The Labour party came to power pledging to fix Britain’s housing crisis. It’s a big promise. And this is a problem that needs to be fixed, quickly. Jeevan Vasagar, Climate Editor, The Observer has spoken to people building homes, those experiencing homelessness and those trying to work out how to get Britain building again.
Making Sense of Social Housing, produced by the Observer, together with Lloyds Banking Group.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Creating a place where people want to live is about more than building houses. It’s also about creating communities where people feel safe, where they want to raise a family. Jeevan Vasagar, Climate Editor, The Observer speaks to city planners, architects and residents and gains their perspective on how we can create places that help build community life, not just houses.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
30 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Homes fit for the future
The buildings we live and work in account for about a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. In this episode, Jeevan Vasagar, Climate Editor, The Observer, explores what it’ll take to ensure everyone has a safe and warm home, and to renovate the UK housing stock to ensure it stays heated in winter and cool in summer.
Making Sense of Social Housing, produced by the Observer, together with Lloyds Banking Group.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
24 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Has the government kept its promise?
The government has set an ambitious target… building 1.5 million new homes over five years, backed with billions of pounds… So – why is it so hard to get Britain building? Jeevan Vasagar, Climate Editor, The Observer, hears from housebuilders, policy-makers, those experiencing homelessness and business leaders about what it’ll take to get Britain building.
Making Sense of Social Housing, produced by the Observer, together with Lloyds Banking Group.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
16 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Introducing...Making sense of social housing: Fixing the housing crisis
Jeevan Vasagar, Climate Editor at The Observer, interviews experts on building homes and addressing homelessness to fix Britain's housing crisis.
4 Feb 2025TRANSCRIPT
The future of farming | Making sense of sustainable farming Ep 3
Technology has the potential to transform farming, making it both more profitable for the farmer and better for the environment. Jeevan Vasagar meets some pioneering farmers who are challenging the whole notion of what modern farm in Britain could look like.
Making sense of sustainable farming is hosted by Tortoise editor Jeevan Vasager and produced by Eleanor Biggs. The executive producer is Jasper Corbett.
Making sense of sustainable farming is produced by Tortoise Media together with Lloyds Banking Group, who are the largest lender to agriculture in the UK, with over over 40,000 clients, providing significant funding to help businesses, including farms, transition to more sustainable practices.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tortoise/id1441428990) - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/tortoise/id6442666997) on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/becomeamember/) and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com (mailto:hello@tortoisemedia.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
28 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
Costing the earth | Making sense of sustainable farming Ep 2
Data is the key for farmers wanting to understand the impact their practices are having on the environment. Recent political shifts in terms of subsidies and tax breaks, make it hard for them to plan for the future and prioritise the environment. Does the supply chain need to do more to help?
Making sense of sustainable farming is hosted by Tortoise editor Jeevan Vasager and produced by Eleanor Biggs. The executive producer is Jasper Corbett.
Making sense of sustainable farming is produced by Tortoise Media together with Lloyds Banking Group, who are the largest lender to agriculture in the UK, with over over 40,000 clients, providing significant funding to help businesses, including farms, transition to more sustainable practices.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tortoise/id1441428990) - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/tortoise/id6442666997) on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/becomeamember/) and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com (mailto:hello@tortoisemedia.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
21 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
The trouble with farming | Making sense of sustainable farming Ep 1
British farming is an industry in crisis. Farmers say they can’t afford to make ends meet, yet we rely on them to keep producing food. Historic pressures to maximise food production have left our soils degraded. Is there a way to help farmers profit while also strengthening the UK’s biodiversity?
Making sense of sustainable farming is hosted by Tortoise editor Jeevan Vasager and produced by Eleanor Biggs. The executive producer is Jasper Corbett.
Making sense of sustainable farming is produced by Tortoise Media together with Lloyds Banking Group, who are the largest lender to agriculture in the UK, with over over 40,000 clients, providing significant funding to help businesses, including farms, transition to more sustainable practices.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tortoise/id1441428990) - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/tortoise/id6442666997) on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/becomeamember/) and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com (mailto:hello@tortoisemedia.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
14 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
Introducing...Making sense of sustainable farming
Introducing...Making sense of sustainable farming
A new three-part series exploring the challenges facing Britain’s food and farming industry.
How can we ensure we have enough food to eat, without it costing the earth – and that farmers earn a decent living?
Tortoise editor Jeevan Vasagar meets farmers up and down the country to learn about the problems they are facing, and the possible solutions.
Making sense of sustainable farming is hosted by Tortoise editor Jeevan Vasagar and produced by Eleanor Biggs. The executive producer is Jasper Corbett.
Making sense of sustainable farming is produced by Tortoise Media together with Lloyds Banking Group (Helping farmers thrive on the transition to net zero - Lloyds Banking Group plc), who are the largest lender to agriculture in the UK, with over over 40,000 clients, providing significant funding to help businesses, including farms, transition to more sustainable practices.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
7 Feb 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 3: How do we fix it?
Is there a long-term solution to the social housing crisis? Group Chief Executive of Lloyds Banking Group, Charlie Nunn, as well as policy makers and campaigners look at possible solutions and consider what needs to change to make a real difference.
Making sense of social housing is produced with the support of Lloyds Banking Group (https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/who-we-are/what-we-do/supporting-the-uk-housing-market/social-housing.html), who are the biggest supporters of social housing, supporting around £16 billion of funding to the sector since 2018.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tortoise/id1441428990) - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/tortoise/id6442666997) on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/becomeamember/) and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com (mailto:hello@tortoisemedia.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
31 Jan 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 2: The crisis in our rental sector
Innovations are being made in the broader rental sector to improve the supply of housing. In episode 2 of Making sense of social housing, hear from the tenants and landlords who want to improve the way we let homes and find out about the city that sees housing as the way to grow its economy.
Making sense of social housing is produced with the support of Lloyds Banking Group, who are the biggest supporters of social housing, supporting around £16 billion of funding to the sector since 2018.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tortoise/id1441428990) - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/tortoise/id6442666997) on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/becomeamember/) and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
24 Jan 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 1: How serious is the crisis and how did we get into this mess?
The state of social housing in the UK has reached a crisis point in 2023. But how did we get here? In Liverpool, housing associations and those waiting to be housed are at the frontline of the crisis and have first-hand experience of the decline of social housing in their city and beyond.
Making sense of social housing is produced by Tortoise Media together with Lloyds Banking Group (https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/who-we-are/what-we-do/supporting-the-uk-housing-market/social-housing.html), who are the biggest supporters of social housing, supporting around £16 billion of funding to the sector since 2018.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tortoise/id1441428990) - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/tortoise/id6442666997) on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/becomeamember/) and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com (mailto:hello@tortoisemedia.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
19 Dec 2023
Introducing...Making sense of social housing
A new three part series looking at the UK’s social housing crisis, how we got here and what the future holds. The series charts the status of social housing from the late 1970s to the present day, explores the different solutions being offered by the public and private sector and investigates how solving the crisis could transform our society at large. Throughout the series you will hear from people on the front line of the UK’s social housing crisis - from those on waiting lists to those building homes as well as those campaigning to make a difference. Making Sense of Social Housing is hosted by Tortoise Editor Jeevan Vasagar. The producer is Adrian Bradley and the executive producer is Jasper Corbett.
Making sense of social housing is produced by Tortoise Media together with Lloyds Banking Group (https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/who-we-are/what-we-do/supporting-the-uk-housing-market/social-housing.html), who are the biggest supporters of social housing, supporting around £16 billion of funding to the sector since 2018.
You can find out more about Tortoise:
Download the Tortoise app (https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tortoise/id1441428990) - for a listening experience curated by our journalists
Subscribe to Tortoise+ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/channel/tortoise/id6442666997) on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content
Become a member (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/becomeamember/) and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more
If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com (mailto:hello@tortoisemedia.com)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Inside a recent episode
A sense of place
Published 7 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And I suppose, you know, when we think back to the post -war period, the lives that the people of Sheffield were living were very different. The life expectancy was very different. Sheffield's the fourth largest city in England. There's a big student population and many stay on after graduation. It needs more housing and needs to create places where people choose to live. What makes a good place, Kate? I think what makes a good place is intrinsically linked to what makes being a human being. So it's unsuperdeep. What makes being a human being... What makes human beings tick, you know, it's about thinking about people, the people that will live in a place and thinking about how you create spaces where people feel safe. […]
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