Podcast: On the Air
Stonewater's podcast, On the Air is a new platform that discusses not only housing, but national campaigns such as Make a Stand, ground-breaking development schemes and our approach to putting customers at the heart of everything we do.
Click here to visit our archive and listen to series 1 & 2.
Featuring key industry figures, our employees and our customers, we will be bringing you the conversations that matter.
Series 3, Episode 10: Inside Jobs: Part 2
On the first episode of Inside Jobs (a two-part special), our guests talked about increasing financial pressures on households and the impact of remote working on low paid workers.
In part two, guest co-hosts David Button and Jenny Sawyer, will be continuing the conversation to explore what employers can do to ensure the benefits of homeworking are experienced equally.
Featuring special guests Dave Lockerman (Director of Housing Operations), Andy Peers (CEO at Longleigh Foundation), Katy Neep (Campaign Manager at Business in the Community) and Stonewater customer Louise Kitson.
Series 3, Episode 9: Inside Jobs: Part 1
Earlier in series 3 (episode 4), Stonewater announced that it had commissioned new research by Demos, Britain's leading cross-party think-tank, to understand the impacts of remote working on low paid workers in the UK.
In the first episode of this two-part special guest co-hosts Jenny Sawyer (Director of People, Culture and Change at Stonewater) and David Button will explore the findings of the report ‘Inside Jobs’ and the recommendations from the research to ensure the benefits of homeworking are experienced equally.
Featuring special guests Dave Lockerman (Director of Housing Operations), Andy Peers (CEO at Longleigh Foundation), Katy Neep (Campaign Manager at Business in the Community) and Stonewater customer Louise Kitson.
Series 3, Episode 8: Introducing the Energy Superhub Oxford project and its cost-savings to customers
The housing sector is responsible for a large portion of carbon emissions in the UK, so if there is any hope of hitting the government’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the way in which we heat our homes needs addressing. However, with five million homes in the UK social housing sector, there is a mammoth task ahead in order to deliver more energy efficient homes. In this episode, host Anisha Patel is joined by guest co-host Emily Batchford, Environmental Sustainability Officer at Stonewater, to interview guests Adam Masters, Environmental Sustainability Manager at Stonewater, Matthew Trewhella, Managing Director of Kensa Contracting and Stonewater customer, Paul Brennan about Stonewater’s involvement with the Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project and the benefits to its customers.
Series 3, Episode 7: Living and breathing EDI: Action not just words
Race Equality Week aims to unite the country to actively and seriously address race in the workplace from 7-13th February (2022). In a specially timed episode, host Anisha Patel is joined by guest co-host Tom Morris (Internal Communications and Engagement Lead), David Blower (Executive Director – Corporate Services), Jade Bradford, (Customer Communications and Engagement Manager) and Cordelia Johnney (Head of Diversity Inclusion) to discuss this year’s theme for Race Equality Week - #ActionNotJustWords. From allyship to tackling bias in recruitment, our guests explore why EDI is a priority for Stonewater and how having a diverse and representative workforce is important for our customers too.
Series 3, Episode 6: 16 Days of Activism: Awareness, Action and Accountability
In this episode, guests will be discussing the aims of this year’s 16 days of action against domestic abuse campaign and explore why an intersectional approach to domestic abuse is vital; highlighting the various barriers many marginalised groups and individuals face when trying to flee domestic abuse and access support. Host Anisha Patel is joined by guest co-host Sandra Chidavaenzi, Domestic Abuse Transformation Manager at Stonewater, as well as Nicola Lambe, Head of Domestic Abuse at Stonewater, Dr Hannana Siddiqui, Head of Policy, Research and Fundraising at Southall Black Sisters and Astrid Palmer, LGBTQ+ specialist at Victim Support.
Series 3, Episode 5: Fuel Poverty
For many, fuel poverty is just poverty by another name. While some emergency help and financial support does exist for those who are struggling to pay their energy bills, it often doesn’t go far enough.
On this episode of On the Air, Host Anisha Patel is joined by guest co-host Emily Batchford, Environmental Sustainability Officer at Stonewater to talk about the work the organisation is currently doing to maximise the efficiency of its homes to ensure they are warm and affordable now and in the future, for customers.
Series 3, Episode 4: Modern Poverties: Exploring homeworking and income inequalities
In 2020 Stonewater worked with think tank IPPR to produce ‘All Hands to the Pump,’ to find solutions to the ‘retrofitting challenge’ and pave the way to increasing the number of low-carbon homes in the UK.
This year, Stonewater is working with think tank Demos to take a deep dive into modern poverties for low paid remote workers. Host Anisha Patel will be joined by guest co-host David Button (Cavendish Advocacy) to discuss the research proposal and potential impact with Dave Lockerman (Stonewater) and Rose Lasko-Skinner (Demos).
Series 3, Episode 3: The INVITE Project
Funded by the Longleigh Foundation, the INVITE project (undertaken by the University of Stirling) aims to investigate how assistive and everyday technologies can be implemented in retirement living properties to improve residents’ quality of life and sustain inclusive communities.
In this episode, our hosts are joined by Dr Grant Gibson (Lecturer in Dementia Studies and Co-Investigator, University of Stirling), Dr Steve Rolfe (Research Fellow from University of Stirling) and Pat Harvey (retirement living customer, Stonewater) to discuss the project and what it's like to live with dementia, and the impact the project hopes to achieve.
Series 3, Episode 2: The George Blunden Public Art Prize
For the first time, Stonewater has launched its own public art prize to give talented artists from all over the country – both established and emerging – who are producing ground-breaking and innovative artworks the chance to deliver a series of pieces that can sit proudly on its development schemes.
In this latest episode of On the Air, host Anisha Patel is joined by guest co-host Jonathan Layzell, Executive Director of Development at Stonewater to talk about launching the George Blunden Public Art Prize and the value of public art to its customers and communities. Joined by metal sculptor Mick Kirkby-Geddes and Jacqueline Burton, development manager at Stonewater, the two panelists give their insight into producing public art and what artists should consider in their entry.
Series 3, Episode 1: 6 months on: Tackling veteran homelessness
In Series 1, we sat down with colleagues from Stonewater and its partners to talk about an innovative community build scheme that was changing the lives of six veterans. It’s been six months since the development was completed and the veterans moved into their brand-new homes. Host Anisha Patel will be joined by guest host and Director of Development (South and West) at Stonewater, Matt Crucefix, to catch up with Dwaine, one of the veterans involved in the scheme and find out what life’s been like since he moved into his home on Noden’s Mews (on Waterworks Lane in the Herefordshire town of Leominster).