What does it take to care for people at the most vulnerable moments of their lives?

Jon Bell is a consultant Interventional Radiologist at The Christie in Manchester, the largest cancer care centre in Europe, providing world-leading cancer care, from Greater Manchester. Jon and his team are helping to treat and care for one in two of us who will get cancer.

He also happens to be the son of Manchester City legend Colin Bell.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about The Christie Charity’s beautiful Garden of Hope. Roland Dransfield are proud to sponsor this new installation of one thousand illuminated roses, currently lighting up St John’s Gardens. The Garden of Hope is raising funds for a new state-of-the-art PET scanner.

Jon shares why this investment matters so deeply to clinicians and patients alike, and how it will change the future of cancer care in Greater Manchester.

Lisa and Jon discuss what it’s really like to work in a role where you’re supporting people through some of the toughest days of their lives. You’ll hear Jon talk about the compassion, resilience and teamwork that underpin the care delivered at The Christie, and Jon reflects on the values his dad passed down to him.

Jon also explains how his team are bringing hope to families during the Christmas period, and the small but powerful acts that make a difficult time feel a little brighter.

You can find out more information on the Garden of Hope, and buy a rose to dedicate to a loved one affected by cancer through the Christie Charity website using this link.

The Garden of Hope is free to visit 3pm to 8pm daily, at St John's Gardens, Lower Byrom Street, from Sunday 7 to Sunday 21 December 2025.

How do you make people feel at home in a city that still feels new?

There are so many people making big contributions to Greater Manchester who don’t quite fit the ‘born, bred or adopted Manc’ label. We Built This City is celebrating some of those people with ‘Drawn Here Not Born Here’.

Matt Townley is Group Operations Director at Dakota Hotels and Chair of the Manchester Hoteliers Association. He came to Manchester from Liverpool and is now at the heart of the city’s amazing hospitality scene. In this conversation with Lisa, Matt shares the work that drew him here; why he wanted to settle and how his friends and family still react to him being a Scouser in Manchester.

Matt talks about how he’s shaping Dakota’s newest hotel at Manchester Airport, and the legacy he’s building through his work with the Manchester Hoteliers Association. You’ll also hear about his passion for spotting emerging talent, and why investing in others is such a big part of his leadership.

Matt’s work is all about making people feel welcome and creating real moments of luxury. Hear how he’s doing that across Greater Manchester, building a base for people to explore the city from, and why he’s still not quite ready yet to call himself an adopted Manc.

Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

How do you sell a groundbreaking new venue in a city you’ve only just moved to?

We Built This City celebrates people who contribute to Greater Manchester in a meaningful way, and Mancs can be “born, bred or adopted”. But what about the people who don’t quite fit those labels? Like in Tony Walsh's poem, they’ve been drawn here, not born here. In this series, you’ll hear from some of those people.

People like Becci Thomson, the Chief Commercial Officer for Co-op Live. She joined the project right at the beginning and took a leap of faith when she moved to Manchester in late 2020. Since then, she’s seen the venue grow from the ground up, and you’ll hear what it’s really been like helping to shape a world-class arena while settling into a new city at the same time.

Becci tells Lisa about the moments when everything finally came together, and when all the hard work paid off, from welcoming Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish to hosting the MTV EMAs.

She also reflects on how the city’s energy and people have shaped her both professionally and personally, what she’s learned about herself along the way, and the parts of the city region that now feel like home.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester; across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 29 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Tom

Via LinkedIn

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

How do you make your way in business in Manchester as a Scouser?

There are many people making big contributions to Greater Manchester who don’t quite fit the born, bred or adopted Manc label. And We Built This City is celebrating some of those people with ‘Drawn Here Not Born Here’.

Peter Jackson is the former CEO and Managing Partner of the Law firm Hill Dickinson. Back in the late 90s, he came from Liverpool to head up the firm’s Manchester Office. In this conversation with Lisa, he reflects on the welcome he got from the city administration at the time and the things he learned by paying attention to how the city sees itself. You’ll hear what anyone coming to do business in Manchester or Liverpool should understand to get it right.

After a 40-year career, Peter learnt many lessons about setting up in a new city, connecting with people, and becoming part of the local community. And after stepping down as CEO in 2024, Peter now uses his experience to support the firm’s ongoing growth and stability.

Together, they explore the little quirks of city identity, the differences that have made the fabric of Manchester and how they shape the way people work, lead, and build relationships across the North West.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Erinma

Via her website

Via LinkedIn

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for Manchester United and the region”

Collette Roche is the Chief Operating Officer of Manchester United, the first woman ever to hold that role at the club. Along the way, she’s had to navigate male-dominated environments; hold tough conversations, and lead with clarity and empathy since she was 21 years old.

Collette’s story isn’t just about football. She’s played key roles in some of Manchester’s most important institutions; from Manchester Airport Group and Manchester Metropolitan University to JW Lees, The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, UA92 and The Manchester United Foundation.

Host Lisa Morton hears about Collette’s journey from working-class roots in Haydock, to leading one of the most renowned football clubs in the world. Collette’s been a steady hand through years of change, during which she’s seen five managers come and go. She’s now at the heart of one of the most ambitious projects in the club’s history: a planned new stadium for the club and an ambitious regeneration programme for Old Trafford which will leave a lasting impact on Greater Manchester as well as its fans.

From working-class roots in Haydock to leading one of the most renowned football clubs in the world, Collette’s story is one leading with purpose and integrity.

Part of this conversation was recorded live at Business Desk’s The Business of Greater Manchester Conference, and it captures how Collette is helping to build not just a new stadium, but a stronger Manchester for generations to come.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

How has the ‘Cream of Manchester’ been “pulled” back to the city?

Will Lees-Jones is the Managing Director of JW Lees, a seventh-generation family brewery and pub business with pubs all across the North West.

Will caught up with Lisa Morton to share the news about the exciting return of Boddingtons to Manchester and other pubs near you.

They discuss what it means to bring back an icon to the city; Will’s hopes for the future of brewing in Manchester, and whether or not he’s had a call from iconic “Boddies Girl” Melanie Sykes.

You also get a chance to hear Will’s conversation with Will from 2022, when they reflected on leading a business through the Covid pandemic, and the values that help keep JW Lees pubs resilient.

In that conversation, Will talked about championing local communities through initiatives like Mahdlo Youth Zone in Oldham and Forever Manchester, and why he believed pubs remain at the heart of social life.

From steering a historic family business through challenging times to shaping Manchester’s next chapter with a truly iconic beer, Will’s commitment to tradition, community, and to championing the culture that surrounds the local remains unparalleled.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester; across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Tom

Via LinkedIn

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

"It's all about connecting people and place to opportunity."

Tom Stannard is the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council. A proud public servant, he began his career in London, but his journey in the North West has been a tale of two cities. Tom left Salford four months ago to start his new role in Manchester.

Find out how Tom leads with a community first mindset; humility, purpose and humour, including a commitment to staying grounded, even if that means posing for a photo next to some fly-tipping!

In this episode, Lisa Morton explores what it means to lead a global city with local people at its heart. Tom shares how his experiences in Salford have shaped his approach to inclusive regeneration, why he believes that listening to community voices is key to effective policymaking, and how his family values have influenced his leadership journey.

From site visits in Miles Platting to gigs in Co-op Live, Tom proves that civic leadership can have both steel and soul.

You’ll hear how regeneration can serve every part of a city, not just its centre and what Tom and his team have planned for Greater Manchester in the next 10 years.

This is a conversation about building a fairer Manchester, one that’s ambitious, inclusive, and connected to the people who call it home.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester; across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Tom

Via LinkedIn

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.

What does it take to power a greener future for Manchester?

Amer Gaffar is the Director of the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University, a research hub developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, which will support Greater Manchester's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2038.

Lisa and Amer discuss exactly what a ‘fuel cell’ is and how hydrogen can power Manchester's next revolution; a green revolution. You’ll hear Lisa uncover Amer’s vision for a cleaner, fairer city and how leading Manchester institutions are fueling that transition faster than any other city.

Amer talks about why he believes collaboration is key to tackling the climate crisis and how Manchester Met along with Manchester’s combined authority are helping to get the city region to the goal of Net Zero together.

Amer reflects on the need to make sustainability accessible to all and this conversation is a great reminder of how local action can drive global change, he’s keen on bringing people with him and powering Greater Manchester’s green revolution through knowledge, people and their skills.

From working with businesses on green innovation to helping shape Manchester’s net zero ambitions, Amer is determined to ensure the city doesn't just adapt to the future—it leads it.

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Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business, and its team members, have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.

To celebrate the 28 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.

Connect with Amer

Via LinkedIn

Via Manchester Met

Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:

Via our website

On Instagram

On X FKA Twitter

On this episode, We Built This City has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University. Wherever your business wants to be, Manchester Met is there to help you go further.

Visit mmu.ac.uk/business or follow Business at Manchester Met on LinkedIn, to find out more.