Every Man Can Mental Strength Podcast

During January, EquitaBLe partnered with Every Man Can CIC to record a podcast on the topic of Paternity Leave. Every Man Can are local to our Teesside Park retail asset working in the community to support men & their families, providing mental health and trauma training, therapeutic support and highlighting relevant mens health topics through their mental strength podcast.

This insightful episode included guest speaker Micky Nicholas MBE, ED&I lead for Northumbrian Water. Micky is an ex-exec council member of the Fire Brigade Union who worked for decades to progress the D&I agenda, earning his MBE for services to Equality and Diversity.

During the discussion, the men shared their experiences of paternity leave, honest views on statutory rights, thoughts on what men want and how business across varying industries are responding to a shift in generational parenting and the demands of family life.

You can listen to the podcast here:

Music in intro and break - Clean by PaynesBeats -- https://freesound.org/s/371680/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Kim is a qualified hypnotherapist dedicated to helping people break free from anxiety and burnout through a powerful blend of psychological therapy, hypnosis, and NLP. Guided by empathy, creativity, and spiritual intuition, her approach creates a safe and supportive path toward lasting peace and resilience.

Having overcome her own struggles with anxiety and burnout, shes deeply committed to helping others find clarity, confidence and build mental stength. Weather working one-on-one, at retreats, or in workshops, Kimberley crafts personalised experiences that empower clients to reconnect with their strength and embrace meaningful change.

Ahead of tomorrow Sunday 8th December full podcast release, interviewing Kimberley Weir, we interview the co owner of this podcasts host business, The Artizan in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, Frances Hynes. With a second venue in Marton, Middlesbrough, he talks to us about the challenges to mental strength in running a business here, the daily challenges of employing and managing, the great opportunities and responsibilty in being an employer to young, developing adults and touches on his own experiences of mental strength. Thanks again to Frances for his time and offer to host us.

We were proud to host a podcast on behalf of Teesside Park and British Land, at a jobs fair for young people.

The jobs fair was held at Teesside Park and it showcased what amazing young people Teesside has, and what businesses are doing for them.

The podcast was emotive and we discussed the difficulties of employers and employees, when hiring young people in today's society.

With fantastic interviews from guests which included managers of Nike, Hollywood bowl, and Teesside Park.

Mental Strength naturally came into the conversation and it opened stories of personal professional challenges.

Gary, being Gary didnt give us a bio, so, we made one up for him. ha,

I'm just a doyle who was worked in radio for 30yrs.

An intriguing insight into a voice of a community, a man who's voice soothes and helps others on BBC Radio Tees

A man that loves his music and realises the importance of what it brings, and a record collection to match. An open and honest conversation about everyday problems of men and the reality of how it effects them, and him.

Ahead of tomorrows fortnightly interview with Gary Phillipson, recorded at Cookfellas restaurant and winery in Guisborough, we talk to the owner, Helen Leonard about the fascinating personal story that led to the setting up of the restaurant.

- Nick Gates, son of renowned footballer Eric Gates, has built an impressive career in both the playing and business sides of football. A former player for the England U18 National Team, Nick later attended Harvard University in the USA, combining his passion for soccer with a world-class education.

- He is the founder of PLAY SOCCER USA, a coaching company that has positively impacted over 2 million children, promoting youth soccer development across the country. In 2002/2003, Nick held a key role as a Business of Football Executive at Middlesbrough Football Club, gaining valuable experience in football management.

- In addition to his business ventures, Nick is actively involved in two global football charities, including "Head Safe Football," dedicated to promoting safety and awareness in the sport. His diverse career reflects a deep commitment to the game at both grassroots and professional levels.

Dr Iain Caldwell is a chartered psychologist. With over 22 years’ experience of working in the “mental health sector”. Iain is a FIT (Feedback Informed Treatment) training and supervisor.

He is also a CEO, a director of 'Making Sense of', which is focused on bringing clarity to the world of human distress and developing better approaches to helping people.

He is also a Director of APBA (Association of Practice Based Approach), an innovative organisation focused on delivering practice-based evidence in how to improve effectiveness, gain better results and transform personally and professionally.

This packed episode introduces ideas around how to better contextualise people's individual experiences and embodiment of their mental health experience.

Examples include :

We shouldn’t think good therapists or a good trainer. We the patient should think do they FIT with me?

FIT means can I work with you? That’s the measure of importance and relevance.

ABC of mental strengths which Iain created. As a framework to hold lots of ideas/tools.

Attitude - a way of thinking or feeling...

Behaviours - actions (inc social awareness)...

Connections - relating...

Professional gaslighting is something Iain refers to as being new in his vocabulary….it’s recently emerged. He imagines other people having a similar experience of emergence with this and is interested in exploring the area.

When considering the Mental Health Medical model- he believes the main issue is it decontextualises a persons life when the opposite is needed. He also states that psychiatry isn’t a science, if it was it would be called neurology.

Richie Andrew leads and is joined by Matt Homan and Matt Stirland. All video and social by Matt Stirland of the short form content social media company CREATE HYPE. Find him on Instagram, Facebook AND Linked In.

Steve Whittle is a pivotal figure in combating male suicide stigma. Founder of 'Tough To Talk' and creator of the MANUP book and journals, he transforms conversations around men's crises and mental health. Having overcome his own struggles, Steve brings personal insight and determination to his mission.

With a background in the Royal Navy and expertise in marketing, Steve combines strength and strategy to drive societal change. His charity focuses on reducing male suicide and challenging the gender mental health gap, encouraging men to seek help confidently.

John Gallifant is a father of two beautiful and energetic boys and a proud Yorkshire bloke!

He has been lucky enough to have a varied career in the leisure, retail and hospitality sectors - all of which have enabled him to experience a wealth of culture, approaches and view points throughout his professional growth. He is passionate about ensuring that people are at the heart of everything he does and regardless of the business he works in, he remains f ocused on ensuring the team comes first.

Through his time in sport, business and just being a bloke he has experienced stigma, and barriers, that have stood in the way of valuable and much needed support. He recognises how it can be hard to reach out, to ask for help, or even just talk about things that are uncomfortable and feels privileged to be part of the Tough to Talk team.

They hope that through their passion, focus and actions they are able to instigate change for the better - They believe that together they can make it easier to talk and build a future where men are able to find help and remove barriers that currently stand in the way.

Every Man Can CIC and our Mental Strength Podcast wish then luck and look forward to working closer with them in the future.

Ash Carter is a 26 yr old, Stockton born lad and early on in life faced challenges along with his twin brother. Both his parents were deaf, which meant him having grow up fast, interpreting for them by the age of 5.

This led to him feeling embarrassed, shameful and not wanting to do normal things as people would make fun, attention he didnt want. His parents split when he was 9, before his mother met a man who manipulated her, a side effect being that he then spent much more time with his nanna. This became a messy custody procedure leading to him moving in with grandparents permanantly, but was then exposed to his grandad suffering with serious depression.

Throughout his earlier years, he experienced a lot of violence in home life and social. Growing up in Stockton, was around drug pandemic , and experience was the area as a violent place, and ended up fighting all the time.

Martial arts and faith have since become a big part of his life and he specialises in muay thai. His christian faith has become a large part of his life, and taking up new opportunities offered to him, he found himself in Dubai coaching football, before settling in his current role, coaching and working for Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation, with the dream to run his own charity. Now much closer to your mother and feeling proud to be her son, he says he wouldn't be wherebhe was now without these adverse experiences.