The Positive News Podcast

Positive News
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The Positive News Podcast rebalances your media diet with uplifting, independent journalism about solutions and progress. Our new weekly video podcast, What Went Right, is your regular dose of good news from around the world. Each week, Positive News chief digital editor Tom Pattinson and journalist and broadcaster Lucy Watson pick three stories worth knowing about – spanning climate, science, health, conservation, technology, communities and social change. Expect informed conversation, surprising developments and stories that might just shift your perspective on the state of the world.

  1. 4d ago

    What Went Right: 27 years later, the last landmines are cleared

    What Went Right is the weekly video podcast that brings you the top stories of progress from around the world. In every episode, Positive News chief digital editor Tom Pattinson and journalist and broadcaster Lucy Watson pick three of the week's most interesting positive developments – from climate solutions and scientific breakthroughs to advances in healthcare, ambitious community projects, conservation wins and tech innovations. Expect informed conversation, surprising stories and a closer look at the people and ideas behind positive change. This week on What Went Right: Kosovo reaches the end of a 27-year landmine clearance operation, the world edges closer to its global conservation target, researchers develop a potentially less invasive way to test for womb cancer, and scientists identify a new wild cat in Bolivia. 💣 Kosovo clears its last landminesTwenty-seven years after the Kosovo War ended, a major humanitarian mine-clearance operation has been completed. Tom and Lucy look at the extraordinary scale of removing explosives from a landscape, how cleared land can return to farming, tourism and everyday life, and why Kosovo’s hard-won expertise is now being used to help countries including Ukraine and Syria. 🌍 Can the world protect 30% of the planet?Almost 200 countries agreed in 2022 to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030, and new figures suggest progress towards that goal is gathering pace. What Went Right looks at what it actually means for an area of land or ocean to be “protected”, why marine conservation is much harder to police, and how involving Indigenous communities and local fishing communities can determine whether conservation succeeds in practice.The discussion also looks at the recovery of wildlife inside genuinely protected areas, the High Seas Treaty and the gap between declaring an area protected and stopping damaging activities such as illegal fishing, bottom trawling, drilling and logging. 🧪 A less invasive test for womb cancerAround 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with womb cancer each year, while many more undergo uncomfortable investigations after experiencing possible symptoms.Researchers at the University of Manchester are developing tests using urine and vaginal samples that could offer a far less invasive way of identifying women who need further investigation. Tom and Lucy discuss how the approach could reduce unnecessary procedures, ease pressure on NHS services and what still needs to happen before a new test could become part of routine healthcare. 🐆 A new wild cat is identified in BoliviaTo finish this week’s What Went Right, scientists have identified what appears to be a previously unknown wild cat in Bolivia’s cloud forests.Roughly the size of a domestic cat but carrying striking leopard-like markings, the discovery is a reminder of how much of the natural world remains undocumented. Tom and Lucy ask what else could still be living in some of the planet’s least explored habitats, even as those ecosystems face pressure from deforestation and human activity. Subscribe to Positive News and follow What Went Right for a new episode every week, plus the full weekly roundup of positive news, solutions and signs of progress from around the world. #WhatWentRight #PositiveNews #GoodNews #Conservation #WombCancer #Kosovo #Wildlife #ClimateSolutions #Nature #SolutionsJournalism

    What Went Right: 27 years later, the last landmines are cleared

  2. Sep 22

    What Went Right: Plastic bag litter has fallen 80% on UK beaches

    What Went Right is the weekly video podcast that brings you the top stories of progress from around the world. In every episode, Positive News chief digital editor Tom Pattinson and journalist and broadcaster Lucy Watson pick three of the week's most interesting positive developments – from climate solutions and scientific breakthroughs to advances in healthcare, ambitious community projects, conservation wins and tech innovations. Expect informed conversation, surprising stories and a closer look at the people and ideas behind positive change. This week: Bristol takes aim at high-carbon advertising, plastic bag litter plunges on UK beaches, and Singapore tries a new way to get people reading. ⛽ Putting the brakes on fossil fuel ads Bristol has become the latest city to restrict advertising for fossil fuels and other high-carbon products, including flights, cruises and SUVs, on council-owned advertising space. Tom and Lucy look at why cities are taking action, whether advertising restrictions can really change behaviour and where similar policies are already being tried. 🛍️ Plastic bag litter falls by 80% Plastic carrier bags found on UK beaches have fallen dramatically since charges were introduced, offering a clear example of a policy whose impact can be tracked over time. But with plastic still making up most beach litter, how much further do we need to go – and could deposit return schemes be the next big shift? 📚 Why reading could be good for your health A new Cambridge review of the evidence links reading for pleasure with better brain health, cognition and wellbeing, as well as a reduced risk of cognitive decline. Meanwhile, Singapore is encouraging people to swap scrolling for 15 minutes of reading a day, prompting a wider conversation about books, attention spans, access to reading and why sometimes a comic or graphic novel is more than enough. Subscribe to Positive News wherever you get your podcasts. And for 10 stories of progress delivered to your inbox each week, sign up to our What Went Right newsletter at www.positive.news/letter #WhatWentRight #PositiveNews #GoodNews

    What Went Right: Plastic bag litter has fallen 80% on UK beaches

  3. Apr 21

    Meet the curator helping artists to thrive in London | Ep5 | The Purpose Pioneers

    What happens when artists can no longer afford to live and work in the cities they help shape? In the fifth episode of The Purpose Pioneers, the new podcast series from Positive News, we meet Eline van der Vlist, CEO of SPACE, the UK’s first social enterprise dedicated to providing affordable studio space for artists. Founded in London in 1968 by artists Bridget Riley and Peter Sedgley, SPACE was created in response to a growing need for accessible creative space. Today, it supports more than 900 artists across 21 sites in London and Colchester, offering studios where they can develop their work and sustain their practice. In this conversation with Positive News’ Sarah LaBrecque, Eline shares her unconventional journey from law into the arts, having worked across Amsterdam, London and New York before retraining as a curator and leading projects across Europe and the Middle East. She reflects on three defining moments that shaped her sense of purpose and led her to head one of the UK’s most influential arts organisations. Together, they explore the structural challenges facing artists in urban centres, where creative communities often drive regeneration only to be priced out of the very places they helped transform. Eline explains how SPACE intervenes in this cycle by acquiring and managing buildings to provide long-term, affordable studios in central locations. She discusses the wider value artists bring, not only through their contribution to the economy, but in shaping the cultural identity that makes cities vibrant and globally relevant. The episode also looks at how SPACE combines property, social enterprise and cultural programming, from leasing studios at below-market rates to curating exhibitions that give emerging artists visibility and opportunity. More broadly, the conversation explores what it takes to sustain creative ecosystems in an era of rising costs, and how purpose-driven organisations can protect the people and practices that define a city’s cultural life. -- The Purpose Pioneers is a new podcast series from Positive News about the journey of turning ideals into action. Producer: Simon Elliott, Crowdfindervideo Host and story editor: Sarah LaBrecque Series editor: Tom Pattinson Production lead: Pauline Milligan Executive producer: Sean Wood The Purpose Pioneers is sponsored by Triodos Bank, a bank for people and organisations who want to create positive impact.

    Meet the curator helping artists to thrive in London | Ep5 | The Purpose Pioneers

  4. Feb 10

    Meet the banker proving profit and purpose can coexist | Ep4 | The Purpose Pioneers

    What if banks could actively make the world better – for people, communities and the planet – without sacrificing financial sustainability?   In the fourth episode of The Purpose Pioneers, a new podcast series from Positive News, we meet Mark Clayton, CEO of Triodos Bank UK, an ethical bank dedicated to funding positive social, environmental and cultural change.   Triodos is not just a bank, it is a purpose-driven organisation aiming to “finance change and change finance,” proving that profit and ethics can coexist. From supporting renewable energy projects to funding organic food, community housing and nature-based solutions, Triodos shows that banking can create practical impact while respecting long-term environmental and social goals.   In conversation with Positive News’ Sarah LaBrecque, Mark reflects on three defining moments that shaped his commitment to ethical finance: his early career in mainstream banking, leading a society-focused financial education programme at HSBC, and his shift into roles at Unity Trust Bank and later Triodos. These experiences helped him move from frustration with short-termism to a vision for a bank where profit serves people and planet alike.   Mark shares the challenges and rewards of leading an ethical bank, from navigating climate challenges and political uncertainty to witnessing real-world impact. He talks about moments of joy, such as a child smiling for the first time thanks to a Triodos-supported project, and walking on land restored to meadow through nature-based investments.   The episode explores what it takes to run a values-led business in a complex, high-stakes sector, and how purpose-driven organisations can make financial, social and environmental outcomes mutually reinforcing. Mark also reflects on his personal motivation: ensuring the next generation inherits a world where ethical banking is the norm, not the exception.   --   The Purpose Pioneers is a new podcast series from Positive News about the journey of turning ideals into action. Producer: Simon Elliott, Crowdfindervideo Host and story editor: Sarah LaBrecque Series editor: Tom Pattinson Production lead: Pauline Milligan Executive producer: Sean Wood   The Purpose Pioneers is sponsored by Triodos Bank, a bank for people and organisations who want to create positive impact.   --   #positivenews #purpose #leadership #sustainability #podcast#PurposePioneers #sustainablesolutions #solutionsjournalism

    Meet the banker proving profit and purpose can coexist | Ep4 | The Purpose Pioneers

  5. Feb 3

    Meet the CEO bringing trees, beavers and wild cows back to Scotland | Ep3 | The Purpose Pioneers

    What if restoring nature also meant restoring communities, livelihoods and long-term economic resilience? In the third episode of The Purpose Pioneers, the new podcast series from Positive News, we meet Steve Micklewright, CEO of Trees for Life, one of the UK’s most ambitious nature restoration charities. Trees for Life works at scale to rewild the Scottish Highlands, regenerating the ancient Caledonian Forest and repairing ecosystems damaged by centuries of human activity. Under Steve’s leadership, the organisation shows that environmental regeneration, social impact and viable economic models do not have to compete. When designed well, they can reinforce one another. In this conversation with Positive News’ Sarah LaBrecque, Steve shares his personal journey into conservation, from a childhood shaped by time spent outdoors to leading international environmental campaigns, and ultimately choosing a hopeful, solutions-focused path through rewilding. Together, they explore three defining moments that shaped Steve’s sense of purpose, and how those experiences helped move his thinking beyond idealism and into practical, long-term action. Steve explains what rewilding really means, and why it is as much about re-peopling landscapes as restoring nature. He discusses how purpose-driven organisations can create jobs, support rural economies and strengthen communities, while enabling the return of keystone species such as beavers and wild cattle. These animals, he argues, work with natural processes to help repair damaged ecosystems. The episode also looks at how Trees for Life blends charitable funding, ethical finance and social enterprise to make large-scale impact financially sustainable. Steve reflects on moments of unexpected joy, from coming face to face with a wolf in the Italian Dolomites to witnessing beavers return to Glen Affric after an absence of 400 years, and shares his vision for a future Scotland where forests, wildlife and people exist in balance. -- The Purpose Pioneers is a podcast series from Positive News about the journey of turning ideals into action. Producer: Simon Elliott, Crowdfindervideo Host and story editor: Sarah LaBrecque Series editor: Tom Pattinson Production lead: Pauline Milligan Executive producer: Sean Wood The Purpose Pioneers is sponsored by Triodos Bank, a bank for people and organisations who want to create positive impact.

    Meet the CEO bringing trees, beavers and wild cows back to Scotland | Ep3 | The Purpose Pioneers

  6. Jan 27

    Meet the entrepreneur who is electrifying Scotland’s buses | Ep2 | The Purpose Pioneers

    What if you never had to wait for a bus again? And what if that bus was comfortable, reliable and powered by clean electricity? In the second episode of The Purpose Pioneers, the new podcast series from Positive News, we meet Keith Bradbury, co-founder of Ember, the UK’s first all-electric intercity bus company. Ember is not just a public transport operator. It was built to tackle a familiar frustration: unreliable buses that push people back into their cars. Keith and his co-founder set out to make sustainable travel so dependable and appealing that people would actively choose it. In this conversation with Positive News’ Sarah LaBrecque, Keith explains how Ember rebuilt the bus model from the ground up, from designing its own electric buses and charging hubs to developing in-house software and rethinking the passenger experience. Keith reflects on three defining moments that shaped his sense of purpose, including why he chose buses over more headline-grabbing climate technologies, and why visible, everyday impact mattered more than distant future promises. Launching an all-electric bus network during the COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected challenges, but also space to focus on long-term thinking, operational resilience and values-led decision making. The episode explores what it takes to change complex systems, how purpose-driven businesses can stay grounded while embracing uncertainty, and the small human moments that make the work worthwhile, from loyal long-term passengers to gestures that reflect genuine public trust in the brand. The Purpose Pioneers is a new podcast series from Positive News about the journey of turning ideals into action. Producer: Simon Elliott, Crowdfindervideo Host and story editor: Sarah LaBrecque Series editor: Tom Pattinson Production lead: Pauline Milligan Executive producer: Sean Wood The Purpose Pioneers is sponsored by Triodos Bank, a bank for people and organisations who want to create positive impact.

    Meet the entrepreneur who is electrifying Scotland’s buses | Ep2 | The Purpose Pioneers

  7. Jan 20

    Meet the visionary woman creating space for disabled kids to play | Ep1 | The Purpose Pioneers

    What if every child had the chance to move, play and thrive – no matter their ability?  In the first episode of The Purpose Pioneers, the new podcast series from Positive News, we meet Stephanie Wheen, CEO and founder of Gympanzees – a groundbreaking organisation creating the UK’s first fully inclusive exercise and play centre for disabled children and young people. More than one in 10 children in the UK are disabled, yet most are still excluded from mainstream leisure centres, sports facilities and play spaces. Gympanzees exists to change that reality. Located near Bristol, the space is designed from the ground up for children with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities, while also welcoming siblings, friends and carers. In this conversation with Positive News’ Sarah LaBrecque, Stephanie reflects on three defining moments in her journey – from growing up with a disabled brother, to the turning point where frustration transformed into action, and the joyful breakthrough that showed inclusive spaces can change lives. She talks through the practical steps that turned an idea into a viable, values-led organisation, alongside the challenges of building something new within existing systems and the rewards of seeing children gain independence and confidence through movement and play. The episode explores what it takes to turn purpose into action, and how thoughtful design, ethical finance and long-term thinking can help create spaces where everyone belongs. The Purpose Pioneers is a new podcast series from Positive News about the journey of turning ideals into action.  Producer: Simon Elliott, Crowdfindervideo Host and story editor: Sarah LaBrecque Series editor: Tom Pattinson Production lead: Pauline Milligan Executive producer: Sean Wood The Purpose Pioneers is sponsored by Triodos Bank. Subscribe to the Positive News email newsletter: www.positive.news/letter

    Meet the visionary woman creating space for disabled kids to play | Ep1 | The Purpose Pioneers

  8. Jan 16 ·  Bonus

    Introducing The Purpose Pioneers

    The Purpose Pioneers is a new podcast series from Positive News about the journey of turning ideals into action. Across five insightful conversations, host Sarah LaBrecque meets people at the forefront of some of the UK’s most inspiring organisations – from the charity leader bringing the joy of play to thousands of excluded disabled children, to the founder who is making coach travel cool again. Exploring three defining moments in each guest’s story, the series uncovers the challenges and rewards of putting purpose into practice.

    Introducing The Purpose Pioneers
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

The Positive News Podcast rebalances your media diet with uplifting, independent journalism about solutions and progress. Our new weekly video podcast, What Went Right, is your regular dose of good news from around the world. Each week, Positive News chief digital editor Tom Pattinson and journalist and broadcaster Lucy Watson pick three stories worth knowing about – spanning climate, science, health, conservation, technology, communities and social change. Expect informed conversation, surprising developments and stories that might just shift your perspective on the state of the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Positive News
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Positive News
  • Show Website
    The Positive News Podcast