Rebbecca Hemmings is joined by Melanin Moods, the team behind the Beyond the Fade Project, and Strawberry Words associate trainer Sipho Ndlovu. Dr Chanelle Dennis and Talisa Mesquitta explore how barbershops, storytelling, and trusted community spaces are becoming vital locations for early intervention, mental health conversations, and wellbeing support.

This episode dives into:
– the origins and impact of the Beyond the Fade Project
– why culturally specific spaces can open doors traditional services often miss
– how grassroots organisations and public health teams can collaborate meaningfully
– the lived experiences that underpin this work and the compassion that sustains it

It is an inspiring, uplifting conversation that demonstrates the power of culture, creativity, and community expertise. For listeners who want to understand what antiracist healthcare looks like in real life, this episode offers practical wisdom and a deep sense of hope

This episode brings together two influential voices who are reshaping what equitable and compassionate healthcare looks like in Birmingham.

Olaunde Awe, Managing Director of Ilera Health, and Dr Tonye Sikabofori, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, join Rebbecca Hemmings to explore the realities of building antiracist health systems from both community and clinical perspectives.

Together they speak candidly about the gaps that persist in health outcomes, the structural issues that drive mistrust, and the transformative work happening across the city to ensure Black communities are seen, heard, and cared for with dignity.

This episode is an invitation to hear from those driving change on the ground and within senior leadership. It is thoughtful, energising, and essential listening for anyone committed to compassionate, equitable care.

In this deeply honest conversation, Salman Mirza shares unfiltered insights into the real priorities for migrants and asylum seekers in the UK today and they might not be what you expect.

Drawing on decades of lived experience, from his early years in Luton to his current work supporting asylum seekers, Salman offers a deeply personal reflection on what it means to seek justice and belonging in a society wrestling with fear, division, and far-right hostility.

Together, we explore how the current climate is affecting new arrivals, how attitudes among more established migrant communities are shifting, and what true allyship looks like in workplaces and beyond.

For leaders, managers, and anyone striving to create cultures of compassion, Salman’s reflections are both grounding and galvanising a reminder that meaningful change begins with understanding, humility, and the courage to act.

We had the privilege of speaking with Professor Partha Kar, Type 1 Diabetes and Technology Lead at NHS England, whose influence has shaped healthcare policy and practice across the country.

As a proud Bengali clinician, Professor Kar has dedicated his career to improving health outcomes for racially marginalised communities and challenging inequities within the system.

Tune in to hear his reflections on how individuals and organisations can address racial disparities in healthcare, and how his humble beginnings continue to inspire his work and leadership today.

In this thought-provoking episode of The Compassionate Cultures Podcast, host Rebbecca Hemmings speaks with Eugene Hilton, founder of North Star AI Solutions, about the promises and perils of artificial intelligence in today’s workplaces.

As organisations increasingly turn to AI to streamline recruitment, performance management, and decision-making, many overlook the risk that bias can be built into the very systems meant to create fairness. Eugene offers both practical advice and a stark warning: without intentional oversight, AI could deepen existing inequities rather than dismantle them.

Together, Rebbecca and Eugene explore how leaders and managers can embrace AI responsibly, embedding cultural humility, transparency, and ethical safeguards at every stage. They discuss what it really means to use technology in service of inclusion, and how to ensure that innovation never comes at the cost of humanity.

Part 2 of our first live edition of the Compassionate Cultures podcast is now streaming. At the start of this episode, our panel takes on a pressing question: how is the widespread public showcasing of the St George’s flag creating challenges inside the workplace? And what are leaders doing to navigate the tensions this symbol is stirring? This conversation continues our exploration of how UK societal discourse, around who is deemed deserving and who is not, is becoming increasingly polarised. From flags and migrant hotel protests to marches on the streets, these issues inevitably seep through workplace doors. The challenge for organisations is how to respond. Joining me in this live discussion are: • Head of DEI&B at Birmingham City Council • CEO of The Smallpeice Trust • Head of Student EDI at the University of Birmingham, Loreal Stokes We would love to hear your reflections on Spotify, and please remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Now streaming on all major platforms and at www.strawberrywords.co.uk.

UK societal discourse around who is deemed deserving and who is not is becoming increasingly polarised. The flags, the migrant hotel protests, and the marches are all symbols of this growing discontent. But how does the workplace contend with these issues when they inevitably seep through its doors?

This is the focus of the first live edition of the Compassionate Cultures podcast, featuring the Head of DEI&B at Birmingham City Council, the CEO of The Smallpeice Trust, and the Head of Student EDI at the University of Birmingham, Loreal Stokes.

To make it easier to engage with, the episode has been split into two parts. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Spotify. Don’t forget to subscribe. Now streaming on all major platforms and at www.strawberrywords.co.uk.

This week on Compassionate Cultures, we’re joined by Carla Devereux, a psychotherapist and leadership development specialist. Drawing on both personal and professional experience, Carla offers a nuanced exploration of autism in adulthood, particularly in the workplace. In this insightful conversation, Carla helps us better understand how autism can present in adults, especially in those who are undiagnosed. She challenges some of the most common myths, explains how masking shows up, particularly in women and shares why behaviours like stimming and palilalia may go unnoticed or misunderstood.

Carla also offers insights into autistic communication styles and how teams can create space for directness without judgement. We discuss what psychological safety means in practical terms for neurodivergent employees, how leaders can support self-regulation without stigma, and why a diagnosis in adulthood can be both daunting and liberating. Whether you're a manager, colleague, or someone navigating neurodiversity yourself, this episode offers compassion, clarity and tangible ways to create more inclusive workplaces. Connect with Carla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-devereux/ Access the Autism Spectrum Quotient by Simon Baron-Cohen, professor of psychology at Cambridge University and head of the Cambridge Autism Research Centre. https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient Listen now to join the conversation. Streaming on all major platforms and at www.strawberrywords.co.uk.