Across courtrooms, newsrooms, hospitals and insurance call centres, a growing number of workers are carrying the psychological cost of other people’s worst days. So what happens when caring for others begins to harm the carers themselves?

In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host and Churchill Fellow Michelle Ainsworth speaks with social worker Amy Nicholas about her 2023 Churchill Fellowship, during which she explored second-hand trauma, or “vicarious” trauma at work, and how exposure to others’ traumatic experiences can carry an immense psychological and emotional toll.

Amy explains why vicarious trauma is increasingly impacting not only traditional frontline workers but also “digital frontline” employees who view digital evidence of these incidents on CCTV and social media.

The Churchill Changemakers is produced for the Winston Churchill Trust by:

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Sport can help change hearts, minds, and systems. In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host Michelle Ainsworth speaks with Jamal Elsheikh, Director of Programs and Partnerships at Reflect Forward, an organisation that leverages the power of sport and athletes to tackle racism in Australia.

Jamal shares his powerful personal journey - from surviving a vicious racist attack and growing up across cultures to harnessing the unifying power of sport to drive anti-racism education.

Drawing on insights from his 2022 Churchill Fellowship travels across the UK, US and Switzerland, Jamal outlines why racism is a public health issue, and why education - not punishment - must lead systemic change.

The Churchill Changemakers is produced for the Winston Churchill Trust by:

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Churchill Changemakers, host Michelle Ainsworth speaks with award-winning journalist and Churchill Fellow Lorena Allam.

Now an industry professor at UTS’s Jumbunna Institute, Lorena reflects on her decades-long media career, the structural racism within journalism, and the transformative insights from her 2023 fellowship exploring truth-telling and media accountability abroad.

From Ireland to the Guardian’s Cotton Capital project, Lorena shares what Australia can learn about confronting colonial legacies. She offers powerful reflections on truth, healing, and the urgent need for media reform to build trust with First Nations communities. A vital conversation about storytelling, history, and systemic change.

Fellowship Sponsor: Lorena was awarded the Barbara Dunstan Churchill Fellowship to investigate the relationship between Indigenous truth-telling initiatives and the media.

The Churchill Changemakers is produced for the Winston Churchill Trust by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.