WELCOME TO OUR NEW SHOW BIG LOCAL TALKS LIVE 

LOCAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL GUESTS TALKING ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY AND LIFE!

Episode 1: In our first Big Local Talks episode, Tarek Mrad is joined by David Roughan from Our Barn Community, a community organisation based in Hounslow which aims to bridge the gap between formal education and adult life for young people with learning difficulties or other disabilities. Tarek was involved with Our Barns employment and training project called Our Futures and they discuss their journey together and hopes for 2021 and beyond.

Click here to watch the Our Barn Community video

For more information about Our Barn Community please visit: www.ourbarn.org.uk

Episode 2: Host Tarek Mrad is joined by the local legend and volunteer Terry Noad. Terry talks about his journey,  history of living in the local area, his voluntary work and some of his favourite memories with the Big Local.

Episode 3: Host Tarek Mrad is joined by the Alan Fraser, Chair for Heston West Big Local and Partnership Member Debbie Noad. In this special episode, we find out some exciting information regarding our upcoming Community Garden project, including a few interesting features. Alan and Debbie also share their favourite Big Local moments, the history, challenges and future goals. They also discuss the importance of the COVID-19 vaccination and keeping safe as a community, especially in this difficult time and they reiterate the message of following the guidance to keep yourself and others safe and to help reduce transmission rates in the local area.

Download our COVID-19 National Restrictions Useful Information Sheet for the local community, please click here.

Episode 4: Host Tarek Mrad is joined by local celebrity and Big Local board member Kapil Lund. Kapil has been involved with Heston West for over 5 years, first joining as a participant at our Intergenerational Walking Football sessions. Kapil enjoys volunteering, especially helping out at our community clean ups and family fun days. He is a much loved member of our local community and always first to volunteer.

Episode 5: Host Tarek Mrad is joined by long-time friend Rhythm Agarwal. Rhythm has been involved with volunteering for her community for a few years, helping out with charities and in retail. Rhythm was also involved with Our Barn's Our Futures programme, alongside Tarek a few years ago and she enjoys art and community gatherings. ​

Episode 6: Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Joelle Mitchell, Co-op member pioneer for Bedale and Leeming Bar, a Wellbeing Coordinator for Parents4Parents and a Youth Worker at Bedale Youth Venue in North Yorkshire. Joelle is heavily involved with her local community, supporting volunteers, parents and young people. She was also involved with the Eden Communities project where she met our host Tarek Mrad in a breakout room. She is passionate about helping people with disabilities and is an advocate for inclusion in the community.

Episode 7: In this special episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Ryan Herman, journalist-at-large for Local Trust. Ryan is also a contributor for Four Four Two, British GQ, Vice UK, Gallop, Sport Business, Rugby Journal, Influence and CA Magazine.

​In this episode, Ryan talks about his Big Local work during the pandemic, covering 150 areas across the UK including Heston West Big Local and his local area W12 Together. Ryan also discusses working on the Maria Pedro article for Rugby Journal and his love and passion for football, in particular Liverpool FC and if he thinks England will win the postponed Euro 2020s?

Episode 8: In this episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Carlos Nobrega. Carlos is a local resident and aspiring writer and filmmaker. Carlos is currently developing a short film about a young boxer with a learning disability struggling with his mental health. In this episode Carlos explains his idea, including how is personal experience helped shaped the story and how he got into filmmaking. 

Episode 9: In this episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by David Wilberforce from North Wales. David runs Facebook Live Discussion and also weekly quiz nigh shows. He is hoping to set up his own Community Podcast with the support from our very own podcaster Tarek Mrad.

To subscribe to Discussion with David Wilberforce YouTube Channel.

Episode 10: In this episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Susan Graydon from Gaunless Gateway Big Local based in South West Bishop Auckland. Susan is the Volunteer Broker for Gaunless Gateway and her role is to promote, develop and support volunteering across Cockton Hill, Henknowle, Woodhouse Close/ Tindale Crescent, St. Helen Auckland and West Auckland. Susan ensures that any individual looking to volunteer is placed in a safe and welcoming environment.

For more information about Gaunless Gateway Big Local please click here.

Episode 11: In this episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Angela Fonso from Clean Air for Southall and Hayes (CASH). CASH are a group of local residents opposed to the air, dust and noise pollution. They were established in July 2018, after residents voiced their complaints on social media about the odour from the Green Quarter caused by Berkeley Group's redevelopment of Southall's contaminated old gasworks site.

For more information about CASH please visit: https://southallandhayescleanair.org.uk/​

Episode 12: In this episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Sangeeta Weatherley. Sangeeta is a self-taught artist from India, currently living in West London with her family. She has a Masters in Information Systems and pursed a career in the software industry for several years. She’s now a stay-at-home mum pursuing a career in visual arts.

​For more information about Sangeeta Weatherley, please visit: https://www.sansart.co.uk

Episode 13: In this episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Mukesh Malhotra, Chair at Thamesbank Credit Union. Thamesbank began life serving the population of Brentford and Isleworth. It quickly expanded to include Hounslow Employees Credit Union. It now has a common bond that covers residence and employees of London Boroughs of Hounslow; Richmond upon Thames; Kingston upon Thames; Wandsworth; Ealing and Spelthorne Council. 

For more information about Thamesbank Credit Union please visit https://www.thamesbank.org/

Episode 14: In this special episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Big Local board member and volunteer Ruby Bharaj. Ruby has been involved with Heston West for over 6 years, participating in our activities, events and supporting with our projects including our trip to Vienna in 2019. Ruby discusses her volunteering journey, her favourite Big Local memories and looking to the future.

Episode 15: In this special episode, Host Tarek Mrad is joined by Roger Smith, Angela Smith, and Linda Burton from Hounslow Borough Respiratory Support Group (HBRSG). HBRSG exists to support, advise and help people with any long-term respiratory condition. Additionally, associate membership is open to people diagnosed with any long-term condition such as a heart condition or diabetes.