The Churchill Changemakers
A podcast from the Winston Churchill Trust, hosted by Michelle Ainsworth, exploring how Churchill Fellows have used their international learning experiences to create impactful projects in Australia. Season 3 focuses on the lasting impact of past Fellows, covering topics from media literacy and tobacco control to historical keyboard instruments and public toilet design. Each episode features a conversation with a bold thinker whose fellowship has driven local change.
Episodes
Thinking beyond the front line: Tackling vicarious trauma at work
Across courtrooms, newsrooms, hospitals and insurance call centres, a growing number of workers are carrying the psychological cost of other people’s worst days. So what happens when caring for others begins to harm the carers themselves? In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host and Churchill Fellow Michelle Ainsworth speaks with social worker Amy Nicholas about her 2023 Chu
Changing the game: confronting racism through sport
Sport can help change hearts, minds, and systems. In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host Michelle Ainsworth speaks with Jamal Elsheikh, Director of Programs and Partnerships at Reflect Forward, an organisation that leverages the power of sport and athletes to tackle racism in Australia. Jamal shares his powerful personal journey - from surviving a vicious racist attack and growing up
Truth-telling across borders: reforming journalism and confronting colonial legacies
In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host Michelle Ainsworth speaks with award-winning journalist and Churchill Fellow Lorena Allam. Now an industry professor at UTS’s Jumbunna Institute, Lorena reflects on her decades-long media career, the structural racism within journalism, and the transformative insights from her 2023 fellowship exploring truth-telling and media accountability
Keeper of the keys: saving the craft of piano conservation
What does it take to keep the world’s most iconic pianos alive, and sounding extraordinary? Meet Churchill Fellow Paul Tunzi, the master technician-artisan whose journey began when he pulled apart his mother’s piano at age 10. In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host Michelle Ainsworth explores with Paul’s his 2017 Fellowship across Europe and his mission to
Closing the gap for vision
Eyesight is vital: it impacts how we learn, how we connect, and how we experience the world. But research shows a significant gap in eye and ear health between Australia’s First Nations people and the broader community. In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, Michelle Ainsworth speaks with optometrist Lisa Penrose-Herbert about her unexpected journey into Indigenous eye health, and t
Fake news, real impact: Teaching kids to tackle misinformation
What happens when kids get most of their “news” from Instagram and YouTube, and what can actually be done to improve their media literacy? In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, journalist Bryce Corbett joins host Michelle Ainsworth to unpack the urgent need for media literacy in Australia. As a 2023 Churchill Fellow, Bryce shares how he created Newshounds, a free program helpi
More than convenience: How public toilets shape public life
Who gets to participate in public life - and what do toilets have to do with it? Social planner and public toilet advocate Katherine Webber joins host Michelle Ainsworth in this episode of The Churchill Changemakers to unpack how accessible, well-maintained public toilets reflect dignity, safety and community values. Katherine shares the stories that sparked her research, insights from her Churchi
Australia's health system is ''siloed''. How can we integrate mental and physical care?
Why does Australia’s health system still treat mental and physical health as separate issues? Psychiatrist Dr Paul Fung tackles this question on this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, drawing on insights from his Churchill Fellowship research across the US, UK and New Zealand. Paul shares practical, real-world models for integrating mental health into general practice, reducing sti
Unfiltered truth: tobacco control’s legacy in the age of vaping
We all know disinformation campaigns can threaten public health. But what can we learn from the tobacco industry, which wrote the disinformation playbook decades ago, and from tobacco control advocates, who have had some huge wins in tackling the issue? In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host and Churchill Fellow Michelle Ainsworth speaks with public health advocate Christine Morris, a
Introducing: Season 3 - The Churchill Changemakers
The focus for Season 3 is impact, which comes with a title change from The Churchill Collective to The Churchill Changemakers and a new batch of extraordinary people who received their Churchill Fellowships some years ago, to reveal impact over time. Michelle Ainsworth, Churchill Fellow and host of The Churchill Changemakers, talks to 10 bold thinkers, driven to learn more globally and return
Bringing spirits home
World War I tore many Australian families asunder, but Indigenous Australian families in particular, with their limited access and resources, were often left wondering where their relatives had fallen, and where they now rest. One man on a mission has now answered many of their questions. In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer delves into the fascinating journey of Joe Flic
Amplifying arts accessibility
Imagine being a classical musician who suddenly, and unexpectedly, loses her sight. That was a crisis overcome by Morwenna Collett, who subsequently turned her experiences into a passion for making the arts more accessible to disabled people. In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer explores Morwenna’s amazing, and inspiring, life. Living with Multiple Sclerosis isn&rsq
Recycling in style
Our culture’s voracious adoption of "fast fashion", with its exploitation and carbon footprint, is creating mountains of waste around the world. So how can we change Australia’s attitudes? In this episode of The Churchill Collective, Adam Spencer explores innovative recycling and upcycling techniques with Jane Milburn, an agricultural scientist who has embraced the “slow fashion&
Breaking Boundaries, a Playbook for Sportswomen
Making Australia the best country in the world to be a sportswoman is an admirable dream, and one woman is working to make it happen. Sydney Swans Executive General Manager for AFLW, Kate Mahony, has dedicated her professional life to the cause. In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer joins Kate to explore the triumphs and challenges of Australian women's sport, and how Aust
Cracking cold cases and improving policing
Australian police forces may have superb track records in solving homicides, be they new or cold cases. But there is always room for improvement, particularly when detectives find themselves confronted by growing caseloads. In this gripping episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer shines a torch into the world of homicide investigation with Detective Inspector Tim Day of Victoria Pol
Walking with the animals
Zoos have changed for the better in recent decades, but there are many good ideas left to be discovered overseas. In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer chats with Sarah Brown, the Director of Community Engagement at Zoos South Australia, about innovative methods to enhance zoo experiences for both animals and visitors. Learn about Sarah's Churchill Fellowship journey, her
A thirst for quenching
What would it be like to enter a remote community with shocking water quality, only to leave the people with fresh, clean liquid finally running from their taps? This is the life of Churchill Fellow Eric Vanweydeveld. In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer interviews Eric about the critical issue of water quality in regional and remote Australia. Eric shares his journe
A “brush” with fame
A talented hair artist and wigmaker, Selena Pertzel was never going to be content in a normal salon. In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer introduces us to Selena and explores how and why she left her hairdressing job on the Gold Coast to become one of the most important hair artists in the Australian film industry. Selena recounts her work on films like the ‘Pi
A thorny problem for native reptiles
Climate change is gradually threatening the existence of many of Australia’s endemic species, but is the country doing everything it can to help preserve them? Could we learn from experiences overseas? In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer explores this emerging crisis with environmental scientist and author Timothy Low, who specialises in preserving our native
Mincing it in France
France is the place to go to learn some of the best cooking skills, and in this episode of The Churchill Collective, we travel to the French countryside to discover new skills that can be brought back and enjoyed in Australia. Host Adam Spencer explores the passions behind that country’s charcuterie tradition, and how artisan chef Sascha Randle intends to bring it all home to Australia. The
Thinking locally to act on homelessness
Australia’s homelessness crisis is growing, particularly in the big cities. But although the problem is often on their doorsteps, local councils have been feeling powerless. With most powers in the hands of Canberra or the states, what can councils do? In this episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer investigates this pressing issue with anthropologist and writer Leanne Mitchel
Jodie Williams – The sound of heritage
Jodie Williams is a sound artist and historian from Norfolk Island, who embarked on a Churchill Fellowship journey to explore the soundscapes and heritage of her remote island home. In a conversation with host Adam Spencer about her art practice, Jodie emphasises the importance of sound in preserving memories and connecting generations, especially in the context of remote island communities. She h
Kate Cole — The trouble with tunnels
It’s another example of how one person can change Australia for the better with just a little help. In this episode, host Adam Spencer interviews Kate Cole, a scientist and engineer who embarked on a Churchill Fellowship to improve workplace safety in the underground construction industry. Kate's journey takes her to the world’s tunnelling epicentres, where she learns best practices for managing t
Nicholas Wood — The pointy end of vaccines
In this episode of the Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer explores the world of vaccines and efforts to make sure they are safe to use. Professor Nicholas Wood, a paediatrician and immunisation researcher, discusses his experiences studying vaccine safety and innovation during his Churchill Fellowship travels. From the development of mRNA vaccines to addressing vaccine hesitancy, Professor Wo
Dr Michela Mitchell – Diving into venom research
How can we find new medicines from ocean creatures, and then how can we speed up those drugs’ development? These are questions being answered by Dr Michela Mitchell, Australia's first sea anemone taxonomist. In this episode, host Adam Spencer explores the fascinating world of sea anemone toxinology and its potential in drug development. Dr Mitchell discusses her journey from computer programming t
Helen Glazebrook – Unlocking intelligence behind bars
How do we know what is really going on behind bars in Australia’s prisons? In this episode, host Adam Spencer explores the secretive world of intelligence gathering in the corrections system. He interviews Helen Glazebrook about her fascinating career as an intelligence officer, and her experiences during her Churchill Fellowship, where she visited various countries to learn about intelligence met
Scott Sleap — A stellar STEM sojourn
Dr Scott Sleap is helping Australia reach for the stars through his involvement in the space industry and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education. In this episode, host Adam Spencer speaks with this passionate educator and explores his fascinating journey. Dr Sleap discusses his experiences as a Churchill Fellow, travelling to learn about space science and STEM education worldw
Ian Jarratt — weighing up pricing, how one man revolutionised shopping
One person’s passion can change the world for everyone else. In this episode, host Adam Spencer talks to Ian Jarratt, the man responsible for bringing unit pricing — something we all use — to Australia. An executive member of the Consumers Federation of Australia, Ian is passionate about unit pricing, which provides standardized pricing for products, making it easier for consumers to compare price
Rebecca Lyons — Reimagining death
What constitutes a good death, and to what extent should family and friends be involved in the process? In this thought-provoking episode of The Churchill Collective, host Adam Spencer talks with Rebecca Lyons, who is an advocate for reimagining the funeral industry. Rebecca's unconventional journey from real estate to the funeral sector led her to question traditional practices. Through a Churchi
Julie Morrison — A dog’s day in court
How can we take the fear away from of the court process, so that witnesses don’t become traumatised? In this episode, host Adam Spencer explores the inspirational work of Julie Morrison, the Founder of Justice Dogs Australia and Victims Engagement Coordinator at the Office of Public Prosecutions in Victoria. Julie shares her journey from a science and education background to working in the crimina
Press for help — Chris Boyle’s invention to help the vulnerable
Chris Boyle is a Queensland social worker who has found a new way to help families and friends to support loved ones in danger of violence or other abuse. In this episode, we follow Chris on his inspiring journey, embarking on a Churchill Fellowship to seek innovative solutions to the complex issues of abuse, domestic violence, and isolation. Churchill Collective host Adam Spencer delves into how
Petah Cavallaro — A pitch perfect plot
Petah Cavallaro’s journey from regional Far North Queensland to international opera stages is a perfect example of how a Churchill Fellowship can transform both an individual and a community. In this episode, host Adam Spencer interviews the principal young artist with Opera Australia about her journey from a tiny outback town to the world’s greatest opera houses, and how an international study to
Introducing: The Churchill Collective Podcast
Welcome to The Churchill Collective, a podcast that will ignite your passion to advance your knowledge and skills overseas, so you can return home to inspire communities in Australia. Host Adam Spencer, dives deep with Churchill Fellowship recipients, exploring the range of pursuits, their fascinating experiences and the impact the learnings have had on people back home. Get inspired to take the
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