Dame Martina Milburn is the chair of the Social Mobility Commission. Her vision for the UK is that we can “live in a society where people have choices about the way they want to live their lives”. In this episode, Martina discusses her career, starting in journalism, becoming head of The Prince’s Trust and then moving on to lead the twelve members of the Social Mobility Commission. Her career has given her first-hand insight into the difference charities make to individuals around the globe, stressing the importance of fee-free, high-quality education in improving people’s quality of life. While discussing the “gloomy” nature of this year’s ‘State of the Nation’ report, Martina describes the hurdles the SMC faces in making change happen – and says although its work may not produce instant results, action must be taken now to prevent further erosion of social mobility in the UK.

Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.