Social Media Rewards Conflict More Than Community

SPOT: St Catherine's Hospice Midnight Walk

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591386/fan_mail/new]  SPOT: a slightly different format to the Roundtable discussions where we step back from the debate to Spotlight a social initiative, local event or charity. Saturday 6th June and it's the Midnight Walk 2026! Orange T-shirts, glitter, LED tutus, and a range of routes from 2miles to 17miles - walking through the night in the memory of friends, family and for a hospice that depends on its community to keep end-of-life care personal, local, and available. From the start line at the St Catherine’s Hospice Midnight Walk, we soak up the atmosphere and meet the walkers who are out there for mums, dads, neighbours, and friends they still carry with them. We also sit down for an in depth conversation with Giles Tomsett, St Catherine’s Hospice CEO to get honest about what hospice care really is. Many people picture a building, but a huge amount of hospice support happens in people’s homes, working alongside GPs, district nurses, and social care to help someone die at home if that’s their wish. We talk about what a “good death” can mean in real life, why those final moments matter so much to families, and the surprising national context, including the fact that 44% of deaths in the UK still happen in a hospital. Then we get into the reality of hospice funding across Sussex & Surrey: how NHS funding contributes, why charity shops and events like the Midnight Walk are vital, and why regular monthly donations help hospices plan when costs rise. If you’ve ever wondered how to support palliative care in your area, this conversation gives clear, practical options and a powerful reason to act. If it moves you, please share this with someone local, subscribe so you don’t miss the deeper hospice care conversation we want to host next, and leave us a review. Who would you walk for? Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.

SPOT: Reigate Summer Festival

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591386/fan_mail/new]  SPOT: a slightly different format to the Roundtable discussions where we step back from the debate to Spotlight a Charity or in this case a local arts festival - Reigate Summer Festival with Tim Glynne-Jones.  A rock set in the mouth of a tunnel, choirs in a church, an art exhibition, and a pop-up photo show inside an estate agent. Reigate Summer Festival is the kind of bold, creative and friendly idea that makes you look at your own town differently, and we’re joined by one of the organisers Tim Glynne-Jones to explain how it all comes together. We talk through the festival weekend (19 to 21 June) and why the team describe it as a mini Edinburgh in Surrey: music, dance, drama, poetry, literature, film, photography, fashion and more, much of it free to enjoy. Tim shares the longer story too, from launching New Music Nights in 2013 as a platform for original songwriters, to building New Music Fest, and then widening the collaboration so multiple arts organisations can help shape a true general arts festival right in the centre of Reigate. You’ll get a clear guide to the layout with four key venues and stages, plus a fast-growing fringe of 30+ locations across cafés, bars, shops and community spaces. We also cover the festival’s charity partners, how donations raised around £5,000 last year, and what’s new this year including an upcycled-friendly fashion show at Ivory Lounge, more photography, more art, and low-cost workshops that make it easy to learn something new with friends or kids. If you like local culture, live music, community arts, and practical ideas you can actually act on, press play, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend in Sussex or Surrey, and leave us a review with your favourite part of the festival. Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.

Knife Crime: Fear, Survival & The Ripple Effect

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591386/fan_mail/new] Special Guest: Keith Collyer, Crawley Combat Academy and Shariff Boolaky, Menshare Listening Group. Plus Roundtable Featuring: Maureen Jones, Micaela Leal, Abigail Chapman-Miller & Iqbal Khan. Host: Clive Hilton.  A knife doesn’t just threaten one person, it detonates consequences across families, schools, and whole streets. We sit down to talk honestly about knife crime, why the fear of being attacked pushes some young people to carry blades, and why places like Crawley feel the pressure so sharply. Along the way we challenge the comforting myths, including the idea that it is only “gang stuff” or that it can be solved with one slogan. Keith Collyer from Crawley Combat Academy explains what real-world knife awareness looks like: spotting pre-attack indicators, managing distance, moving with purpose, and escaping rather than trying to win a fight. We also hear personal stories of being stabbed, surviving threats, and the numb shock that hits even when you think you know what to do. The conversation keeps returning to trauma and the ripple effect, and why counselling and support are vital for victims and families who are left carrying it for years. We then zoom out to prevention: county lines, youth violence, easy access to kitchen knives, parenting awareness, and the debate around policing, stop and search, and deterrence. Abigail Chapman-Miller shares what it means when youth services disappear and you only qualify for help after you’ve been convicted, while Shariff Boolaky from Menshare Listening Group talks about education, responsibility, and creating routes out for young people who feel trapped by their environment.  If this topic matters to you, listen, share it with someone local, and subscribe for more community conversations. After you’ve listened, leave us a review and tell us what you think would make the biggest difference where you live. Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.

Clicks, Coffee & Community: The Future of the High Street

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591386/fan_mail/new]  Special Guests:  - Michelle Lucas, Only Dogs Ltd - an award winning Dog grooming business on Lingfield High Street. - Sami Ella Bristow, Blossoms Brunch & Coffee - a thriving community cafe in Godstone adept at navigating the challenges of rising costs & the sinkhole! Plus Roundtable Featuring: Maureen Jones, Micaela Leal, Georgie Lucas, Aga Es, Abigail Chapman-Miller, James Tidy & Magdalena Rahman. Host: Clive Hilton.  The high street is not dying because people do not care; it is changing because online convenience, rising costs and shifting habits make old retail models hard to sustain. We hear from local business owners and residents on what is really squeezing independents and what a more service-led, community high street could look like.  • rising costs for small businesses, from VAT and wages to commercial utilities and rates  • the impact of disruption and access, including road closures and parking pressure  • why taking on a shop lease feels like high-stakes risk versus reward  • how service businesses like grooming and hospitality keep footfall local  • the Amazon effect, price gaps, reviews and the lure of next day delivery  • fast fashion, returns culture, waste and sustainability on the high street  • what people miss most, from Woolworths to M&S, and what would bring them back  • realistic optimism around quality, community spirit and younger generations  Do follow us on Spotify. Let us know what you think of these episodes as well and future topics that we should cover. Tell us what do you think? Leave a comment below or click on send a text. Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.

SPOT: Find A Local Business (FALB)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591386/fan_mail/new]  SPOT: a slightly different format to the Roundtable discussions where we step back from the debate to Spotlight a Charity or in this case a local social initiative FALB (Find A Local Business) helping local independent businesses thrive. This SPOTlight compliments the Roundtable episode which lands Sunday 24 May, where we get into the High Street and challenges facing local businesses. We go to Maidenbower Park Community Club in Crawley to join the fortnightly Friday FALB networking event - a grassroots community meet-up that makes supporting local businesses feel easy, social, and genuinely useful. Along the way, we talk about the real challenges independent traders face, including the quiet loneliness of working from home, and why a simple coffee chat can unlock collaboration, referrals, and confidence. We also spotlight the below local businesses (please use the chapters to skip to relevant): - Emma Hollamby, Emma Hollamby Photography: www.emmahollambyphoto.co.uk - Michaela Bottner, Bloem Clinic: www.bloemclinic.co.uk - Katy Clarke, Green Serene Beauty Therapy and Tropic Skincare with Katy: www.tropicskincare.com/katyclarke - Tammy Hall, Stitched By T: @stitched_by_t - Zoe Mills, Zoe Mills Photography: www.zoemillsphotography.com - Amanda & Greger Young, Health Matters UK: www.healthmattersuk.co.uk (authors of 'Understanding Andropause' and 'The Men in Menopause') - Rasa Maria, French Tutor at www.interlangue.co.uk AND Seamstress @recouture To search for local businesses or to join as a member contact Nichola and the team at www.findalocalbusinesscrawley.co.uk Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.