Finding Your Voice on National Prison Radio, with Lady Unchained

Finding Your Voice on National Prison Radio, with Lady Unchained

In overcrowded, violent prisons, showing emotion can be seen as weakness. Creativity can become a lifeline. Lady Unchained explores how creative writing can give prisoners a way to express what they cannot say out loud. Drawing on her own time in custody, she explains how discovering poetry gave her hope for a better future.  She shares the journey of her award-winning hit show, Free Flow, on National Prison Radio, and how it is helping prisoners across the UK prison population to find their voice, reflect on their actions and redefine their futures.    Links and Resources * Unchained [https://www.unchained.org.uk/]  * Behind Bars: On punishment, prison & release [https://www.waterstones.com/book/behind-bars/brenda-birungi/9781914240317] by Lady Unchained  * National Prison Radio [https://prison.radio/national-prison-radio/]  * National Literacy Trust | New Chapters [https://literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/books-unlocked/new-chapters/]    The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence.   We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.     To find out more, visit our website [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast⁠ ]   Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund  Tell us what you think of Safe by completing this short survey   Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund  Series Producer: Meera Kumar

Treating Violence With a Public Health Approach, with Grace Strong

How can we prevent violence before it happens?  Grace Strong, who helped set up and leads the Violence Reduction Network for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, has spent her career working with communities affected by crime. She discusses how addressing the issues behind offending — trauma, abuse, rejection, isolation — lies at the heart of the ‘public health’ approach to preventing violence. She explains how this principle underpins Focused Deterrence, an approach that successfully reduced violent crime in US cities and is now being tested across the UK.    Links & Resources  * Violence Reduction Network [https://www.violencereductionnetwork.co.uk/]  * YEF Toolkit | Focused Deterrence [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/toolkit/focused-deterrence/]  * Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 | The scale of violence affecting children [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/scale-of-violence/]    The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence.   We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.     To find out more, visit our website [ ⁠https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast⁠ ]   Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund  Tell us what you think about Safe in this short survey [https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl].   Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund  Series Producer: Meera Kumar

How Cultural Sensitivity Can Address Trauma, with Ben Lindsay

When a young person is dealing with grief or trauma, support should be there. But what if the people meant to help don’t understand their world? Ben Lindsay, founder of Power the Fight, reflects on growing up in South East London and his work with children facing the day-to-day realities of violence. He explains why support can fall short and why therapy and public services need to be culturally sensitive if they’re going to make a difference.    LINKS & RESOURCES  Website: Power the Fight [https://www.powerthefight.org.uk/]  Research: Therapeutic Intervention for Peace (TIP) Report [https://www.powerthefight.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/tip-report.pdf]  Research: Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 | Mental health and experiences of violence [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/mental-health/]    The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence.   We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.     Find out more [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast⁠ ]   Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund  Tell us what you think by completing this short survey [https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl]   Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund  Series Producer: Meera Kumar

Youth Clubs: Loss, Legacy and the Future, with Emma Warren

Since 2010, the number of council-run youth centres in Britain has more than halved, but at what cost? Drawing on her research into the history of youth clubs, author Emma Warren explores their cultural significance and their role in helping young people discover their identity, build connections and stay safe. With the government’s new National Youth Strategy, is this a fresh start or a false dawn? Links & Resources * Book: Up the Youth Club: Illuminating a Hidden History [https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571389216-up-the-youth-club/?srsltid=AfmBOookiyrmDbrPO0dQ_xHBxJA8ZWP0UM5lpmXSN9hruA7XlAtQceH3] by Emma Warren  * Book: Dance Your Way Home: A Journey Through the Dancefloor [https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571366040-dance-your-way-home/] by Emma Warren  * Research: Children, violence and vulnerability 2024 | Who has access to positive activities, youth clubs and trusted adults? [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2024/positive-activities-trusted-adults/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast]  * Research: Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 | Exploitation and Gangs [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/exploitation-gangs/]  * Research: Beyond the Headlines 2025 [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/beyond-the-headlines-2025/]  * Policy paper: Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-matters-your-national-youth-strategy/youth-matters-your-national-youth-strategy]   Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund [https://www.instagram.com/youthendowfund/] Tell us what you think in this short survey [https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl]   Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund  Series Producer: Meera Kumar

Keeping Children in School - and Safe, with Kiran Gill

School absences, suspensions, and exclusions have reached record highs in recent years. Behind the numbers is a complex story of trauma, vulnerability and unmet needs. What’s causing this trend — and how can we tackle it? Kiran Gill, former teacher and founder of The Difference, explores how schools can prevent lost learning while helping children stay safe.    Links & resources  Website: The Difference [https://the-difference.com/]  Resource for education leaders: Education, Children and Violence [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/education-guidance/]  Resource for policymakers: Education Policy, Children and Violence [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/education-policy-children-and-violence/]  Research: Association between school exclusion, suspension, absence and violent crime [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/secondary-data-analysis/an-examination-of-the-association-between-school-absence-exclusion-and-violent-crime/]  Research: Beyond the Headlines 2025 [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/beyond-the-headlines-2025/]  Research: Making The Difference: Breaking the link between school exclusion and social exclusion [https://www.ippr.org/articles/making-the-difference]  Research: Who is losing learning? [https://the-difference.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/FINAL-Who-is-Losing-Learning-Solutions-Report.pdf]  Research: Lost learning: Prevalence, inequalities and outcomes of internal exclusion in mainstream secondary schools [https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.70049]  Stats: Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England [https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2024-25-autumn-term]  The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence.   We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.   To find out more, visit ⁠⁠YEF's website⁠ [https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast%26%238288%3B%A0]⁠.   Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund  ⁠⁠Tell us what you think in this short survey⁠ [https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl]⁠   Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund  Series Producer: Meera Kumar