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‘Creating nurture for people who’ve never had it” What happens when education is built around people instead of qualifications? Introducing Manchester’s dreamer who’s creating a movement that is changing the educational system not just in this city region, but across the world. Anthony Thompson is the founder of Navigators, who are creating vocational learning programmes that are opening doors for young people across Greater Manchester, creating pathways to employment, independence, and a stronger sense of purpose. Anthony shares the personal and professional experiences that led him to build places where young people are nurtured, plus the reason why he can still reel off Manchester city centre postcodes from memory. Lisa and Anthony discuss the power of community, the value of taking chances on people, and why creating lasting change often starts with someone simply believing in you. They also reflect on the meaning of legacy, the courage to think differently, and what it will take to ensure every young person in Greater Manchester has the opportunity to flourish. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Anthony and Navigators Via their website On LinkedIn On Instagram Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.

“ I'm interested in people's stories. I want to know where they've come from. I want to know what they're up to, what makes them tick.” Meet Gareth Shenton, the Manc who’ll always welcome you to his table and creates atmospheres you want to be a part of. Gareth is Operations Director at Shenton Group, which means he steers the ship across their buildings in Manchester City centre, including the former Freemasons Hall, now Manchester Hall, Shenton Group's 100-year-old Grade II-listed event space. This episode is a lesson in how to welcome people the Manc way and create events that live long in the memory. You'll hear Gareth and Lisa recount the We Built This City: Big Manc Chippy Tea event in February this year, which Gareth and the team at Manchester Hall made very special, serving 100 Mancs their favourite chippy order. So, when you're the life of the party, what are the values and beliefs that help you recharge and keep it real? And hear how Gareth came to join the cast of The Real Housewives of Cheshire for Series 20, coming to ITV very soon, and find out what's already causing drama -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Gareth & Manchester Hall Via Instagram Via LinkedIn Via the Manchester Hall Website Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X FKA Twitter Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.

The best networks aren’t built by asking; they’re built by giving. We Built This City host Lisa Morton was invited to be a guest on another great Manchester podcast, Blooming North, and you can hear that conversation in this episode. Lisa joined 'Coach to the North' Lisa Hughes on the most recent episode of the Blooming North podcast. Together they explored the idea of creating your own "Manchester Bank Account", the invisible wealth generated through generosity, consistency and showing up for others long before you need anything in return. You’ll hear them discuss that reputations are built over decades rather than days, and why the strongest professional relationships are made through countless small deposits; like making introductions, celebrating others and always doing what you say you’ll do. Lisa shares her lessons from building Roland Dransfield, the power of playing the long game, and why your reputation walks into a room before you do. The Blooming North Podcast is proudly sponsored by MX Location Experts, the global OOH agency of Miroma Group, helping brands connect with audiences in the moments and locations that matter. Listen to Blooming North here Find out more about the Bloom North Network Via their website Via Instagram Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield linkedin.com/in/lisamortonrdpr www.rdpr.co.uk Connect with Lisa Hughes, Founder and Director of Lisa Hughes Coaching. linkedin.com/in/lisahughescoaching Insta@LisaHughesCoaching www.LisaHughesCoaching.com Blooming North Producers: 1word productions www.1wordproductions.co.uk Blooming North studio space: Colony workspaces https://colonyco.work/office-space-northern-quarter

”She was a quiet rebel in class, a diamond sifter in a gravel pit." Caroline Aherne left Manchester with a comedic legacy that went on to redefine British TV. One of the many people she inspired is Dave Scott, the poet and author who you might know better as Argh Kid. Dave’s latest book ‘Rebel in Disguise', is a love letter to Caroline’s work as a writer, actress and comedian. Host Lisa Morton recorded this conversation at the We Built This City afternoon tea at Cloud 23 in The Manchester Deansgate Hotel, to celebrate the launch of Dave’s book. Dave has built a career out of finding the poetry in the lives of everyday Mancunians; from the phrases, the humour and the heart that makes this city region different. So it’s no surprise that Caroline and The Royle Family had a huge impact on him. As you'll hear him say, watching the show felt just like watching his own family; something many people who grew up in Greater Manchester will resonate with. In this episode, you'll hear why Dave believes Caroline was Greater Manchester's greatest artist; why he wanted to make her the focus of his next book, and you’ll also hear readings from the book that beautifully encapsulate Caroline’s genius. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Dave and buy his book Via Instagram Get the book Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.

”Our songs were all about how I felt being Mancunian” What does it look like to live a life immersed in the Manchester music scene and to make a city dance? Mike Pickering is the legendary Hacienda DJ, musician and former A&R for Factory Records and now, author. You can’t tell the story of music in Manchester over the past 40 years without Mike in the picture. In this episode, you’ll find out how Mike’s punk attitude has shaped everything he’s done, and how, in his mission to create spaces for the misfits, he’s also allowed thousands of people to express themselves and create memories that last a lifetime. After the recent Launch of Mike’s book; Manchester Must Dance: “A Life of Music, Madness and Moving on Up” he sat down with Lisa to share some of the stories that went into creating the book, like turning a Yacht showroom into the city’s most iconic night club the Hacienda, signing The Happy Mondays and James to Factory Records, and putting a New Order gig on In a water tower in Rotterdam. Hear Mike’s perspective on the incredible highs of being at the centre of the Hacienda and Factory Records boom as well as the lows, violence and fall of the club. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Mike Via Instagram Buy his book Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.

What does it take to run one of the UK's most ambitious city regions? Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, joins Lisa Morton to share how the region is turning devolution into real, tangible change for people's lives. Caroline has helped shape some of the most significant developments in Greater Manchester in recent years, including the Bee Network; the region's locally run public transport system. She also played a central role in developing the Greater Manchester Strategy, a plan that brings the public, private, and voluntary sectors together around a single, shared vision. You'll hear how the Greater Manchester Combined Authority identified the need for the Good Growth Fund, and how they're positioning the region as a compelling destination for outside investment. Caroline also explores what it means in practice to ensure that growth reaches all ten Greater Manchester Boroughs, so that no community is left behind. With the world watching the city’s growth, development and leadership, Lisa and Caroline also reflect on what Caroline believes will define Greater Manchester's next decade. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Caroline and GMCA Via Caroline’s LinkedIn Via GMCA LinkedIn Via GMCA Instagram Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.

What does it mean to spend over 40 years building a career that shapes so much of who you are? Joe Gallagher is a professional world champion boxing coach and the owner of Gallagher's Gym in Moss Side. A born and bred Mancunian, Joe spends his time fighting people’s corner, encouraging them to find strength and ultimately win. In this episode, you’ll hear how Joe’s entry into boxing at just 10 years old has formed his values, relationships and work ethic and what drives him to show up at the gym every day, even with his diagnosis of stage four bowel cancer. Joe got his start at Wythenshawe Forum ABC with legendary boxing trainer Jimmy Egan. You’ll hear how formative those years were for Joe and what it means for him to return to the venue after 40 years, coaching the sons of his former rivals in a huge night of boxing on June 6th. Find out what learning to fight teaches you about people and how you can build strength that goes beyond the physical. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Joe On Instagram Via LinkedIn Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.

How do you create a community that helps women across Greater Manchester feel seen, heard and valued? Emma Neville is a menopause coach and trained counsellor, whose work is centred around listening to and supporting women. Hear about the lessons she’s learnt from spending years giving her time to supporting people across Manchester from inside some of the city's most important charities, and from raising two girls in a family that's always on the move. After struggling with early menopause, Emma is on a mission to get this generation of Manc women to be the ones to make menopause matter. You’ll learn why Emma is calling this chapter of her life 'untamed' and why saying ‘no’ can be a full sentence. From creating her community and holding This Is Me parties, Emma has come to understand the power of bringing a room full of Manchester women together. She tells Lisa why bottling that energy could be Manchester’s next biggest export. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Emma, and This Is Me On Instagram On LinkedIn Via her newsletter & Community Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X

‘It takes a village, it takes a city’ How do you create your big Manchester Family? Fresh from the Big Manc Chippy tea event, which celebrated reaching 100 Mancs on the podcast, Lisa Morton is turning the tables in this episode. For the first time, she’s the one answering questions on values, relationships, purpose, legacy and of course, the all-important chippy order. Lisa is joined by her daughter, Nina, and together they reflect on the belief systems and values that have been crucial in Lisa’s life, both personally and professionally, and how those same values have helped Nina build her own relationships across Greater Manchester. You’ll hear about what inspired Lisa to set up Roland Dransfield 30 years ago, the moments that have made her proud to be a manc, and those that have knocked her down. This episode is about the people who helped her back up, and the community she now calls her ‘Manchester family’. After sitting down with 100 born, bred or adopted Mancunians, find out how Lisa’s view of the city region and its people has changed and what she believes it takes to build something special here. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X FKA Twitter

“The city has been my ally; I've never been frightened to make any career changes” Han Thompson is the Production Executive for BBC’s Morning Live. Her rural roots in the Cotswolds haven't stopped her from finding her place here in Manchester, something she attributes to “typical Manc chattiness and openness”, which she experienced right from the start of her time in the city region. Morning Live is a voice for the north for 90 minutes every day. Han and the team are working to make routes into the TV industry open to more people across the region. You’ll hear how you make culture in the workplace more than a box tick, build a strong team and continue to nurture them. You’ll hear about the mentality that has helped Han to keep moving forward when facing tough times, and the strong Manc relationships that have supported and brought her so much comfort, especially when she was in a place of grief. Those connections have made Han confident that Manchester is the place for her. As well as the people she’s met in the 14 years Han’s been in Manchester, she also talks about the relationships she’s had with the city. For her, Manchester has been her ally, and the city has always had Han’s back. —----------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 29 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X FKA Twitter Connect with Han Via LinkedIn

“It’s exciting to be part of the city; we've got so much further to go” On this episode of Drawn Here Not Born Here from We Built This City, Lisa talks to Joe Manning, Managing Director of MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency. Joe explains how MIDAS is building relationships between Greater Manchester and leading global cities, creating opportunities for international businesses to invest, collaborate and grow here. You’ll hear how the city region’s collaborative nature attracted Joe to Manchester, via Yorkshire, London, and Cheshire, and how, as a proud Yorkshire man, he’s getting leaders from all over the world excited about Manchester and the way Mancs get things done. They discuss the next decade of growth and what Manchester is really known for around the world, and why cities like Osaka Japan, are calling themselves “the Manchester of the East.” —----------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the almost 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X FKA Twitter Connect with Joe and MIDAS Via LinkedIn Via the MIDAS Website On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further. Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

“Manchester has a DNA, which is very powerful, founded on things that matter in life” Meet Manc 100. Michael Ingall is the Chairman and CEO of the property and investment group Allied London. Michael and his team have always had an incredible understanding of the energy and confidence of the city, and a vision for what it could become in the future. In this episode, you’ll hear how Allied London developments like Spinningfields, St. John's, Versa Studios and Bonded Warehouse came to be. Join Lisa Morton as Michael shares his story of placemaking in Manchester over the past 20-plus years; from a chance meeting at Manchester's town hall on his first trip up from London, to building a barn in the middle of Manchester's newest district. When Lisa and Michael caught up in the summer of 2025, they were fresh from the launch of Allied London’s newest development, Campfield. You’ll hear how the historic Victorian market hall has been transformed into a space for thriving communities nearly 150 years after it first opened. You’ll also hear about Michael’s commitment to sharing spaces across the city region, to help people access new opportunities. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 29 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Michael On LinkedIn Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X FKA Twitter On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further. Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

What makes you fall in love with Manchester and stay for three decades? Andrew Charnley is the Managing Director of Sancus, a property finance and lending company, and a long-time champion of Manchester. When he joined the business in 2024, he knew they would benefit from being part of the city’s buzz and momentum, and since then, Andrew has led Sancus’ expansion in the city region, backing Manchester’s continued growth. It’s the people who put the heart into modern Manchester. Some are born, bred or adopted, and some people feel the pull to Greater Manchester from elsewhere, but still make big contributions to the region, and We Built This City is celebrating some of those people with ‘Drawn Here Not Born Here’ In this episode, Andrew reflects on more than thirty years of watching the city change. He shares the places, people and moments that have shaped and strengthened his relationship with it, and how he came to have his portrait on the walls of the famous Manchester haunt, Sam’s Chop House. You'll hear about leadership and values, as Andrew opens up as to why authenticity and relationships matter, what he has learned about getting things done across the city region, and how current challenges like transport could help create a more cohesive and connected Greater Manchester. Andrew shares a powerful moment at The Christie that’s stayed with him, before he and Lisa look ahead to what’s next, and why protecting the city’s identity and welcoming spirit matters just as much as growth. —----------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre.  From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 29 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:  Via our website On Instagram On X FKA Twitter On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.  Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

What does it take to care for people at the most vulnerable moments of their lives? Jon Bell is a consultant Interventional Radiologist at The Christie in Manchester, the largest cancer care centre in Europe, providing world-leading cancer care, from Greater Manchester. Jon and his team are helping to treat and care for one in two of us who will get cancer. He also happens to be the son of Manchester City legend Colin Bell. In this conversation, you’ll hear about The Christie Charity’s beautiful Garden of Hope. Roland Dransfield are proud to sponsor this new installation of one thousand illuminated roses, currently lighting up St John’s Gardens. The Garden of Hope is raising funds for a new state-of-the-art PET scanner. Jon shares why this investment matters so deeply to clinicians and patients alike, and how it will change the future of cancer care in Greater Manchester. Lisa and Jon discuss what it’s really like to work in a role where you’re supporting people through some of the toughest days of their lives. You’ll hear Jon talk about the compassion, resilience and teamwork that underpin the care delivered at The Christie, and Jon reflects on the values his dad passed down to him. Jon also explains how his team are bringing hope to families during the Christmas period, and the small but powerful acts that make a difficult time feel a little brighter. You can find out more information on the Garden of Hope, and buy a rose to dedicate to a loved one affected by cancer through the Christie Charity website using this link. The Garden of Hope is free to visit 3pm to 8pm daily, at St John's Gardens, Lower Byrom Street, from Sunday 7 to Sunday 21 December 2025.

How do you make people feel at home in a city that still feels new? There are so many people making big contributions to Greater Manchester who don’t quite fit the ‘born, bred or adopted Manc’ label. We Built This City is celebrating some of those people with ‘Drawn Here Not Born Here’. Matt Townley is Group Operations Director at Dakota Hotels and Chair of the Manchester Hoteliers Association. He came to Manchester from Liverpool and is now at the heart of the city’s amazing hospitality scene. In this conversation with Lisa, Matt shares the work that drew him here; why he wanted to settle and how his friends and family still react to him being a Scouser in Manchester. Matt talks about how he’s shaping Dakota’s newest hotel at Manchester Airport, and the legacy he’s building through his work with the Manchester Hoteliers Association. You’ll also hear about his passion for spotting emerging talent, and why investing in others is such a big part of his leadership. Matt’s work is all about making people feel welcome and creating real moments of luxury. Hear how he’s doing that across Greater Manchester, building a base for people to explore the city from, and why he’s still not quite ready yet to call himself an adopted Manc. Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre.  From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:  Via our website On Instagram On X FKA Twitter On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.  Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.