Our guest this episode is Professor John Gallacher, professor of cognitive health at Oxford University and Director of BrainWaves, the UK's largest cohort study focused specifically on adolescent mental health.

What makes this research remarkable isn't just its scale (30,000 16-year-olds, expanding to 50,000+ by 2026), but its fundamental approach: shifting from clinical intervention to population-level wellbeing.

Key themes we explore:

• Why BrainWaves focuses specifically on 16-year-olds and the vision for this lifetime study
• The surprising parallel impact of social media use on both boys and girls
• How the decisions we make in adolescence have lifetime consequences for our health and wealth futures
• The straightforward equation: help everyone feel a bit better, and you reduce the proportion who need specialist help
• Why presenting young people with evidence empowers them to make good choices
• How BrainWaves is developing educational resources and teacher training
• The multi-agency collaboration model that makes research at this scale possible
• An important reminder: the vast majority of young people are not suffering from dire mental health issues

John's belief that young people are agents, not passive victims, runs throughout our conversation. When given evidence rather than lectures, they make good choices.

His advice for anyone worrying about the future? Love yourself.

Find out more: brainwaveshub.org

For more information about working with Cathy, visit cathywalkerconsulting.uk.

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This time we're delighted to welcome Ishaaq Shafi, CEO and founder of ChatUniversity, who's using TikTok to revolutionise how young people approach university applications and super-curriculars.

We talked about how he's making higher education access more democratic, what admissions tutors are actually looking for (spoiler: it's not always what you think), and why the traditional application process is crying out for disruption.

Ishaaq shares the reality of navigating competitive applications processes, levelling the playing field, and how ChatUniversity is equipping students with genuine skills and confidence that can make a huge difference.

Whether you're a prospective undergrduate navigating UCAS, an educator supporting young people through applications, parenting a teen who's starting to think about their future, or just interested in how the next generation is building the tools they need to navigate a rapidly changing world - this episode's for you.

It's a conversation about access, equity, and what happens when someone decides the system needs shaking up - and then actually does something about it!

To find out more about Chat University visit https://chatuniversity.co.uk/

Ishaaq is also on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chatuniversity

And as ever, if you'd like to learn more about Cathy's work, you can reach her here or visit cathywalkerconsulting.uk.

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This episode, Cathy chats to Abigail Foster, Chartered Accountant and founder of Elent Finance, who's on a mission to demystify money for the next generation.

Having worked with the Bank of England, HMRC, and Downing Street, plus global giants like Google and Goldman Sachs, Abigail brings serious credentials to her passion for financial education.

In this episode, we explore what financial literacy really means for young people growing up in an uncertain economic landscape. Abigail shares insights from her new book "The Money Manual" and discusses why she believes we're failing our children when it comes to money education. From tax codes to first-time buying, ISAs to pensions, we cover the practical knowledge that should be taught in schools but isn't.

We also look ahead: How will AI and technology reshape personal finance? What financial challenges will define the next generation? And if Abigail could redesign the UK's financial system from scratch, what would she change?

Expect real talk about money anxiety, practical takeaways for parents and educators, and a reassuring take on helping people of all ages build financial confidence for whatever future awaits them.

You can follow Abi on instagram here on LinkedIn here and you can buy her book, The Money Manual, here.

And for more information about Cathy or The Futures Project Podcast, click here

And, as ever, thank you for listening! If you have enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe and share 🙏✨

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