Chronicles Of Hope with Annie Bennett

Stuart is founder and Chairman of the International College of Professional Celebrants (ICPC). 1.3 million ceremonies a year are led by celebrants that Stuart has trained.

Listen as we talk about the job of the celebrant, and how they can be a vital part of end of life care.

Find out more about Stuart and his work here: https://www.stuartlmorris.com/

And the first chapters of Stuart’s book: https://www.stuartlmorris.com/hello-i-love-you-goodbye-free-chapters

Find a celebrant: https://www.findmycelebrant.com/

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Listen in as I chat to my lovely friend Sam, about the challenges he has faced in his life, and how hope played a part.

Such a lovely open conversation, thank you so much Sam for sharing with me.

We also talk about out theatrical exploits… and I’m delighted that since we recorded this, we have been appointed co-directors, with Sam’s brother Louie, for the EODS production of Agatha Christie’s Rule of Thumb, happening at the Grove Theatre Eastbourne in February 2027!

To suppo...

Dr Rebecca Lennon is a Palliative Medicine Consultant. She is clinical lead for Hospital and community specialist palliative care services in Bolton. At the age of 14, she lost her mother to Motor Neurone Disease, which has undoubtedly shaped her career choices. A great believer in serendipity and an optimist, who therefore thankfully balances her husband catastrophising! 

Outside of work, she is a wife, mum of 2 and a world record breaking ultra-marathon swimmer (Devon to South Wales, 24 miles). 

She also runs a small business, Streamline Medicals, helping other endurance athletes, and ice swimmers, wi...

Listen as Becky and I chat about how she coped with the loss of her father in her early twenties, and about her successful career in drama teaching.

Rebecca is a drama facilitator and LAMDA examiner, with a background in drama therapy, performance and SEND teaching.

She teaches drama  skills and the LAMDA exam syllabus to a wide range of ages, abilities and needs from 4+  -   76+. Her groups are completely inclusive and the schools motto is ‘Building confidence having fun’.

Becky also leads drama workshops in schools and colleges and directs...

As the parent-carer of Elijah, a young boy who has faced numerous health complications and complex care needs since a tragic brain injury at just 18 months of age, Kaddy has dedicated her life to ensuring that her son receives the best possible care.

With a large team of health professionals at her side, Kaddy has been able to provide Elijah with round-the-clock care. However, the journey has not been easy. In order to become a more effective manager, leader, advocate, and communicator, Kaddy sought out coaching. and the results have been astounding.

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Becca Scott is a women’s health practitioner specialising in peri menopausal women experiencing vulval and vaginal health issues, autoimmune conditions, and stress-related illness. 

With over 25 years’ experience in women’s health, Becca has observed a recurring and often overlooked pattern - many chronic gynaecological, hormonal, and autoimmune conditions are closely linked to prolonged emotional stress, trauma, and difficult or toxic relationships. 

Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience, Becca is the creator of BLOOM - a methodology that helps women reclaim health, clarity, and self-trust while navigating difficult relationships. BLOOM supports women to stay wel...

Madeline Cordes is founder of Maddie4Music, and in this episode she shares her journey from a corporate career to building a thriving music business alongside it, driven by a desire to give people access to music they may never have had. 

From community choirs and adult learners to care homes, dementia support, and rehabilitation settings, Maddie4Music is about far more than learning to sing...it’s about wellbeing, belonging, and finding your voice.

We talk about the power of a singing community, and the hope that being within that com...

Catherine Grout is a London-based personal stylist and colour analyst, and the founder of What I Am Wearing Personal Styling. She works with women, particularly those in mid-life, who are navigating change, whether that is around health, confidence, identity or life direction, and helps them reconnect with themselves through colour, clothing and self-expression. 

Catherine believes getting dressed is never just about clothes; it is about how we show up in the world, how we feel in ourselves, and how we regain a sense of control and optimism during challenging times. Alongside her client work, she is also a...

Mangala Holland is a Somatic Sex Educator, Trainer and Facilitator with over 13 years’ experience. She has worked with thousands of women worldwide, is the author of the Amazon #1 best-seller, Orgasms Made Easy, and maintains an international client base.

Her work has been featured on UK daytime TV and in Vogue, Grazia UK, Marie Claire, The Daily Telegraph, Metro, Daily Mail and Mail Online. She specialises in midlife sexuality, orgasmic confidence, and trauma-informed embodiment.

She believes that “We have built a world that trains women to override their bodies - then wonder why they burn out, leav...

Gill M Edwards is known as a stress disruptor. She helps those who feel they’re drowning - she puts her hand into the water and pulls them out.  She also teaches on how to prevent getting up that point in the first place.

Gill is also an author and a Reiki practitioner, singer, and runs a ‘Singalong’ group in Staffordshire for those who love to sing in private, or have always been told to be quiet because they can’t sing.  She believes that everyone can sing and it is joyful and a brilliant way to relieve st...

Naomi Holbrook is a dynamic speaker, Number 1 bestselling author of ‘Your Weight is Not The Problem’, and women’s health advocate known for her magnetic presence and message that truly lands. 

Having created a name for herself as The Unconventional Weightloss Coach, what you’ll come to discover for yourself is Naomi is so much more. 

Naomi is the creator of the SMART formula and the SMART business blueprint: empowering entrepreneurs to prioritise their health to maximise their success. 

With a unique blend of compassion, bold truth-telling, and lived e...

Michelle Rigden is a blogger and advocate for widows and widowers navigating life after loss. After losing her husband to pancreatic cancer in 2023, Michelle began walking the path of grief with her children, Holly and Osian, learning to hold hope close and seek joy amid life’s broken pieces. 

Through her work, she supports others facing similar heartbreak, helping them find light in the darkness and purpose in the pain. 

Michelle is also the founder of a growing community of Joy Seekers — individuals committed to finding meaning, connection, and beauty in a life they didn’t plan f...

Dr Claire Vowell is a Clinical Psychologist, speaker, and advocate for compassion-led mental health support. With over 15 years’ experience working across the NHS and private practice, she specialises in helping individuals and families navigate life after trauma, illness, and loss.

Claire’s approach blends professional expertise with genuine empathy — she believes that healing begins when people feel truly seen and heard. Through her work, she’s helped countless individuals rebuild confidence, rediscover purpose, and reconnect with hope during some of life’s hardest chapters.

Beyond her clinical work, Claire is passionate about raising awareness around mental hea...

Caroline is an inspirational speaker and leadership coach for women over 30 dedicated to helping others rise, reclaim their voices and build passionate teams. She believes in the transformative power of stepping into your full, unapologetic potential.

In this episode, she opens up about the journey through losing hope, finding it again, and learning how to hold onto it - even in the hardest seasons. Her warm, honest approach inspires listeners to reconnect with their inner strength and step bodly into their next chapter.

Connect with Caroline on Instagram @caroline_i.e.e.coaching and on...

Dr Ellie Hambly is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in supporting parent navigate the overwhelm of modern-day parenting. She understands first-hand the pressure to “do it all” and the toll this takes on our nervous systems, relationships, and sense of self.

Ellie has over a decade of experience supporting children and their families, starting in the NHS and then through her private practice which she set up in 2018, after experiencing burnout. She offers individual therapy, workshops and courses. 

Ellie’s work blends deep psychological expertise with a heartfelt belief: the way we parent has the power to shap...

In this episode I’m talking to the wonderful Hazel McKinnon. We talk about the challenged of becoming deaf at a young age, and how she is striving to raise awareness of deaf issues.

Hazel writes:

I’m Hazel and I’m currently on a journey which I want to share with as many people as possible about the challenges which I face on a daily basis which bring me hope in supporting hard of hearing and deaf individuals to feel they are part of the community by giving them a voice By  raising awareness

My...

In this episode I talk with the spiritual engineer, Sarah Malone… listen as I find out all about what that entails!

(This episode contains occasional mild swearing)

Sarah Malone is a transformational speaker, Core Belief Decoding® creator, and soul-led truth-teller known for her raw, honest voice around living, leading, and rising with PMDD.

As a mother, business owner, and trauma-informed coach, Sarah brings depth, humour, and fierce tenderness to every room she enters. Her work blends nervous system regulation, energetic healing, and identity reclamation — helping people break cycle...

In this episode I talk with the inspirational Andrea Rainsford

Andrea Rainsford – A Passionate Connector, Business Growth Expert & Advocate for Women in Business

Andrea Rainsford is a business growth strategist and the creator of Buyology™ a distinctive approach to business that helps wildly brilliant women create consistent income in a way that feels deeply aligned. Her work brings together the unique mix of values, personality, learning style, business style, connection style, buying style, and selling style empowering women to grow in a way that is natural, effective, and entirely thei...

Listen as I talk with Eve, and we discuss hope, fun, and singing!

Eve Stanway is a divorce and breakup coach, psychotherapist, author, and speaker who believes that part of hope is having the courage to speak when it feels impossible. Her work focuses on helping people find the words they need when they feel most overwhelmed, especially during times of heartbreak, conflict, or deep change.

As the author of Conversations at the Shoreline: Dare to Speak to Navigate Life’s Toughest Conversations with Confidence and Clarity, Eve brings co...

In this episode I’m talking to the Queen Bee herself, the inspiring Dani Wallace.

(Please note: This episode contains occasional mild swearing)

It’s time to SHOW UP, WISE UP & RISE UP with The Queen Bee.

Former serial self-saboteur, having grown up on the council estates of Preston, Dani has survived the adversity of domestic violence, homelessness and single parenthood to become a leading voice in empowerment and have quickly become one of the most exciting motivational speakers to hit the UK stage in a lo...

Nikki is a Grief Coach & Transformational Life Coach working in East Sussex. She set up New Future Life Coaching in Jan 2025 with the aim to empower people who have found themselves at a crossroads in their life, through loss or circumstance, to find their ‘new future’.

A confident, creative & empathic woman, Nikki has navigated the very highs & very lows of life over the past 10 years.

Following a bereavement adventure that started with the sudden death of her Dad, & ended with the tragic loss of her brother Nikki felt the need to re-evaluate her...

Julie Bale : Vocal Transformation Specialist

Julie Bale is a powerhouse in the world of vocal transformation, performance mindset, and personal empowerment. With over 35 years of experience as a singer, voice teacher, hypnotherapist, author, and speaker, she has helped hundreds of individuals find their true voice both on stage and in life.

Founder of the ground-breaking Diva programme, From First Note to Final Curtain, and the transformational mindset training StagePower – Performance Mindset for Speakers & Singers, Julie’s mission is to help women in business step into their full presence, confidence, and vocal power. Her uniq...

In this episode I’m talking with the very inspiring Vicki Holtom, and hear her courageous story.

Please be advised that this episode contains discussions about child bereavement. 

Vicki is an Intuitive Health Guide

Founder of aebwellness, as a purpose driven holistic wellness advocate

Guiding people to reclaim their voice and true self to feel energised, live with confidence and clarity to thrive.

Offering a unique business concept that seamlessly integrates min...

In this episode I talk to musician Ruth Toynton about her challenging childhood and her musical hopes. 

Ruth Toynton is a singer songwriter and writer based in Yorkshire. Ruth has taken herself from selective mutism as a child to performing on stage and building a successful solo career as an independent artist. 

Ruth has dealt with fatphobia and racism all her life and is the founder of The Green room,  an Facebook based peer to peer support group for musicians of any age at any stage.

In this episode I talk to psychotherapist Lucy Hills-Gale, for a very insightful episode.

Lucy Hills-Gale

I’m a psychotherapist and I work both online and in person in Eastleigh, Hampshire. 

I work in an open ended way supporting clients to  connect with their thoughts and feelings, explore and process their experiences and gain self awareness.

I work with a wide range of subjects supporting clients to use the space to get what they need. 

I have also just launched a new range of therapy and menta...

This edition of The Chronicles Of Hope podcast is a special one, as I’m talking to my lifelong friend, Mark Lacey.

Mark has been suffering with mental health issues (though he dislikes that term) for many years, and in the past year those issues have become far worse, to the point where Mark was at his very lowest with anxiety and depression.

In this episode, Mark shares some of his story, telling me how he has coped during his lowest, hopeless, times and how he is now slowly recovering.

This is a ra...

This episode contains occasional mild swearing

Trigger Warning: contains references to suicide.

In this episode I talk to the inspirational Jaxon Feeley, his life and his hopes.

One of the most exciting emerging talents in tv and podcasting, Jaxon Feeley is a TV Personality, Podcast Host, Presenter, Speaker, Model and SO much more.

Transitioning whilst still a serving prison officer in 2021, Jaxon uses his wealth of experience to inspire, motivate and encourage people from all walks of life to find and most...

In this episode I talk to the lovely Chantal Shears about her business, her busy life and her CIC.

Chantal is passionate about the nervous system and simple ways that you can use daily to help you feel calm, connected, have deeper relationships, have better overall health and feel in control of your well being.

Chantal is a mum to 4 boys, after the birth of her boys instead of going back to primary teaching she become interested in neuroscience and then went on to train in trauma informed practises.  She now helps people t...

In this episode I talk to the incredible Lauren Prentice, listen as we chat about business, and how she almost lost hope during lockdown… but created success from adversity!

Lauren is a Subscription box coach and founder of @thebusinessboxuk, a business founded during the lockdown of 2020.

She now teaches other business owners how to create a successful subscription box, and growing an audience, and has recently launched her ‘Revenue on Replay’ Membership.

Lauren is also owner of the very successful @theatre_express

Connect with L...

In This episode, I talk to the effervescent Jojo Smith… we chat about business, unicorns, sparkle…and hope!

Meet Jojo Smith, your go-to girl for Magnetic Motivation and Inspiration! With her infectious sassy personality, a nurturing approach, and expertise laced with unconventional joyous methods, Jojo is not just a speaker; she's an experience. Direction and Connection guaranteed. Picture lively, bold, full of spirit, a little bit cheeky, and a whole lot of spirit-lifting magic. Jojo is the Sassy Not Sorry spark life needs.

JoJo mentors with passion and deter...

Charlotte Carter is one of the leading global high-performance mentors and transformation coaches. 

As the founder and CEO of I Dare to Leap, she helps high-flyers step into their power and harness their mindset and energy, ditching limiting beliefs and old habitual patterns so that they achieve their full potential. Charlotte is the host of the internationally successful Embody Your Energy podcast, has written for many publications including Grazia, The Telegraph, Hello!, Metro and Marie Claire, and has contributed to an Amazon Bestseller.

Connect with Charlotte:

(This episode contains occasional mild swearing)

In this episode I’m joined by the wonderful Niki Kinsella.

Niki Kinsella is an intuitive, spiritual leader and number one best selling author. She is the founder of The Feminine Energy Guide and The Healing Academy Franchise. She works to empower female entrepreneurs, helping them to embody spirituality, realign their energy and grow their business while peeing glitter. 

Her speciality is helping woo-loving female entrepreneurs to remove limiting beliefs, get out of their own way, feel totes amazeballs and smash the...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions about suicide and bereavement. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode, I’m joined by the fabulous Emma Hine, listen as we talk about her inspiring story, and her hopes.

Emma Hine is a certified business strategist & mentor helping ambitious people to build thriving businesses they love.

Emma believes that success starts with a clear vision of your dream life, followed by building a business that supports living it every day. Drawing from her experience building a million-pound e-commerce business that once consumed her life, sh...

In this episode, I’m joined by the wonderful Nicola Rowley, listen as we talk about her story, and her hopes.

As an award-winning PR expert and journalist with 30 years’ experience, Nicola J Rowley helps business owners and brands get seen safely in the media through strategic storytelling so they can impact the lives of others. 

She is the Amazon bestselling author of The Power of PR and host of the global top rating podcast The Power of Storytelling. 

She is also the founder of Rainbow House Publishing, helping children aged 7...

In this episode I’m joined by the amazing Buckso Dhillon Woolley.

Join us as we chat about her journey, her new purpose and the role that hope played in it all.

Buckso Dhillon Woolley

Buckso is a true Architect of Change! As an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker and energy transformation coach, she empowers spiritual entrepreneurs to create sustainable, impactful businesses without compromising their core values or quality of life. 

Recently, Buckso unveiled Haus of Wisdom—a transformative platform designed to elevate spiritual entre...