In this heart-opening episode of The Spark Changemakers Podcast, Nikki sits down with Neil Denton - mediator, professor, and co-lead of The Relationships Project - to explore why relationships are not “soft extras,” but the very foundation of healthier, happier, more resilient communities.

Neil shares the vision behind The Relationships Project: embedding relationship-centred practice across schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods, and governments. Together, Nikki and Neil reflect on why relationships are “common sense but not common practice,” how bridges between people can be widened and strengthened, and why the stories we tell each other can either divide us or heal us.

From supermarket queues to disaster recovery, Neil reveals how simple acts of connection ripple outwards - and why the survival of whole communities can hinge on trust and collaboration.

Highlights:

🌱 Why good relationships are both an end in themselves and a means to every goal

🌉 Bridge-building: repairing damaged connections and creating new ones

🧅 The “onion of wisdom” - a simple model for relationship-centred practice

💡 Why young people need relational skills as much as STEM subjects

🌍 The ripple effect of kindness, storytelling, and human connection

Resources:

👉Learn more on the Relationships Project website

👉 Explore The Centre for Creative Conversation

👉 Follow The Relationships Project on X and on BlueSky