Hull Episodes
As the home of the Believe in People podcast, Hull is a city rich in history, resilience, and community spirit. This category shines a light on the unique challenges and opportunities Hull faces in addressing addiction and supporting recovery. Episodes explore the local services available, the stories of Hull residents navigating addiction and recovery, and the city’s role as a hub for innovation in harm reduction and treatment. By grounding these discussions in the local context, the podcast celebrates Hull’s community-driven efforts to tackle addiction and reduce stigma while providing inspiration for other regions.
26
May 12, 2026
Melissa Love: Trauma, Healthcare Stigma and a Nurse’s Journey Into Recovery Services
Melissa Love joins Believe in People to share how working as a nurse in addiction services challenged her own hidden fears, internalised stigma and understanding of dependency. Through personal reflections on her brother’s addiction, family trauma and her father’s rejection, Melissa explores how these experiences reshaped her view of recovery, compassion and what real care looks like. This episode explores addiction recovery, trauma, stigma in healthcare, family dynamics, mental health and the i...
9
Jan. 15, 2026
Chiedu Oraka: Drugs, Prison & Fame - From Street Culture to Supporting Coldplay
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Chiedu Oraka, one of the UK’s most distinctive emerging voices in rap, also known as The Black Yorkshireman, joins Matt to discuss dual identity, stigma, and the turning points that reshaped his life. Born and raised on a Hull council estate in a Nigerian household, Chiedu grew up balancing two worlds: cultural expectations at home and the pressure to fit in outside - while carrying the weight of how others perceived him. We ex...
28
Sept. 8, 2025
Emma Hardy MP: Ketamine, Mental Health & Flood Crisis - Community Recovery in Hull
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Emma Hardy MP returns to the podcast to discuss some of the most urgent challenges facing Hull and the wider UK – including rising ketamine harm , worsening mental health pressures, and the city’s ongoing triple flood threat . Recorded during a period of national uncertainty, Emma reflects on the cost of living crisis, social housing pressures, sewage and drainage issues, and the wider political culture that shapes how communit...
27
July 27, 2025
Elly Mortimer: Hepatitis C, Heroin & Harm Reduction - 30 Years of Public Health Experience
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , Elly returns for her third appearance to share more than 30 years of insight from frontline harm reduction and public health work, with a particular focus on eliminating Hepatitis C across the UK. Elly explains how treatment has transformed from long, punishing year-long interferon courses with severe side effects to today’s short-course tablets that are over 96 percent effective . Drawing on decades of clinical, operational an...
26
July 14, 2025
Henry Beercock: Binge Drinking & Sobriety - Building an Alcohol-Free Movement
In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma , we meet Henry Beercock , founder of Hull’s rapidly growing sober movement Alcohull Free . After nearly two decades of heavy binge drinking, Henry made a bold decision that changed his life: he stopped drinking, stepped away from his corporate career, and began rebuilding his health, identity and purpose from the inside out. What started as a personal recovery journey quickly evolved into something bigger. Alcohull Free became a...