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At The Forefront with Mary Rose Gunn

At The Forefront with Mary Rose Gunn

Written by: The Fore
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About this listen

Welcome to At The Forefront, the podcast where we talk to the people with solutions to societies most complex challenges.


At The Forefront is hosted by Mary Rose Gunn, founder of The Fore, the UK's only venture philanthropy fund dedicated to small charities. Each episode, she sits down with social entrepreneurs and small charity leaders that are pioneering smarter, scalable solutions to everything from the mental health crisis, to homelessness, to climate change.


If you want to learn more about how we're creating a society that is solving its own problems, you're in the right place!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes
  • At The Forefront: Giving Young People A Fighting Chance Through Boxing

    At The Forefront: Giving Young People A Fighting Chance Through Boxing
    Jan 27 2026

    What does it take to give young people a fighting chance when opportunity isn’t equal?


    In this At The Forefront session, we speak to Martin Bisp, co-founder of Empire Fighting Chance, a charity that pairs boxing with mentoring, therapy and educational support to help young people build confidence and take control of their futures.


    Our CEO, Mary Rose Gunn, explores how Martin has taken this model beyond one place by training boxing clubs across the UK, and globally, to deliver similar programmes, while keeping Empire Fighting Chance’s mission firmly rooted in Bristol and guided by the needs of local young people.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    49 mins
  • At The Forefront: Building Businesses That Change Lives

    At The Forefront: Building Businesses That Change Lives
    Nov 21 2025

    In this episode, Mary Rose speaks to Matt Parfitt, a social entrepreneur and founder of Grace Enterprises – a network of social enterprises that provide pathways to employment for people who’ve faced homelessness, addiction, or experiences with the criminal justice system. Through employing, mentoring and coaching, Matt is showing how sustainable enterprises can rebuild lives.


    Listen to find out:

    • what makes his model of supportive employment so effective
    • How he built three thriving social enterprises — and why he’s already dreaming up four more
    • Why he believes social businesses have the power to rebuild communities across the UK.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    50 mins
  • At The Forefront: Arming Young People With The Financial Skills They Need To Thrive

    At The Forefront: Arming Young People With The Financial Skills They Need To Thrive
    Oct 17 2025

    Why are so many young people in underserved communities growing up without the basic financial skills they need for everyday life?


    In this At The Forefront session, we speak to Abdirahman Ahmed, Founder of Urban Rise, to find out how his organisation is tackling financial exclusion by giving young people the confidence and knowledge to take control of their money and their futures.


    Our CEO, Mary Rose Gunn, dive into how Urban Rise’s programmes are building financial literacy and breaking cycles of debt. Together, they explore what being on top of your finances really looks like and why the young people who need these skills the most are often the least likely to have access to them.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    46 mins
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