Share Sounds

Gadgets and Gizmos with Share Radio's technology editor Steve Caplin.

A very good afternoon and welcome to today's edition of the Apprentice Investor. Regular listeners to the show will know that our Apprentices are five members of the Share Radio team who've each been given fifteen thousand pounds of virtual money to build their own individual share portfolios. They have a minimum of eight stocks, which they've been buying and selling through The Share Centre. So, how well are they doing? Are they feeling in a celebratory mood or is it a day for drowning sorrows? Juliette Foster welcomes apprentices Olivia Demetriades and Matt Cox, and Share Radio's Senior Analyst Ed Bowsher.

Can money be made from businesses that follow a social and environmental agenda? You might think the answer to that is "No" yet you couldn't be more wrong? Go through the pages of crowd funding sites and you'll find hundreds of businesses whose financial objectives are underpinned by a strong commitment to social and environment issues. One example is a company called "The Wave". Founder Nick Hounsfield has turned a passion for surfing into a major project that brings together people of all ages and social groups, with the help of a lake and some cutting edge technology. Chris Hines is the project's "Head of Sustainability" while Christopher and Jenna Gordon are investors and members of "The Wave" board. All four of them join Juliette Foster in the studio.

This is Conversations From Africa, with Chris Bishop, Managing Editor of Forbes Africa Magazine & Share Radio's Patrick Jones. In this weeks edition - major news from South Africa as the President Jacob Zuma has succesfully managed to avoid impeachment despite heavy opposition. With notable public figures now saying he should do the honorable thing and step down, will he bow to the pressure? Other topics include South Africa's manufacturing sector seeing growth despite the countries economic woes, an address by Robert Mugabe to thousands of war veterans in Zimbabwe, plus South Africa avoiding a major strike.

Arguments have been made for and against leaving the EU on a political and economic basis, but what about an ecological one? An EU Referendum debate due to take place will look at the environmental impact of a Brexit. Matt Cox spoke to Martin Harper, the Director of Conservation at UK charity the RSPB, who explained natures relationship with politics and how the system currently works.

Beset by its longest recession in 20 years, Russia is losing the economic prosperity that many Russians had regarded as the hallmark of Vladimir Putin's rule. But the Russian leader, who was heavily implicated in the Panama tax papers, remains hugely popular and a strong figure abroad. Robert Van Egghen examines whether further economic issues could unravel Putin's rule.

Ed Bowsher, Share’s personal finance expert, joins Georgie in the studio for a look at the big stories of the day #tax law #pensioners #retail #spending #banks

From Libya to Daesh, and the debate over the future of Trident, there always seems to be money for war. But are there better ways to spend it? Marc Shoffman speaks to Andrew Smith, from the Campaign Against Arms Trade, looks at whether action against military spending is necessary, while Shuaghan Dolan, from Conscience, explores how the government could deal with global issues such as Isis. Reverend Mark Woods, contributing editor of Christian Today, also explains whether you are pacifist if you are religious.

In this week's programme, in association with IDG, Nick Peters looks at HR strategies that reward their staff with Ailsa Suttie, Operations Director at CSMA Club, who managed to bring a new and fresh approach to help its workers. Nick Howard, Executive Director at Edelman ENGAGE, explains the lack of trust between staff and their leaders and how the latter can build trust with their workers. Nick also speaks to Scott Stirrett, Executive Director and founder of Venture for Canada, a company that recruits and trains young graduates in start-up businesses. In contrast Andrew MacKensie, Policy and Research Manager at Reed in Partnership discusses their recent report, "Too Poor to Work", which looks at the cost of finding and sustaining work for the long-term unemployed in the UK.

POD is a firm with a mission: to change the way people eat on-the-go, selling healthy fast food to busy office workers. The company was set up by Tim Hall and Kate Skerritt and they opened the first branch in 2005 in the City of London. Now under a new management team Linda Lewis looks at their ambitious plans to expand the business beyond their current 22 branches, but still keeping to the ethos of using innovative ingredients and unusual recipes.