Hello! We took to the stage and took on the topic of mental health. With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem each year, there must be something we can do to support, and where possible treat, these millions. Ruby Wax, George Ezra, and Professor Sir Simon Wessely joined us at the Leicester Square Theatre to talk about their personal and professional experiences with mental health.ANDAyesha Hazarika is BACK! We talk badgers, office pets, and saucy calendars. FURTHER READING MERCHhttps://shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/cheerfulpodcast/CONTACT US reasons@cheerfulpodcast.com https://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcast https://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcast https://www.instagram.com/cheerfulpodcast/ Leave us a voicemail on skype - search for "Cheerful Podcast" CONTACT OUR GUESTSRuby Wax - https://twitter.com/Rubywax George Ezra - https://twitter.com/george_ezra Professor Sir Simon Wessely -https://twitter.com/WesselyS Ayesha Hazarika - https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! This week we explore how to improve democracy by involving ordinary people in decision-making. Guests David Van Reybrouck, Professor James Fishkin and Sarah Allan tell us how an old idea from ancient Athens---selecting random citizens to deliberate--is making a difference from the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ireland to reform of the Mongolian constitution. And we find out what we could do in the UK. AND Comedian Felicity Ward gives us her ideas. Including free mattresses, colourful houses and panda cafes   FURTHER READINGA video by David Van Reybrouck explaining sortition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS9EMvbBq_UDavid's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Against-Elections-David-Van-Reybrouck/dp/1847924220 James's book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/democracy-when-the-people-are-thinking-9780198820291?cc=gb&lang=en&  CONTACT USreasons@cheerfulpodcast.comhttps://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcasthttps://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/cheerfulpodcast/ MERCHhttps://shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/cheerfulpodcast/ CONTACT OUR GUESTSDavid Van Reybrouck - https://twitter.com/davidvanreyProfessor James Fishkin - https://twitter.com/jfishkinSarah Allan - https://twitter.com/SarahAllanUKFelicity Ward - https://twitter.com/felicityward Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.liverpoolguild.org/events/reasons-to-be-cheerful-podcast-with-ed-miliband-and-geoff-lloyd Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd take their hit podcast, Reasons to be Cheerful to Liverpool Guild of Students, Mountford Hall for a special live episode. Expect optimism, ideas, special guests, and stories of Ed's failed interactions with inanimate objects (and Geoff's interactions with animate ones.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! Our prison system is in crisis. Overcrowding, re-offending, self-harm and riots. What is to be done? Our guests tell us there is reason to think things can change for the better. Nils Oberg tells us how they do it so much better in Sweden, Vicky Pryce tells us what the economics teaches us, and former Lord Chancellor Charlie Falconer tells us how we can navigate the politics.ANDComedian Glenn Moore shares his ideas to make the world a better place.  FURTHER READING https://shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/cheerfulpodcast/ CONTACT USreasons@cheerfulpodcast.comhttps://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcasthttps://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcastLeave us a voicemail on skype - search for "Cheerful Podcast"CONTACT OUR GUESTSVicky Pryce - https://twitter.com/realvickypryceLord Falconer - https://twitter.com/lordcfalconerGlenn Moore - https://twitter.com/TheNewsAtGlenn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! With the NHS turning 70 this year, we take some time to really appreciate how far it's come and do our best to come up with solutions to turn the tide and get the NHS back up to health. Our guests Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, a junior doctor on the frontline, Anita Charlesworth from The Health Foundation and Lord Nick Macpherson, former Treasury Permanent Secretary tell us what needs to be done. Spoiler alert: we need to spend more of our national income on the NHS if we want to turn things round.ANDPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern joins us from New Zealand to tell us about her cheerful plans and reflections on her first 100 days. FURTHER READINGhttp://www.health.org.uk/our-people/anita-charlesworth CONTACT USreasons@cheerfulpodcast.comhttps://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcasthttps://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcastLeave us a voicemail on skype - search for "Cheerful Podcast"CONTACT OUR GUESTSJacinda Ardern -https://twitter.com/jacindaardernDr Hannah Barham-Brown https://twitter.com/hannahpopsyAnita Charlesworth - https://twitter.com/AnitaCTHFLord Nick Macpherson - https://twitter.com/nickmacpherson2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! In this episode we answer The Queen's question... why didn't the economists see the financial crisis coming. Our guests Prof Wendy Carlin, Maeve Cohen and Victoria Waldersee talk about how economics teaching needs to change and is changing plus how economics can be used to improve our world. ALSO We check in with Iceland's Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, asking her about Iceland's new world-leading policy to tackle the gender pay gap. We also discuss her first few months in office, Scandi Noir, and trolls.AND Comedian Zoe Lyons brings us her ideas. She wants to ban the bags, lets in a couple of cars ahead of her and takes the voluntary out of volunteeringFURTHER READINGhttp://whatstheeconomy.com/ http://www.rethinkeconomics.org http://www.core-econ.org/the-economy/book/text/17.html#g_W9SsstO9Y CONTACT USreasons@cheerfulpodcast.comhttps://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcasthttps://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcastLeave us a voicemail on skype - search for "Cheerful Podcast"CONTACT OUR GUESTSKatrín Jakobsdóttir - https://twitter.com/katrinjakProf Wendy Carlin https://twitter.com/WendyCarlinEconMaeve Cohen - https://twitter.com/flavamaeveVictoria Waldersee - https://twitter.com/v_walderseeZoe Lyons - https://twitter.com/zoelyons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good afternoon and welcome to the Reasons to be Cheerful train service from here to the Geoffocracy. Yes, we're talking trains. How have we gotten into ourselves here? Billions of government subsidies and eye-watering prices. What is to be done? Andrew Adonis, who used to be Transport Secretary, Anton Valk, who used to help run the Dutch public railway & Nicole Badstuber, academic expert join us to reason it out. Plus Geoff tells all about his trainspotting past.ANDComedian Ahir Shah joins us to share his ideas of what could keep us cheerful this year.  FURTHER READINGhttp://www.transportforqualityoflife.com/u/files/120630_Rebuilding_Rail_Final_Report_print_version.pdf https://open.spotify.com/user/21kairhjm62hs7kuhpbogmi7y/playlist/2TEVp3NPQOj5JSEuYSxhD9 http://theconversation.com/the-case-for-re-nationalising-britains-railways-45963 http://podcast.londonreconnections.com/ https://twitter.com/lonrec https://twitter.com/GeorgeLakoff/status/948424436058791937   CONTACT USreasons@cheerfulpodcast.comhttps://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcasthttps://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcastLeave us a voicemail on skype - search for "Cheerful Podcast"CONTACT OUR GUESTSAndrew Adonis - https://twitter.com/Andrew_AdonisNicole Badstuber - https://twitter.com/NicoleBadstuberAhir Shah - https://twitter.com/AhirShah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goodbye 2017! On a whole, we wont miss you, but there were *some* reasons to be cheerful, right? With our guests Sofie Hagen and Mark Watson, we review the nicer stories of the previous year before putting it in a box, gaffer taping it and sending it on a one way trip very far away. FURTHER READINGNothing on the reading list today. Have a day off! CONTACT USreasons@cheerfulpodcast.comhttps://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcasthttps://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcastLeave us a voicemail on skype - search for "Cheerful Podcast"CONTACT OUR GUESTSSofie Hagen https://twitter.com/sofiehagenMark Watson https://twitter.com/watsoncomedian Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merry Christmas! We've invited some people over to play the now legendary board game Class Stuggle. Who will win? Fantastic comedian Bridget Christie, Joel Cornah, of The Miliverse twitter account fame, take on Ed and Geoff.BUTBefore that, we get Rachel Reeves MP and Comedian Sarah Millican on to hear how they're making the world less lonely FURTHER READINGhttps://www.jocoxloneliness.org/https://twitter.com/search?q=%23joininhttps://twitter.com/TheMiliverse  CONTACT USreasons@cheerfulpodcast.comhttps://www.facebook.com/reasonstobecheerfulpodcasthttps://twitter.com/cheerfulpodcastLeave us a voicemail on skype - search for "Cheerful Podcast"CONTACT OUR GUESTSRachel Reeves https://twitter.com/RachelReevesMPSarah Millican https://twitter.com/SarahMillican75Bridget Christie http://www.bridgetchristie.co.uk/Joel Cornah https://twitter.com/JoelCornah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're taking to the stage for our first ever live episode recording, with special guests. WHEN: Sunday 28th January, 4pm. WHERE: Leicester Square Theatre, London TICKETS: https://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873583538/events/128109112/seats?zone=Main+House Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.