BCP Council's Official Podcast

Many businesses would be delighted to leave a legacy on the same scale as REIDsteel, a Christchurch-based company with over 100 years of family-owned history.

Their Finance Director, Simon Morgan, joins us on the last of our podcast mini-series to share the experience that the steel manufacturer endured through the pandemic, and how they employed grant funding to continue their services in a global market.

This episode covers:

• REIDsteel’s global reach, and how they maintained it throughout recent industry-wide uncertainty
• The battle against effects of inflation that the manufacturing industry had been enduring for many months
• Short-term solidifying strategies and medium-term ambitions to scale up facilities in the local area

The creative arts endured more than a fair share of strife during the pandemic, so to see The Black Cherry Theatre Cafe emerging stronger is an incredibly inspiring sight.

Rachel Maddix and Jon Davis have created a hub which serves not only local audience members, but catalyses national opportunities for creatives in the BCP region.

We hear from Rachel and Jon on episode 5 of our mini-series, and hear how they’ve used grant funding to grow a unique theatre community in the heart of Boscombe and beyond.

This episode covers:

• How The Black Cherry works closely with other creative organisations for collective benefit to the community
• Their assistance to local creatives as a physical hub throughout the pandemic and beyond
• Access to art for both audience members and those aspiring to enter performing arts
• Work with the National Theatre to become their writing hub for the South

Virtual production promises to remain part of the film-making future, and local production house Treehouse Digital is going toe-to-toe with the industry’s biggest names.

They’re at the forefront of film production using LED screens and video game engines, an ever-evolving medium.

In the latest of our podcast miniseries, we hear from Paul Hamblin and Chris Musselwhite how they’ve converted financial support into the tools to create a technological and creative powerhouse.

This episode covers:

• The virtual production setup that saw Treehouse Digital innovate through the pandemic
• Partners who’ve supported the team’s huge projects and remarkable growth
• How Treehouse Digital stays atop the developments that are reinventing film production

An audiobook is a passive experience where a story finds its way into your ears, but the potential to engage someone’s imagination through active experiences and bibliotherapy is boundless.

Harnessing that joy and sharing it with the masses is a driving force behind Cecile Trijssenaar, Founder of Stories for Wellbeing.

In episode 3 of this podcast mini-series, Cecile speaks with councillor Philip Broadhead to discuss how the organisation is focusing on aspirations to improve mental wellbeing through stories written around, or about, the local area.

This episode covers:

• The business’ origins mid-Covid and how it continues to grow its reach post-pandemic
• How Stories for Wellbeing sparks imagination, which leads into a wider sense of wellbeing
• Ways in which the Bounce Back Challenge Fund has enabled Stories for Wellbeing to scale up their business model

Although Surviving Minds Foundation is comparatively young in its lifespan, the organisation’s reach is expanding, bringing wellbeing to the forefront for many in the local area.

Director, Mick Cowes, joins councillor Phil Broadhead for episode 2 of our Bounced Back podcast series as he shares the healing power of nature that underpins their business, and how they’ve encouraged human connection against the backdrop of a pandemic.

This episode covers:

• Surviving Minds Foundation’s impact since offering their rejuvenating experiences
• The science behind the practice of ‘Shinrin yoku’, or ‘forest bathing’
• How a boost of funding has allowed the foundation to bring their services to greater numbers

Welcome to the first in a series of podcasts highlighting extraordinary stories of local businesses thriving through the pandemic and beyond, with new projects and endeavours funded by BCP Council’s Bounce Back Challenge Fund.

To start off the series, Pen Gallery’s Emma Rowland shares how local art has garnered such appreciation from the community, and the story behind the gallery’s growth over the past two years.

She joins councillor Phil Broadhead to uncover the passion for art that’s been stoked across the conurbation and beyond, and how the gallery’s vision has expanded massively with the support of additional funding.

This episode covers:

• The concept behind Pen Gallery that drove its successful launch as a not-for-profit just over two years ago
• What the team have done and how the vision has grown
• How the Bounce Back funding has helped to accelerate the organisation
• Plans for the future and collaboration with BEAF