Improving Lives

In this edition of our Improving Lives podcast, we talk about our commitment to supporting carers and those who need care. We have teamed up with Carers UK to bring you the Digital Resource for Carers, an online platform hosting a wide range of digital tools and essential resources to help make caring easier.

We spoke to one of our customers who made the most our employment and training services by securing her dream job in a digital marketing agency.

Rachael Groarke, Longhurst Group's Lettings Advisor, joined us to talk to about her experience of joining Group on an apprenticeship in the housing team before going on to secure a full-time role in the lettings team. 

In this edition of our Improving Lives podcast, we hear from Neil Laybourn, well known for being a mental health campaigner as well as public speaker and well-being consultant.

Neil joined us at our Improving Lives 2025 launch event at the Kingsgate Conference Centre in Peterborough. He talked to us about his personal and professional mental health and well-being journey. Which started in 2008 when Neil stepped in to help a stranger in need. The inspirational true story featuring Jonny Benjamin was later turned into the Channel 4 documentary 'The Stranger on the Bridge'.

We're also joined by Andy Wright, Longhurst Group's Housing Services Manager, who talks to us about his work on suicide awareness and what we do as a group to recognise the signs. 

In this special edition of our Improving Lives podcast, we hear from Jack Monroe, renowned food writer, journalist and poverty activist.

Jack joined us at our Improving Lives 2025 launch event at the Kingsgate Conference Centre in Peterborough, she took the time to sit down with us and talk about herself, her experiences of food poverty and how she believes we can solve.

Matt speaks to Nathan Arnold about his life and career as an English Football League player and how despite success on the pitch he was experiencing with his own 'secret storm', living with anxiety.

We speak with Alan Hill from Walsall, who has been working with our Money Advisor, Pam Malhil, to get his finances in order and is about £50 a week better off after Pam’s help.

Finally, we speak to Craig Taylor, Director of Housing at Longhurst Group about his involvement in the national Make a Stand campaign.

Connar, Jon and Matt 🙌

Welcome to the very first episode of the Improving Lives podcast from Longhurst Group. In this episode you will hear from one of our colleagues, Becky, who was suffered from domestic abuse and how her story is helping to shape our involvement in the Chartered Institute of Housing's Make a Stand campaign. Val Paragon from Mary Street Extra Care joins us in the studio to talk to us about the work she does to at Mary Street to promote health and well-being. To round off the show Matt will be speaking to our Employment and Training Advisor, Rob Friday, about the advise he provides to our customers.

Connar, Jon and Matt 🙌