Make An Impact Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Can social data revolutionise healthcare? Join us as we uncover the incredible journey of Miranda Mapleton, CEO of White Swan, a charity that's leveraging anonymised social data and AI to transform patient care. Discover how a personal story involving the a friend's sister's rare condition ignited a movement to improve health outcomes through innovative technology. Miranda walks us through her transition from a marketing executive to leading a team of 130 passionate volunteers, all driven by the mission to make healthcare more effective and accessible.

We'll explore the ground-breaking work White Swan is doing in collaboration with universities, charities, and commercial organisations, and how their bespoke projects and reports are making a real impact. Learn about the rapid advancements in AI, specifically Large Language Models, and how they're enhancing data processes to benefit patient care. Miranda also shares White Swan's future ambitions to democratise their data for academic research and expand partnerships, emphasising the critical role of client feedback and returning clients. Tune in to be inspired by how data and technology are paving the way for a healthier future.

Welcome to Make an Impact podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, strategies, and solutions that drive real change. I'm Heidi Fisher and I work with organizations on a mission to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities, and create lasting social impact. In each episode, I bring you inspiring conversations with change makers, social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are making a difference, whether you're looking to boost your impact measurement, learn from innovative projects or

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Make an Impact podcast. I hope you found today's conversation as inspiring and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to create positive change. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and learn more about my work at Makeanimpactcic.co.uk.

Until next time, let's keep making an impact in the world.

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

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In this episode, Heidi Fisher is joined by Johnathan Parsons, Managing Director and Consultant Clinical Scientist at Chime Social Enterprise.

Chime is an NHS Audiology Service that utilised the Government Right to Request scheme to spin out as a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, having spun out 12 years ago under the "right to request" legislation.  Owned by its staff, the organisation has a direct contract with the ICB for audiology services in the region.

Heidi and Johnathan discuss the challenges, benefits, and ongoing success of Chime Audiology's transition to a social enterprise within the NHS. 

Their conversation also covers: 

• Recognition of potential efficiencies beyond NHS supply chain protocols.
• The importance of flexibility, adaptation, and embracing change.
• Chime's impact report and its effectiveness in demonstrating the value of their services.

What next?

• Visit Chime's website: www.chimehealth.co.uk
• Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Welcome to Make an Impact podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, strategies, and solutions that drive real change. I'm Heidi Fisher and I work with organizations on a mission to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities, and create lasting social impact. In each episode, I bring you inspiring conversations with change makers, social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are making a difference, whether you're looking to boost your impact measurement, learn from innovative projects or

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Make an Impact podcast. I hope you found today's conversation as inspiring and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to create positive change. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and learn more about my work at Makeanimpactcic.co.uk.

Until next time, let's keep making an impact in the world.

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Remi Ray is a neurodivergent high-performance coach and the founder of The Diverse Creative CIC.

She describes how she came to launch her social enterprise, which supports disabled entrepreneurs, and the multi-faceted approach she takes to coaching.

After struggling through education because she had "shied away from discussing" her dyslexia until the age of 28, Remi realised she had not been honest about who she was (she received a diagnosis of dyslexia at the age of 19) – and felt a calling to help others.

That set her on a journey navigating the challenges of funding and funders, heavy and tough work, and what to do if an idea you dreamed of also makes you tired.

Remi tells us about The Diverse Creative's free programmes for disabled entrepreneurs, a forthcoming conference and why society still has much to do in EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) , especially when it comes to disability.

Data and information hasn't always been used effectively. To address the gap, The Diverse Creative conducted  research to examine the extent to which ‘race’ and disability might work together or separately to determine black, neurodivergent individuals' experience of employment. This was published in The Homecoming Project and has had a world-wide impact.

Also in this episode: tips on delegation, Remi's new mastermind community, The Shift, for women who run service-based businesses, and why funders need to be less rigid to cultivate organisations and innovation.

What next?

• More about Remi and The Diverse Creative at https://www.thediversecreative.org
• Remi is on LinkedIn at https://uk.linkedin.com/in/remiray and Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/iamremiray/
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Doing good in the world? Then it is incumbent on you to build the foundations of a sustainable business, says Yinka Ewuola. Get those right and you can maximise your impact.

This episode is about those foundations: cashflow and mindset. Plus Heidi is honest and open about common pricing mistakes and Yinka has ideas and solutions. And:

• Why "knowing your worth" can be the most damaging advice for an entrepreneur.
• How to maximise individual superpowers and create a "houseful of love."
• Why do we either celebrate  or demonise wealth and the rich?
• A perfect description of legacy.
• Heidi's birthday revelation about learning which has already and aptly made an impact.

Business and social entrepreneurship is a beautiful opportunity to make a difference, says Yinka, and she describes how to lean in to the longevity of the impact you create. It's a must-listen.

What next?

• Yinka is on Linkedin,  Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram. 
• Get in touch at hello@callasuccess.com or connect with Yinka and reach out in direct messages on LI, FB or IG to find out more about her upcoming Cashflow Fundamentals Course, or to join her Accelerator to help create consistent cashflow in your business.
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

"Everyone has had a financial bump in the road at some point in their life, but I don't think they should be punished for that," say Tim Rooney, CEO of "Fintech for Good" Award-winner, Salad Money.

Salad is a social enterprise and community development finance institution (CDFI) which focuses on lending and tailored financial education, support and signposting for NHS and Public Sector workers.

Many people are punished by widespread use of credit scores to make decisions in the consumer credit market.  Tim, formerly of Big Issue Invest, has been with Salad since it launched and describes "empirical evidence that credit scores don't work for people in the sub and near prime sector as defined by the credit scoring industry. "

A much better way of assessing affordability and appropriateness is through Open Banking, he explains. So what is Open Banking? How does it lead to all sorts of positive outcomes for far more applicants than Salad's customers alone? Tim explains.

With at research showing millions of people in the UK “risk being excluded from accessing affordable financial services because of flaws in credit scoring,”  Salad Money is much needed. About 40% of its borrowers have a CCJ, but reliably repay their loans. Nearly half have children in their households. Many would automatically be turned down by lenders which use credit scores, leaving them with limited options when they need credit, which 9 out of 10 in the UK do from time to time. Tim goes through the why, who, how and even what next for Salad Money with Heidi. 

What next?

• Salad Money website: https://www.saladmoney.co.uk
• Salad Money impact report: https://www.saladmoney.co.uk/news/salad-money-2021-2022-impact-report
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

There are six million dads in the UK and when Dan Flanagan's  own father passed away he re-evaluated his own life. "It can be lonely to be a dad but men don't like to talk about that."

The consequences are profound and tragic. Isolation, loneliness, mental ill-health. For some men, suicide – horrifyingly, 96 men under 45 are lost to suicide each week in the UK. And the emotional availability of fathers has both an immediate and long-lasting impact on children.

A few years ago Dan started blogging about fathers and parenting and – to his great surprise – his posts became hugely popular. They resonated with many men who were frustrated they couldn't share their feelings with others, suffering in silence, or struggling with stereotyping.

He launched Dad La Soul, a "revolutionary grassroots movement that uses art, tech, music and play to battle social isolation and loneliness." The more we can do to get dads talking the better, he says.

Dad La Soul is a not-for-profit community interest company. It's now globally recognised, has been mentioned in the UK's parliament and featured in numerous media articles.

Its impact report has unlocked numerous opportunities for the social enterprise, and been recognised as an exemplary piece of storytelling and impact communication.

Dan tells Heidi how he came to launch and develop Dad La Soul and build communities where dads support each other.

He  describes how it has worked with many organisations, from football clubs to social housing providers to local authorities to big brands  – but it's also turned down numerous partnerships if they weren't right.

And he covers how he shook up impact reporting by necessity.

What next?

• Dad La Soul website: www.dadlasoul.com
• Dad La Soul impact report
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Finance and credit play a big part in our lives. Removing or preventing access to them is hugely disruptive, as today's guest explains.

Without fit-for-purpose finance on fair terms, businesses and social enterprises can't grow, create jobs or deliver vital frontline services, and millions of households are prey for loan sharks.

Community development finance institutions (CDFIs) address the damaging lack of appropriate finance faced by many people, businesses and social enterprises. Responsible Finance represents CDFIs, and CEO Theodora Hadjimichael describes the uneven financial landscape in the UK, and:

• how her members work to get the right finance to under-served businesses and financially excluded people
• why Responsible Finance is like a 'coach' for its members
• mapping policy work to direct results, whether that's influencing Government, securing investment, working with partners and changing lives for 70,000 people every year
• how Responsible Finance measures its own and the sector's impact
• her own journey to becoming CEO of the organisation.

What next?

• Responsible Finance's website is www.responsiblefinance.org.uk  
• Its latest impact report is at https://responsiblefinance.org.uk/2022/05/changing-lives  
• Its members are listed in full and with geographical and sector-specific (eg social enterprise, business, personal) filters at www.findingfinance.org.uk
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

We have never faced such scrutiny of our bodies, or been under as much pressure to conform to a narrow definition of 'beauty.'

Ldn Dares Drama Company supports people with low confidence, self-esteem and body image issues through performing arts.

The social enterprise works with commissioners in mental health. It helps people develop and understand their self worth, build confidence and more, and has been nominated for the Innovation in Healthcare Lammy Award.

Founder and CEO Ursula struggled herself for a period with her own mental health and talks us through what its 'dares' involve, how it measures and manages its impact, and how its varied progammes help people grow in confidence and self worth and create community value.

What's an immersive treasure hunt? How do challenges and performance build confidence, self acceptance and behaviour change? How is Ldn Dares led by participants in some of its sessions? What sort of changes does that lead to? And how does it translate its impact in terms in building participants' confidence in its programmes, workshops and sessions into their day-to-day lives? Listen to find out.

Links:

• Ldn Dares – https://www.ldndares.co.uk/ and its Impact report https://www.ldndares.co.uk/impact
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

When serial technology entrepreneur Bashir Khairy had a lightening bolt realisation of the cumulative effects of our shopping habits, he overhauled his lifestyle.

But there was a problem.  Bashir and his family couldn't find enough sustainable products in one place. "There were fundamental questions about how we vote with our money," he says, and directed his focus to creating a marketplace featuring ethical products from conscious merchants.

The Green Wallet app is now in use UK-Europe wide making it easy for social entrepreneurs to access conscious customers. Bashir and his team of tech enthusiasts have also launched a payment processing gateway, and plant a tree every time they process a payment. With 35 billion transactions  processed online in the UK alone last year, that could be a lot of trees.

Bashir, founder and CEO at Green Wallet, is a former officer with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and ran a substantial portfolio at BT Wholesale. Heidi was so impressed with Green Wallet's services (and its forthcoming launch of ethical banking services, something she is asked about frequently) that Make an Impact and Green Wallet launched an exciting partnership this month. In this episode Heidi quizzes Bashir about:

• How Green Wallet came to be
• Bashir has committed to planting a billion trees – that sounds like a lot! How will they get there, and are Bashir and team really planting that many?
• Is planting a tree the only solution, and does it accurately reflect the carbon involved in a transaction?
• The biggest highs and lows in the business so far
• How the team recruited its tech experts
• The new partnership and how Make an Impact podcast listeners can benefit and enable hundreds of trees to be planted every year – what a fantastic way of harnessing technology for good.

What next?

• For more information visit www.greenwallet.com/paymentprocessing Use the code IMPACT to enable 10 trees to be planted on registration and a halved commission fee for the first 6 months if you sell in the Green Wallet marketplace.
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Karis Gill was already a serial entrepreneur when she discovered social enterprise. She figured gifts are a wonderful way to introduce people to what she, like Heidi, believes is the future of business.

Social Stories Club, a social enterprise Karis co-founded, offers gifts (wonderful products which make a difference) accompanied by engaging, powerful stories.

Karis describes how it maps and manages its impacts; how it uses stories; and how she and her team decide what products to include.

The business gives opportunities to people with barriers to employment and is going from strength to strength – but how did it weather the storms of the pandemic, an enormous fall in orders from corporate clients, and a cardboard packaging shortage? Karis explains and tells us the story of Social Stories Club.

Links:

• Social Stories Club.
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.