RSPH Presents: Spread the Health

For the final episode of 2025, William is joined by James Bethell, also known as Lord Bethell, for an extended interview. We cover everything from his early career as a clubbing pioneer with the Ministry of Sound to his time as a health minister, as well as his post-government career as an RSPH trustee and evangelist for prevention.Got a question for the podcast? Email [email protected] and share your thoughts!Credits:Hosted by William RobertsProduced by David Utley-Williams, Ben Kosma and Connie SeamerRecorded and edited by Ben KosmaMusic by Ceton via Pixabay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, we're mixing things up a little bit on the podcast. With William having recently returned from the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), David is taking to the interviewer's chair to ask him about his impressions of the current state of American public health. What is the mood of the sector in light of cutbacks, lawsuits and policy shifts? And what similarities are there with the public health challenges faced in the UK and globally?Plus William speaks to Simon Dixon, RSPH head of Policy and Public Affairs, about the recent Mayfield review into workplace health, also known as the Keep Britain Working Report.Got a question for the podcast? Email [email protected] and share your thoughts!Credits:Hosted by William Roberts and David Utley-WilliamsProduced by David Utley-Williams, Ben Kosma and Connie SeamerRecorded and edited by Ben KosmaMusic by Ceton via Pixabay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Public health doesn't exist in a vacuum. Just like any other sector, it has to navigate an increasingly tumultuous and uncertain political climate to achieve any real change.Fresh from party conference season, former government special advisor and Future Health founder Richard Sloggett joins William to discuss the realities of public health policy making, the challenges faced by the current government, and what a continuation of recent poll results could mean for the future of public health.Read more from Richard on his Substack and find out more about his work with Future Health.Got a question for the podcast? Email [email protected] and share your thoughts!Credits:Hosted by William RobertsProduced by David Utley-Williams, Ben Kosma and Connie SeamerRecorded and edited by Ben KosmaMusic by Ceton via Pixabay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Childhood bereavement can have a serious impact on health and wellbeing. To shed light on the realities of how universally anticipatory grief and bereavement affect us physically as well as mentally and emotionally, we spoke to Ines and Deepa at Ruth Strauss Foundation.Founded after the death of Ruth Strauss, wife of Cricketer Sir Andrew Strauss, their work focuses on support for families facing the death of a loved one with a terminal illness, as well as research into non-smoking lung cancers. Ines and Deepa speak to William about their mission, their collaboration with RSPH on pre-bereavement training for schools and workplaces, as well as how sport can bring communities together in the face of tragedy.We also hear from Producer Ben, who has stepped out from behind the mixing desk to talk about the newly redesigned RSPH website.Find out more about the Ruth Strauss Foundation's work at www.ruthstraussfoundation.com.Got a question for the podcast? Email [email protected] and share your thoughts!Credits:Hosted by William RobertsProduced by David Utley-Williams, Ben Kosma and Connie SeamerRecorded and edited by Ben KosmaMusic by Ceton via Pixabay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content warning: this episode discusses youth suicide and depression.This month, William speaks to mental health campaigner Ben West, who, after the tragic suicide of his brother as a teenager, decided to try and make a difference to how youth mental health is understood and treated in the UK. Ben discusses how his experiences shaped his campaign work, why policy takes such a long time to produce change in this country, and how we should be planning to make a long-term difference.Alongside that, Laura joins from the RSPH team to discuss our recent climate change e-learning offer.Got a question for the podcast? Email [email protected] and share your thoughts!Credits:Hosted by William RobertsProduced by David Utley Williams, Ben Kosma and Connie SeamerRecorded and edited by Ben KosmaMusic by Ceton via Pixabay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.