website: https://new.wales/ 
Join the New Wales team at their launch event taking place in the Senedd on 2nd April at 6pm. You can book a free ticket here.
If you are ever visiting Wales, or even live in Wales and haven’t used Welsh much before, here are some handy phrases to know:
Bore da: Good morning, pronounced "boh-reh dah"Pnawn da: Good afternoon, pronounced "pnaoon dah"Noswaith dda: Good evening, pronounced "nos-wye-th tha"Diolch: Thank you, pronounced "dee-olch"Hwyl fawr: Goodbye, pronounced "hoo-yl vah-ur"Croeso: Welcome, pronounced "croy-so”
You can subscribe to Tom's substack: https://tomspare.substack.com/ Also, feel free to follow Tom via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparetom/

Spare a Thought for Creativity

Briony Goffin is a writer, tutor, and mentor. She teaches creative writing at Cardiff University and is a specialist in facilitating creative writing experiences in community and healthcare settings.
In this episode, I spoke to Briony about where ideas come from, being creative, getting back into writing and facilitating workshops.
You can find out more about Briony and the sessions she runs by visiting the Cardiff Writer’s Studio website: https://www.cardiffwritersstudio.co.uk/
Watch Briony’s TedX video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YChjblFMw20&t=903s
And sign-up to Briony’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKa342
Also, feel free to follow Tom via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparetom/