This Week: Confused by Cambridge? Well, Eastern Promise has your back and help is at hand!

We bid you welcome to this first in our occasional series exploring our region's main urban ecosystems, the BEGINNER'S GUIDES!

In this first of our special episodes, Mike Rigby is joined by local experts to explore and explain the nuances, niceties, and need-to-knows of CAMBRIDGE!

Joining Mike to make up this cohort of Cambridge connoisseurs is:

• Chair of Cambridge Ahead, Cambridge Science Centre, and all-round legend, Harriet Fear MBE;
• Founder and CEO of CONEXEN, Paula Bekinschtein;
• MD of Cap Air Systems, Board Member and SME champion, Katy Davies;
• Strategy and Community Advisor, Ilker Akansel; and
• Investment Fund specialist and Partner at Mills & Reeve, Dona Ardeman!

Together, they talk through the special secret sauce that makes this city what it is; bust a few myths and shed new light into a place that can seem intimidating from the outside, but is a truly warm and welcoming place that rewards those who make the effort to engage. You'll be informed, educated and - hopefully - entertained!

More Beginner's Guides will be coming soon, with Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough following later in the spring!

Let us know what you think of these special episodes. What did Mike miss? Does it need a second volume? Where should we go after our first four? Let us know by emailing podcast@easternpromise.org.uk, or by visiting our website at https://easternpromise.org.uk, and clicking on 'contact us'.

Eastern Promise is proud to be supported by Mills & Reeve.

Recorded on 5th December 2025 at Botanic House, Hills Road, Cambridge.

This Week: We meet three of Norfolk's incredible coterie of AMBASSADORS! Meet Mark Smith of Place UK, Candy Richards of the Federation of Small Businesses, and Chris Spinks of Westcotec, who will be sharing with you:

• Their love for Norfolk;
• What makes the county unique; and
• Why families, businesses, entrepreneurs and more should relocate to Norfolk!

Our ambassadors share their experience and a clear-eyed vision for the county; not shrinking from challenges and eager to forge solutions. Norfolk really couldn't ask for better representatives

So, put those spherical, golden chocolate & hazelnut sweeties into a tottering pyramid, because these ambassadors are really spoiling us!

• To find out more, and to apply to become an Ambassador for Norfolk, click here.
• For further details about the Norfolk Business Board, click here.

To learn more about Eastern Promise, and to listen to all of our back catalogue, click here.

Eastern Promise is proud to be sponsored by Mills & Reeve.

This Week! We're kicking off 2026 in style, and focussed on what's currently the most important economic development project in the UK - The Oxford Cambridge Corridor.

Our navigators to this galactic-scale potential are the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, ably represented by Chair Andy Williams and fellow board member (and CEO of Cambridge Ahead) Dan Thorp. Together, we'll dig into where we are, where we're going, what's at stake and what each of us needs to do to make this happen (top tip: just be nice to each other!)

It's a fantastic listen and a brilliant insight into the importance of capability, community and coherence to this project. Our thanks to Dan and Andy.

For the Connected Clusters report referenced by Mike and Dan, click here.

To visit the website of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, and read the reports referenced in this episode, click here.

Click here to read the UK Government's investment prospectus for the Oxford Cambridge corridor (PDF, opens in new window).

To read the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's Local Growth Plan, then click here (PDF, opens in new window).

If you want to take a look at the Cambridge Growth Company Click here to visit their site.

Eastern Promise was made in The Podding Shed and you can catch up on previous episodes at our website, and contact us there or by emailing podcast@easternpromise.org.uk.

Eastern Promise is proud to be supported by Mills & Reeve.