Eastern Promise - The Podcast

Hosted by Mike Rigby

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100

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Jun 2026

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About the show

‘Eastern Promise‘ explores the full potential of the East of England. We talk to experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, disrupters and more, finding out why the Eastern region is the best place in the UK to start, run and grow a business. From architecture to zoology, every business has a place here, with Mike Rigby as your guide on this audio journey, celebrating and promoting our region. Eastern Promise also features the Plug Board; where a panel of three get to plug their own business, event or project in exchange for giving a plug to someone else in return. And there‘s also a bit of lighthearted audience participation in ‘CrowdSourcery’, where folk from across the East of England - and even beyond! - choose their favourite things on a given theme to share and celebrate! You can contact Mike at podcast@easternpromise.org.uk.

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June 8, 2026Episode 44644 min

Episode 172: The East of England Energy Group's Southern North Sea Conference 2026

This Week: We join the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) at the Norfolk Showground and Events Centre for the 2026 Southern North Sea conference. It's the second day of this two-day event, and you get to come along as we visit stands in the exhibition hall, chatting to EEEGR members and luminaries. These include Opergy CEO and member of the Suffolk Business Board, Johnathan Reynolds; Lowestoft Port Manager Tom Duit of Associated British Ports; Lillian Morter of Jarrold Training; ECITB scholar Luna Wilson; Dr Amy Kingston of Tide Medical; Richard Sheppard of SEEL; Mark Walker of Norfolk County Council and an opening thought from Bill Cattenach OBE of the North Sea Transition Authority. Then, we get the closing thoughts of the Chair of EEEGR, Kevin Keable on a fantastic two-day event where the Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP addressed the conference on the opening day. If you were ever in any doubt that the East of England has a uniquely diverse energy ecosystem, this should put the issue beyond doubt. Plus, we bring you our always-electrifying ACTION POINTS! No offence to Michael Shanks, but we want Energy Secretary Ed Miliband next year for SNS2027! For more on the East of England Energy Group, visit: https://eeegr.com/. To learn more about Eastern Promise, to contact us and to listen to our podcast back catalogue, visit: https://easternpromise.org.uk. This episode was made in The Podding Shed in partnership with Mills & Reeve.

June 1, 2026Episode 44543 min

Episode 171: 'Beyond Entertainment' - The Games Growth Plan for the East

This week: We're at the Norwich University of the Arts to discuss their recent report -'Beyond Entertainment' - on powering up the East of England's cutting-edge gaming industry. Your host Mike Rigby is joined by Professor Mark Wickham, lead gaming lecturer and an advisor to TIGA, the Independent Games Association. Also on the panel for this wide-ranging discussion is Rebecca Cockerill, employment lawyer and Women In Tech specialist from our friends and partners at Mills & Reeve; and Robin Milton - founder of Fairer Games, lecturer and member of the Norfolk Business Board. Join us as we dig into the conclusions and recommendations and enjoy a wide-ranging discussion. The read the report yourself, click here: https://norwichuni.ac.uk/app/uploads/2025/11/Beyond-Entertainment-Report-Norwich-University-of-the-Arts.pdf For more information on Eastern Promise, to listen to our back catalogue, or to contact us, visit https://easternpromise.org.uk. The Eastern Promise podcast episode #171 was made in The Podding Shed in proud association with Mills & Reeve.

May 24, 2026Episode 44452 min

Episode 170: Day 2 at UKREiiF 2026

The second day of the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum 2026 (aka #UKREiiF) was, contrary to expectations, packed with awesome, timely, and thought provoking panels and the opportunity to chat to key figures from the East of England and beyond. That's why our Day Two round-up is a MONSTER! What's that? You want examples? Very well, try this on for size... Lowestoft MP Jess Asato chairing the 'Coastal Communities Rising' panel; Dr Andy Williams, Chair of the Oxford Cambridge Supercluster Board; Leader of Peterborough City Council, Dr Shabina Qayyum; Sandra Dineen, Chair of Bullen Group; Matt Francis, Head of Science and Technology at Oxford Innovation Space; Prashant Shah, Co-Founder of O2H Group & Cambridge Wide Open Week; AI avatar 'Penny' and Dominik Vagner, both of 1956 Individuals; Shiv Malik, CEO of ACDC; Phil Harker, Technical Director at The Cambridge Growth Company; Peter Cushing, Light Rail Commissioner for the Cambs & Peterborough Combined Authority; Jane Hutchins, Director of the Cambridge Science Park; and Mike Rigby, CEO & Executive Producer at Eastern Promise! Plus! One very extra-special guest: Science Minister Lord Patrick Valance! It's an incredible feast for the senses - primarily, the hearing - where the East of England is showing the world of what it's made! Thank you to everyone at the Cambridge Growth Company, the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, the Oxford & Cambridge Growth Corridor and Norfolk & Suffolk Unlimited for their warm welcome and technical cooperation. For more information, to listen to our back catalogue and to contact us, visit: https://easternpromise.org.uk This episode of Eastern Promise was made in The Podding Shed in proud association with Mills & Reeve, and in partnership with The Cambridge Growth Company.

May 20, 2026Episode 44336 min

Episode 169: Yesterday at UKREiiF (Day 1)

This week: Eastern Promise is at UKREiiF 2026 at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, bringing you the best of the East of England here at the show! We begin in the Norfolk & Suffolk pavilion with key members of both counties' Business Boards, before hotfooting it to the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor to hear from Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, alongside Chair of the Oxford Cambridge Supercluster Board, Dr Andy Williams, Mayor of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Paul Bristow, Executive Director of Innovate Cambridge, Kathryn Chapman, and Chair of the Cambridge Growth Company, Peter Freeman. With the recent announcements of the opening date of Cambridge South Station, and a £3 billion pound expansion of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, small wonder that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s pavilion was heaving as the Next Generation of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus came under the spotlight. Paul Weston, Regional Head of panel sponsor Prologis UK, who previewed this event on last week’s episode, shares his key takeaways. Finally for this Day 1 roundup, we drop in on Cambridge x Manchester Partnership Director, Faye Holland, to find out the latest about this mould-breaking collaboration that's pulling in interest from across the UK and beyond. Due to the lack of cloning technology or a time machine, we couldn't make it to all the East of England's events, such as the Invest East prospectus launch. However, you can find said document here: Invest-East_Investment-Prospectus_May-2026 We'll be back with the highlights of Day 2 tomorrow, there's so much more to come! Eastern Promise wishes to thank the Cambridge Growth Company for their invaluable assistance in recording this episode. For more information on Eastern Promise, including ways you can contact us and to listen to our back catalogue, visit: https://easternpromise.org.uk. Eastern Promise is made with love in The Podding Shed in proud association with Mills & Reeve.

May 14, 2026Episode 44251 min

Episode 168 - Previewing UKREiiF 2026!

This week: The Eastern Promise podcast is your guide to the week ahead in Leeds for #UKREiiF 2026! Host Mike Rigby chats to three key players in the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority's (CPCA) programme for the UK's Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum: Martin Woodhouse, Co-Founder and Director at PRD; Adrian Davey, Interim Strategic Director for Growth and Regeneration at Peterborough City Council; and Paul Weston,Regional Head of Prologis UK. Each organisation a sponsor of the CPCA pavilion, and each of our guests will profile their organisation, share their aspirations for next week and also some much needed tips and advice for showgoers old and new! And don't forget next week, when we'll be coming to you from the Royal Armouries in Leeds for our legendary 'Yesterday at UKREiiF' episodes! For more information on our guests and their projects, these be the links you need: The UKREiiF website & 2026 Programme. PRD: https://prdweb.co.uk/ Peterborough City Council's Regeneration page: https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/planning-and-development/regeneration Discover Peterborough: https://discoverpeterborough.co.uk/ Prologis: https://www.prologis.co.uk/ The CPCA website: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/ Eastern Promise wishes to thank the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority for their assistance with this episode. Don't forget, you can find our back catalogue, including our coverage of UKREiiF's past, on your podcast provider or on our website, where you can also contact us: https://easternpromise.org.uk Eastern Promise is lovingly made in The Podding Shed in association with Mills & Reeve.

May 6, 2026Episode 44148 min

Episode 167: Babraham Research Campus

This week: It's a privilege for Eastern Promise to bring you our visit to the Babraham Research Campus to the south of Cambridge, at the invitation of Chief Scientific and Innovation Officer, Dr Louise Jopling! Our own Mike Rigby, will be chatting to Lou about innovation the Babraham way, looking at the Babraham Masterplan and the future of the campus - not to mention the big role housing is playing in that vision. Lou will also be showing Mike around the grounds, looking at the buildings and why green space is so important to those working on the Babraham Research Campus. Don't miss it! For more information on the future plans for the Babraham Research Campus, click here: https://www.babraham.com/masterplan/ For more detail on Live Labs, click here: https://www.babraham.com/livelabs/ For more on the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Local Growth Plan, click here: https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/C221033-CPCA-Local-Growth-Plan-Stage-7_v21_Acc.pdf For more information on Eastern Promise, to contact us, or to listen to our FULL back catalogue, click here: https://easternpromise.org.uk Eastern Promise is made with love in The Podding Shed in association with Mills & Reeve.

April 30, 2026Episode 44042 min

Episode 166: The Norwich Financial Industry Group Annual Conference 2026

This Week: We take you inside Aviva's iconic Marble Hall, where the Norwich Financial Industry Group (FIG) is meeting for its 2026 Annual Conference. This year's theme is 'People': an especially prescient theme as the AI revolution gathers pace. Host Mike Rigby talks to keynote speakers Gautam Hazari, Chief Product and Innovation Officer at XConnect, and Professor Amir Sharif of the Norwich Business School at the University of East Anglia. We hear what the delegates made of the event, including Turning Factor's Brian Bush and East Norfolk Sixth Form College students Charlie Willis and Sonny Moughton, not to mention college principal Dr Catherine Richards! Finally we hear from Norwich FIG Chair Steve Davidson on a fantastic evening, and Holly Bamford of Work In Norwich (WiN) about their crucial survey for the Norwich Business Improvement District. And don't forget our three irresistible Action Points! The Norwich financial sector is a case study in quiet excellence and a pleasure to turn up the volume yet further. You can find the Work In Norwich survey here: https://www.workinnorwich.co.uk/win-fig-survey/. Visit the Norwich FIG website here: https://fignorwich.org/. To find out more about Eastern Promise, to use our contact form, or listen to our back catalogue, visit: https://easternpromise.org.uk. The Eastern Promise podcast is made in The Podding Shed in proud association with Mills & Reeve.

April 22, 2026Episode 43939 min

Episode 165: Abbey People

This week: Eastern Promise's own Mike Rigby heads for Barnwell Road, on Cambridge's Abbey estate, where hyperlocal charity, Abbey People, are working incredibly hard to help residents move from surviving to thriving. Mike joins Chief Executive Nicky Shepard and her team - Food Hub Coordinator Rachel and Comms guru Gemma, amongst many others - to chat about the work Abbey People do at The Hub on Barnwell Road, all whilst the Community Cafe buzzes away in the background. Then, they get out into a rainy Cambridge afternoon to walk to the pocket parks and new verges created by Abbey People, before visiting the Community Food Hub and Social Supermarket. You can find out more about Abbey People, including how to donate to this hyperlocal charity, here: https://abbeypeople.org.uk/ All this, plus this week's 'Eastern Insight' also comes from Abbey People in their own words! We hear more about Abbey People's Barnwell Basket campaign, aiming to ensure everyone in the community can have access to nourishing food. For more information about the Barnwell Basket, visit the Abbey People website here and Boost the Basket: https://abbeypeople.org.uk/barnwell-basket-campaign/. To deliver the 'Eastern Insight', and share your thought leadership with the region, contact Eastern Promise at podcast@easternpromise.org.uk. A single slot costs £75 and a block of six across the year costs £350. The slots are free to charities and non-profits. To listen to the Eastern Promise back catalogue, and to find out more about what we do, visit: https://easternpromise.org.uk. The Eastern Promise podcast is made in The Podding Shed and is proud to be supported by Mills & Reeve.

April 16, 2026Episode 43839 min

Episode 164: Stephen Crocker, Norwich Theatre CEO

This week: We drop in on Stephen Crocker, CEO and Creative Director of Norwich Theatre. We ask Stephen about his career, whether behind or in front of the curtain; the three stages across the City of Stories that make up the Norwich Theatre; how Norwich Theatre lives and breathes its values and the amazing community work the theatre does. Host Mike Rigby talks to Stephen about how the cultural sector contributes to the region's economy, the power of Norwich as a centre for creative wellbeing and Stephen's role as a Norfolk ambassador. As our ACTION POINTS stress, regional theatre provides an amazing entry point for new performance arts, whether as patron or participant; ballet, opera, straight drama, comedy, music or even panto. Oh, yes it is! (Stop it!) Do visit the Norwich Theatre's website here: https://norwichtheatre.org/ Find out how you can support Norwich Playhouse's redevelopment project: https://norwichtheatre.org/playhouse-redevelopment-project/ Learn more about the Norfolk Ambassadors here: https://norfolkambassadors.co.uk/ ...and the Norfolk Suffolk Cultural Board here: https://norfolksuffolkculture.co.uk/ To find out more about Eastern Promise, including our entire back catalogue and to contact us via our messaging service, visit: https://easternpromise.org.uk! The Eastern Promise podcast is made with love in The Podding Shed, in proud association with Mills & Reeve.

March 26, 2026Episode 43739 min

Episode 163: Cllr Cameron Holloway, Leader of Cambridge City Council

This Week: Your host Mike Rigby chats to Councillor Cameron Holloway, Leader of Cambridge City Council. We discuss his ward, the side of Cambridge many people seldom see, and also the impact of the Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership. Not only that, Cameron also discusses the hugely positive impact that the city council has had on housing and the consultation on the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation that closes shortly (1st April 2026). Then, we distil the interview and propose three 'Action Points'; each of great practical and philosophical value! PLUS! Eastern Promise is looking for strategic partners who share our values and can support us in delivering our ambitious programme for 2026-27. With your help we can go even further... For more information on Cambridge City Council, click here: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ Find out more about the Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership by clicking here: https://www.cambridge-manchester.com/ To submit your response to the consultation on establishing a Greater Cambridge Development Corporation before 1st April 2026, click here: https://easternpromise.org.uk You can read the Bylines East Anglia interview with Cameron Holloway, as referenced in the podcast, here: https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/politics/local-government/cameron-holloway-on-growth-poverty-and-rebuilding-trust-in-cambridge/ To find out more about Eastern Promise, access our podcast's full back catalogue and get in touch via our contact form, here: https://easternpromise.org.uk This podcast is made with love in The Podding Shed in association with Mills & Reeve.