The Just Checking In Podcast

In episode 300 of The Just Checking In Podcast, we marked the milestone with a special episode dedicated to our Founder Freddie's university tutor, Dr Sabina Avdagic, who taught him in the final year of his degree.In this episode Freddie provides the context for where he was on his mental health journey in his third and final year of his undergraduate degree at the University of Sussex, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Politics. Sabina taught Freddie in a module called 'Democracy and Inequality', where Freddie wrote one of his two dissertations, which was entitled 'What has been the effect of gentrification on East London?'.During this period, Sabina was a significant support for Freddie and gave him the confidence to pursue this dissertation topic, at a time when he was suffering major mental health challenges.In 2025, Freddie wanted to reach out to Sabina and get back in touch to thank her for her support, but tragically he discovered that on 13th January 2024, Sabina had died suddenly. In her obituary on the Sussex University website, they state that in July 2024, a special day of events was held to celebrate Sabina’s life and achievements, with the research common room in the Politics building renamed the ‘Sabina Avdagic Room’ and a plaque unveiled in honour of her memory. There was also an academic symposium and a ceremony to mark the planting of a mimosa tree in Sabina’s memory, in the terrace area of the building. The message of this podcast is: make sure you check in with that special person or loved one in your life whilst you still can. Make the phone call, send the text, send the email, reach in and tell them what they mean to you. If you can, don’t put it off, because you never know when it might be the last opportunity you get to do it. As always, #itsokaytoventSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 299 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Andrew Hill. Andy is is the Founder of UTurnBack2Basics.Based in Norfolk, Uturn creates outdoor experiences designed for people to reconnect with the fundamentals of life - self-awareness, survival skills, and personal growth.Their mission is to support individuals from all walks of life, with a strong focus on veterans and vulnerable individuals, helping them build resilience, develop essential skills, and rediscover a sense of purpose through the outdoors.Their workshops cover topics such as shelter building, campfire cooking, water purification, setting up camp, using varying types of equipment, hikes, groups, leadership skills, team building, retreat, and expeditions to build friendships.Andy served in the military and found peace and clarity in nature after leaving. UTB2B was built on the belief that outdoors has the power to heal. Having faced the challenges of adapting to a civilian life, Andy created this initiative to help others who may be struggling, providing a space where his clients can reconnect, rebuild, and move forward with confidence.In this episode, we discuss the genesis of Uturn, why he started it, the service it provides to men and women who access it and the various programmes it offers. We also discuss the trips they have done so far, including to the likes of Norway, Sweden, Normandy in France and upcoming trips to Malaysia and Poland.For Andy's mental health journey we discuss his diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which developed after he had a serious fall and broke his neck and back. Two weeks after the accident, he began experiencing seizures, at its worst, 16 seizures a day.After doctors initially struggled to diagnose the problem, they concluded that the seizures were caused by suppressed trauma over his life, which caused his brain to shut down. He had to use a wheelchair for 18 months and was told he’d never walk or work again. Thankfully, he defied that prognosis and began to work on his physical and mental recovery.Unfortunately, during this time, he claims he was domestically abused by his partner.Then, in 2020, he was diagnosed for the first time with testicular cancer. He had surgery to remove one testicle and one bout of chemotherapy. Eight months later, he was diagnosed again with testicular cancer as the cancer had not been fully removed the first time.Then in December 2024, the cancer had spread into his lymph nodes and he received targeted chemo to treat them.When he was diagnosed with cancer the second time, he left that abusive relationship, despite knowing he’d be homeless, and still went through the cancer treatment for five months because he said he knew he’d be less vulnerable living on the streets than living in his home with his partner. He became suicidal and made plans to take his own life. He was just about to do it before something stopped him, and from there he began his recovery journey.We discuss all of these experiences, going through the family court system, recovery and how Uturn has been at the heart of that.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about UTurnBack2Basics here: https://www.u-turnback2basics.co.uk/You can follow them on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uturnback2basics/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkTRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains a deep discussion about suicide, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 298 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Garry Miller.Garry is a communications professional and worked as a publicist in the BBC Sport communications team at the same time our Founder Freddie worked at the BBC.Garry’s first proper job was working for Wigan Council, where he cut his teeth across a range of areas including policy, project management and investigating benefit fraud.His big break came when England hosted the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.The organisers put a call-out for volunteers, including one role of press officer for the tournament. Garry applied for the role and was successful. He then took 6-8 weeks of annual leave just to do the role.After the World Cup finished, he went back to his day job but it wasn’t the same. He had got the sport bug and wanted to get back in the industry.He started volunteering for the Wigan Warriors rugby league team to help with their game day operations and unfortunately was then made redundant from the council. Afterwards, he landed a job with the Rugby Football League, the sport's organising body in England and worked for them for four years. He had the opportunity to work with the England national team and at all major events for the sport, including the Challenge Cup tournament, ‘Magic Weekend’ and the Super League Grand Final.After four years, he felt he had done everything he could in that role and he saw an opportunity at the BBC in their Sport team. From there, he worked on every big BBC Sport announcement and campaign you can probably think of, as well as podcasts and setting up interviews for all the titans who worked there at the time, including the likes of Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.In 2022, Garry left the BBC and moved to a new role with the Trust Alliance Group (TAG). Based in Warrington, TAG provide a range of products and services to build, maintain and restore trust between consumers and businesses.In this episode we discuss Garry’s career from Wigan Council days to where he is now, the glitz and glamour years in the Beeb, and why he wanted to leave to do a role which provided him with more purpose and impact.For Garry’s mental health, we discuss a period of struggle he went through whilst working at the BBC around five or six years ago. We discuss the factors behind it, being prescribed medication, which he is still on now, the positives its brought and the side-effects and the support he had at that time in work and outside of it. We finish by discussing his partner’s post-natal depression when his son was born. We talk about the impact that witnessing her mental health difficulties had on him and how he supported her through taking on more caring responsibilities for his son until his partner was able to overcome what she was going through.As always, #itsokaytoventSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 297 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jay Williams, and his mother Niru Williams. Jay is a childhood friend of our Founder Freddie, who met whilst playing at Wanstead Cricket Club together. They have now known each other for over 20 years. Jay first came on the podcast in September 2020, when he appeared as a guest on our Mind On The Game series.Since we started VENT, Niru has been a big supporter of the platform and the podcast, so we invited them both on for a check-in. Niru also held the role of Safeguarding Officer at Wanstead Cricket Club from 2020, until she gave up the role in Christmas 2024.In this episode we firstly discuss Niru's upbringing, which included moving to the UK from the Gujarat region of India aged nine years old. Prior to that, she and her three older sisters were predominantly brought up by her mum and grandparents due to her father working overseas.When Niru moved to the UK, in 1965, she was one of the first big waves of Indian immigrants to arrive in the country. We explore the challenges Niru had to face growing up in 1960s Britain, specifically Coventry in the midlands, and her inter-racial marriage.We then discuss how she and her husband Roland brought up Jay as a mixed-race child.Afterwards, we explore Jay and Niru’s relationship as Jay navigated adolescence, the values she and Roland instilled in him, and how sport and Wanstead CC were integral to shaping him as a character and a man.We discuss the mental health impact that Jay leaving home to study at university had on Niru, the ADHD traits the two of them share and Niru's experience of burnout during one point in her career. We finish by discussing Jay’s wife Elinor and the joy she has brought Niru and Roland, the time they all spend together, including family holidays and the relationship Jay and Niru have now as adults. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to Jay's episode of Mind On The Game here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/mind-on-the-game-jay-williamsSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 296 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Dan Foreman.Dan is the Co-Founder of ‘Chaps for Chaps’, which he started alongside five of his friends. It started when they were working out in the gym he owns, Built by Novo Fitness in Bexhill. They had put some country music on whilst working out and they wondered if it would be a good idea to do workouts in country outfits as a fundraiser for men's mental health.They decided to go through with it, and for their first event in August 2024 they did 24 workouts in 24 hours, with a 400m weighted run also every hour.However, whilst they were completing the workout, they were not just dressed in country outfits but also budgie smugglers!They raised £5k for the first event and the majority of the money went to two men’s mental health organisations. Most of it went to Movember, and a small chunk went to Embers Woodcraft, the organisation set up by friend of the pod Jason Reeves, who also happens to be Dan’s half-brother.Their second event is planned for Saturday 26 July 2025 where they will all walk from Brighton cross-country to Bexhill in the same attire of country outfits and budgie smugglers. In this episode we first discuss Dan’s mental health journey, which is framed around two key relationships, his first marriage to a woman called Liz and his second marriage to his now wife, Vicki. We will let you the listener dive into this story without spoiling it! We also discuss shoulder surgery Dan went through in December 2022, a near-death experience on Scafell Pike mountain doing the Three Peaks challenge and the highs and lows of his marriage to Vicki. We then explore how he owned his mental health and accessed therapy, being diagnosed with high-functioning depression, and the importance for Dan of having a male therapist. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can donate to the next Chaps for Chaps fundraiser here: https://donorbox.org/chaps-for-chaps-wormathonYou can follow Chaps for Chaps on social media below:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapsforchaps/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In Part 2 of our check in with journalist and author Andrew Shields, we discuss marriage, fatherhood and how his work (especially with LOCOG) impacted his family life and the sacrifices he had to make, along with his wife Elaine, who supported him hugely in being able to make them.We then discuss the death of his mum, which happened in the run-up to this podcast, the mental health impact that her dementia diagnosis had on him, his sister Rosalind and his family.We talk about the emotional moment of having to sell their family home in Bristol so his mum could be looked after properly in a care home. We finish by discussing how he prepared for the inevitability of her death in those final few months, what it was like to watch her take her last breaths, and the anxiety of preparing for the worst every time the care home would ring him or his sister.As always, #itsokaytoventSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 295 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Andrew Shields. Andrew Shields is a journalist, communications and events management professional and published author who has worked in the world of sports media for over 40 years.Andrew graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA in American and English Literature and began climbing the ladder in sports journalism in the mid-1980s.He got his first break as Editorial Assistant on Scouting Magazine, the official magazine of the Scouts before becoming Assistant Editor at George Wimpey in the construction and housebuilding industry. He then landed the role of Editor for Sport England’s magazine, where he spent five years between 1985-1990. He got his ‘big break’ and landed a job at the now iconic Time Out Magazine in January 1990 as their Sport and Fitness Editor, where he spent 19 years.After Time Out, he had the opportunity of a lifetime when he joined the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) in December 2008.Despite being a part of one of the country’s biggest and, some would argue best moments in our entire history, Andrew faced a huge amount of stress and mental health difficulties in this role.When he joined LOCOG, the organisation was around 300 people. By 2012 it had grown to a staggering 9,000.Andrew’s job was naturally incredibly intense, and throughout that period, the job ate into his family life and work-life balance, to the point he was regularly working at weekends, which included being in the office. At its peak, Andrew was managing a team of over 40 people and, in his words, it felt like ‘running a marathon, then running another one immediately afterwards perpetually until the Games finished’. Andrew is also the author of seven published books, including ‘Master of the art of running’, ‘Master the art of working out’ and ‘365 ways to get fit’.In recent years, he is now an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has taken up a voluntary role as the Director of Communications for the Institute of Events Management.In Part 1 of this episode we discuss his over 40-year career in journalism, public relations and writing. We focus on his role in LOCOG and the rollercoaster 5-year period he worked there, including the reality of that level of media scrutiny and workplace stress which manifested in physical symptoms as well as on his mental health. We then discuss his decision to go freelance and working for a sports agency, which included work on other major tournament sporting bids.As always, #itsokaytoventSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 294 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Natasha Moore.Natasha is communications professional, consultant and the Co-Founder of Moore Squared Communications.She started it with her sister, Charlotte Moore, who is an ex-investment analyst and is now an established and respected pensions journalist. Natasha spent the most recent decade working in corporate communications in asset management, while Charlotte has built a freelance journalist career over the last 20 years and has a deep understanding of how and why large institutions invest the way they do.Together they have over 50 years combined experience in investment communications.In this episode we chart Natasha’s varied communications career, starting a business with her sister and the benefits and challenges of that, and the time she spent working with our Founder Freddie, which is how they met. For Natasha’s mental health journey, we discuss the impact that losing her father suddenly from a heart attack, had on her when she was 22 years old. Her dad was just 57 years old.We discuss the consequences of that event throughout her life, her experience of trying therapy for the first time, and why it didn't work in that period. We then discuss Covid-19 and the collective grief that the world went through for the best part of two years.The bulk of this podcast will focus on a mental health crisis she had, which caused her to leave the job she was in at the time. We discuss what triggered it, how she dealt with it, her ongoing recovery and everything else in-between. We also discuss the nuances around working while in recovery and encountering ‘wobbles’ as she learns to navigate working again and build healthier habits, rather than fall back on entrenched and familiar but ultimately unhelpful behaviours.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about Moore Squared Communications here: https://mooresquaredcommunications.com/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 293 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Elliot Bewick.Elliot is a producer, presenter and the host of The Next Generation Podcast, which bills itself as ‘a home for Gen Z to be exposed to different viewpoints, learn lessons from the past & search their way to a meaningful and fulfilled life’.Elliot got his start in media production when he was just 15 years old, through a chance encounter with the hosts of the Triggernometry podcast, Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster, as his dad was a fan of the show and dragged him to one of their live shows.At that show, he met Triggernometry's producer and pitched himself to him. After shooting his shot, he didn’t hear anything for three months, before receiving a response back and Elliot was offered an unpaid internship opportunity to work on the show.From there, he started by working on the vlogs they made during their trips to America to record episodes with American celebrity guests, before becoming a fully-fledged staff member and eventually, producer of the whole show at just 18 years old. He worked as their producer for a year, before making another brave decision to leave the show as they wanted him to work on it full-time and he wanted to start his own podcast.He started the Next Generation Podcast in September 2024, which he describes as his ‘eureka moment’ and it has gone from strength to strength ever since.In this episode, we chart that journey from 15-year-old school kid to producer of a mega-podcast in just three years, how he’s developed his skills in front of the camera as well as behind it, and some of the issues he covers on Next Gen.We also discuss ‘therapy culture’, his hopes for his generation, especially men and male suicide.For Elliot’s mental health journey, we discuss the absence of suffering he had in his childhood, coming from a comfortable, middle-class background and his contemplations about whether he needed a level of suffering back then to give him extra drive, finding purpose and gratitude.We finish by discussing his recent move to Dubai in the UAE and why he made that choice, his decision not to go to university and his future as he enters his early 20s.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to the Next Generation Podcast on streaming platforms below: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elliotbewickSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6I1i0604kZ7XIALmUZzZGlYou can follow Elliot on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotbewick/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 292 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Kyt Lyn Walken. Kyt is a qualified man-tracker and the Founder of her own tracking business, The Way of Tracking. Kyt’s father was obsessed with western television and movies and he introduced her to man tracking skills from the age of around 5/6 years old. In 2012/2013 she got into survival skills professionally and found a school to learn how to do it. She underwent three courses in Arizona in the United States, then moved to Virginia to learn from the man who would become her tutor, before finally learning to become an instructor in 2017.After starting her own school, she saw a gap in the market and wanted to provide a bridge between forensic teams in the police and search and rescue. She created a specific programme for search and rescue teams to help put them in the mind of a missing person and what conditions they might have which would impact their behaviour i.e. autism, dementia and alzheimer’s.In this episode we discuss her journey into man-tracking, becoming a qualified expert, starting her own business, the three principles of tracking she follows of ‘Identify, Decipher and Follow’, as well as how the Stoics and their principles have shaped how she approaches the process of tracking.For Kyt’s mental health journey, we discuss the sudden loss of her mother at the start of 2023 from a very aggressive form of cancer and the impact that had on her mental health.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about The Way of Tracking here: https://thewayoftracking.com/You can follow The Way of Tracking on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewayoftracking/You can follow Kyt on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kytlynwalken/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukPayPal: paypal.me/freddiec1994?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GBMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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