Send us Fan Mail

Gambling harm can look like nothing more than “a flutter” right up until it has swallowed someone’s work, relationships, confidence and mental health. I’m joined by Matt Smith, Director of External Affairs at Betknowmore UK, who speaks with rare honesty about his own recovery and why gambling addiction is so easy to hide even from yourself.

We get into what harm actually means in day-to-day life: the shame that drives isolation, the cognitive dissonance that makes everything feel manageable when it is not, and the gaps that can appear when professionals do not yet have the right awareness or pathways. Matt also explains why gambling harm affects people from every background, and why “affected others” such as parents, partners and friends often carry serious distress in silence too.

Matt breaks down how Betknowmore UK approaches gambling harms support as a public health issue, working with local authorities, NHS England and Public Health Scotland, and building community-based services that meet people where they already are. We talk prevention through accredited training, peer support through Peer Aid, women-only support via New Beginnings, and outreach like Goals that brings brief interventions into everyday community settings. We also explore the practical realities that sit underneath recovery, including debt, money taboo, and housing stability as a foundation for rebuilding life.

If you find this conversation useful, please subscribe, share the episode with someone who might need it, and leave a review so more people can find practical, stigma-free gambling harm support and recovery stories.

Contact Betknowmore UK: https://www.betknowmoreuk.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betknowmore-uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betknowmoreuk/

Welcome to Make Impact Podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, strategies, and solutions that drive real change. I'm Heidi Fisher and I work with organisations 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.

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.

Support the show

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 Fan Mail

We keep asking why anxiety is rising, why school feels harder, and why so many people hit crisis before they get help. Then Natasha drops a simple idea that changes the lens: as we cut play and creativity out of children’s lives, we should not be surprised by the mental health fallout. Natasha is Head of Therapy and Wellbeing at Mind Apart and a HCPC registered drama therapist, and she explains how creative therapy works in the real world, not as a “nice extra”, but as an accessible route into safety, trust, and change.

We talk about what creative therapy actually looks like, from using metaphor in a parent support session to using music, movement, art, and drama to help someone express what words cannot hold. Natasha shares why these approaches can be especially powerful for neurodivergent people, people with English as a second language, and anyone who has tried traditional talking therapy without success. We also explore the trauma-informed side of the work: the chance to revisit a story, rewrite an ending, add missing support, and rebuild a sense of agency without forcing disclosure before someone is ready.

The conversation goes wider too, into education pressure, the long tail of post-pandemic grief and disconnection, and the practical reality of delivering community mental health support while NHS waiting lists stretch into years. Natasha breaks down the funding and contracting pain points that make “neighbourhood health services” hard to deliver, even when outcomes are strong and demand is obvious.

If you want a grounded, hopeful look at creative therapy, prevention, and what mental health support could be when we value emotional wellbeing, hit play. Subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who cares about change.

Connect with A Mind Apart: https://amindapart.org.uk/

Support the show

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 Fan Mail

Dance can feel like a simple pleasure, but what if it is also one of the most underused tools we have for healthy ageing? I’m joined by Faye O’Connor, a registered dance movement psychotherapist and the founder of Xpress Yourself Dance CIC, to unpack what really happens when older adults move together and why it matters for prevention, connection, and quality of life.

We get into the practical health benefits of dance classes for over 60s: balance and coordination work that supports mobility, routines that deliberately change to push learning and stimulate the brain, and a realistic view of falls prevention where reaction and dexterity can make the difference. We also talk about pain, arthritis, and the fear of movement, and why the right kind of supportive, welcoming session can help people feel safer in their bodies again.

Some of the most powerful moments are about dementia care. Faye shares how movement can become a real conversation when words are no longer available, and how music can hold emotion and unlock memory, even if only briefly. We also explore neighbourhood health, the promise of social prescribing, and what it looks like when community organisations spot local needs early and build services that people actually want.

If you care about preventative healthcare, dementia support, community wellbeing, or social impact, this one is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs a nudge to move, and leave a review so more people can find the podcast.

Contact Xpress Yourself:

Website: https://www.xpress-yourself.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/Xpre55Your5elf/

https://www.youtube.com/@XpressYourselfKD

Support the show

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.