The Just Checking In Podcast

In episode 278 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jamie Dennis.Jamie is the CEO and Founder of Mandem Meetup (MM), a grassroots charity which promotes, corrects and improves the conversation around men’s mental health and wellbeing.They provide an open, inclusive community for all men, integrating a range of social, holistic and more ‘traditional’ forms of clinical support. This includes psycho-social interventions and recreational activities, practical advice and guidance, as well as talking therapy and more.All of their interventions are free in the goal of ensuring there's one less barrier to access for any men who feel they want to be a part of their community.At their heart are ordinary people. They offer a relaxed, comfortable, and judgement-free space built to empower men to be themselves. Their message to all men is: come as you are, you’re welcome here.The charity began in 2019 after Jamie found himself in a toxic relationship. He was also working in a sales job he hated but excelled at and he realised he needed to find a new purpose and direction. He found the strength to leave that job and end the relationship, went travelling for a year and a half and ended up in another job back in Manchester, where he was born and raised. One day, his mental health difficulties he had been bottling up came exploding to the surface, and he put his trust in a male work colleague and disclosed what he had been going through.This included scars from growing up in an abusive household where his step-father domestically abused his mother and physically abused him and his three siblings. From that positive moment of disclosure and having seen the power and responsibility his colleague took to make him feel safe and trusted, Jamie wanted to be that man for other men in Manchester. He held the first ‘Talking Circle’, which is a now-staple of Mandem Meetup at his house on 28th December 2019 and the rest, as they say, is history.Since then, MM delivers workshops on nutrition, men’s emotional literacy, photography, poetry as well as coping mechanisms for daily mental health. They also deliver calisthenic sessions, football and have collaborated with Pure Gym to deliver sessions in their gyms.They have secured a permanent space for their Talking Circle at Transcend Studios and are now in 5 locations in Manchester alone as well as Wolverhampton, giving opportunities for people to learn new skills across the board.In this episode we discuss: Jamie’s upbringing, growing up around domestic violence and how it impacted his own struggle to emotionally regulate, social class and how we help working-class lads like Jamie who are lost in the system, many of which are voiceless in society. We then discuss how a turning point came when a judge gave him a second chance at life after his behaviour in his youth led to an arrest and court case. We then discuss all the incredible work that MM do, helping homeless men and those in the prison system and the role they play in the men’s mental health space.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about Mandem Meetup here: https://www.mandemmeetup.org/You can follow Mandem Meetup on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandemmeetup/?hl=en-gbTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mandemmeetupX: https://x.com/MandemMeetup?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkTRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains brief discussions of sexual abuse, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 267 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Robert Parks.Robert is a Head Chef and someone our Founder Freddie has known since they were school-mates one year apart at Ilford County High School, where Freddie attended for sixth-form college. They then went to the same university at Sussex and have remained friends ever since. Rob broke into the culinary industry in the most unconventional way possible, by appearing on the 2015 edition of BBC’s Masterchef and making it to the semi-finals. From there, he became Head Chef at his fellow contestant Tony Rodd’s restaurant Copper & Ink, which he set up and ran alongside his wife Becky. He worked there until 2023 when he left the job to move into private hospitality and nine months later, sadly the restaurant was forced to close its doors and serve food to its customers for the final time. In this episode we chart his culinary journey at Copper & Ink, his professional and personal relationship with Tony, the impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant and the industry, why he decided to leave, work-life balance and identity as a chef when you leave a job like that. For Rob’s continued mental health journey, we discuss: the personal impact of Covid-19 on his mental health, why it had one small benefit of allowing him more time to spend with his brother whom he lived with, the reality of mental illness and how he saw this manifest in some of the staff he managed at Copper & Ink and the benefits he’s had in moving to a 9-5 job in the industry.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to Part 1 of Rob's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-20-robert-parksSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of Behind The Mic, we checked back in with Pete Anderson, frontman of Beach For Tiger.Pete also plays guitar and bass for several other artists, including friends of Vent Rayowa, Isla Rico and DROZ!We first checked in with Pete in 2022 and since then we have also checked in with his brother Mick, who plays in the band.Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Pete has worked hard to get BFT out gigging again and gain momentum in a completely new music landscape. He also successfully auditioned as a guitarist for an artist called Skin Shape who was about to embark on a US tour at time of recording and could be a big turning point in Pete’s career. In this episode we have an update on BFT, playing in Isla Rico’s JCIL show way back in 2022, the new music landscape post-Covid and that potential ‘big break’ with Skin Shape. We also discuss the updates around Rayowa and their decision to be fronted by guitarist Reece Baker going forward, with Pete no longer playing in the band, the importance of staying grounded as an artist on the circuit and his own mental health challenges in coming out of Covid-19 and finding his feet again.As always, #itsokaytoventListen to Beach For Tiger on streaming platforms below:Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1QVfnmiJu…d0HQ&dl_branch=1You can follow Beach For Tiger on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/beachfortiger/?hl=enTwitter: twitter.com/BeachForTigerYou can follow Pete on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/peterandersonbft/?hl=enSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 266 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with two of our favourite guests, Danny Bowman and George Mycock.Danny and George both work in the mental health space around eating disorders, specifically Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Danny has come on twice, in JCIP #70 and JCIP #209 respectively. He is currently in the final stages of completing a PHD at the University of Liverpool. He also previously stood as the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Liverpool Garston in the 2024 General Election, is the Head of Communications at The Conservative Mental Health Group and a Fellow at The Royal Society of Arts.George is the Founder of MyoMinds, a platform which aims to bring awareness of a form of BDD called Muscle Dysmorphia (MD), demystify mental health for exercisers and athletes and to create an understanding future for the exercising community. He is also currently studying for a PHD at the University of Worcester, study muscularity oriented psychosocial issues in men.We wanted to get them both back on to have a different type of episode and one which we hope can be a blueprint for how to address an ED, treat it and recover from it. We also sprinkle in some ideas about how we can improve the conversation and the system to support those living with EDs.We will navigate this episode through three stages of an eating disorder: what it is and what it looks like, the treatment path and the recovery stage. There are not enough positive recovery stories out there and Danny and George are shining lights in how one can navigate these stages and help others at the end of it.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about MyoMinds here: myominds.com/You can follow MyoMinds on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/myo_minds/?hl=enTwitter: twitter.com/MyoMindsYou can follow Danny on social media below:Twitter: twitter.com/DannyBowman10You can listen to Danny and George's previous episodes below:JCIP #228 - George Mycock: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-228-george-mycockJCIP #70 - Danny Bowman: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-70-danny-bowmanJCIP #209 - Danny Bowman - Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-209-danny-bowman-part-2Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 265 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Billy McGranaghan.Billy is the Founder and CEO of Dad’s House. Dad’s House is a charity which aims to make sure children remain the priority after divorce, separation or bereavement.There are currently over two million non-residential dads in the UK and over 450,000 raising their children alone. Just in London there are 25,000 dads who are the main carers for their children.Dad’s House support includes supporting all single dads, of which Billy was one of them. 35 years ago, Billy was working in a nightclub in Chelsea and his wife had just given birth to his son. Billy’s then-wife had been suffering from post-partum depression and after going away for a planned three days abroad, never came back, leaving Billy to look after his baby son on his own.Billy then took temporary and part time work in order to be able to spend time with his son and take him to school. Billy admits himself he had no idea what he was doing and didn’t have any resources to support him back then like Dad’s House that would have helped him.Billy took it upon himself to help other single dads like him and set up Dad’s House in 2008 to do just that. Since its inception, Dad’s House provides a range of vitally important support services including: a family law clinic, a food bank, yoga classes, a support group called ‘Dad’s Table’, a breakfast club and even support payments for white goods.Since its inception, Dad’s House has helped over 10,000 fathers and in 2020, Dad’s House had provided support to 70,000 families alone.In 2024 the Dad’s House Family Law Clinic was awarded Winner of the Pro Bono Initiative of the Year award at the 2024 Bar Pro Bono Awards. In this episode, we discuss fatherhood, the isolation Billy felt at becoming a single dad out of the blue, the journey of Dad’s House and all of the brilliant and lifesaving work they do for single dad’s in London and across the UK. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about Dad's House here: https://www.dadshouse.org.uk/You can follow Dad's House on social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dadshouseuk/ X: https://x.com/dadshouseukSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 264 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with David Leck.David Leck is a communications professional, writer, editor, copywriter and the business owner and Managing Director of David Leck Associates. Our Founder Freddie met David whilst he was working in the BBC Press Office from 2019-2020.David’s career in the BBC started when he was a young man and he worked in various departments before ending up in the HR department. As has been the case throughout BBC history, a restructure was then due to take place and his role was going to be impacted by it. His boss told him there was a six-month role going in the BBC Press Office, he applied and got in. He did that role for three years before leaving the Beeb to take up a Head of Marketing role at a theatre in Kent which he did for five years. Getting tired of theatre marketing life, he left there and went to a PR agency but had a terrible experience there and he decided to become self-employed and start his own PR consultancy business.He then got a short-term, part-time contract with the BBC World Service which allowed him to balance his new communications business and a regular paycheque. Still retaining some BBC contacts, he was asked back to do a few shifts in the BBC Press Office and some 20 years later, he was still there helping out, until he finally called it a day in April 2024.In recent years David has started doing some amazing volunteer work for a suicide bereavement charity called Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS). He did this because he lost a close friend called Derek, who tragically took his own life on 6th May 2021.David had known Derek for around 7/8 years but he did not know the extent of Derek's mental health challenges so his death by suicide was a huge shock for him and provoked many ‘what if’ type questions. In this episode we chart his various and illustrious professional journey, a peek behind the curtains of the BBC Press Office, his love of the art of writing and some of his favourite projects he’s done through David Leck Associates.We then discuss his experience of anxiety and depression, Derek’s life, and death and the devastation of suicide loss on the loved ones of that person. We finish by discussing his mentoring role to many BBC press officers throughout the years, his love of martial arts as a positive tool to help his mental health, and his dog, a miniature Schnauzer called Dylan who has brought so much joy and companionship to his life. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about David Leck Associates here: https://davidleck.com/You can read the article David wrote on Derek's life and death here: https://viewer.foleon.com/preview/6pk7zh4n51/footnotes-sobsYou can find out more about SOBS here: https://uksobs.com/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 263 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in for a third time with Irish farmer Gar Lock.Gar first came on the pod in JCIP #196 where we discussed his redemption story from prisoner to farmer and family man, his relationship with his father and family and the work he does to help other men, who are also former prisoners, turn their life around. We checked in again in JCIP #225 to discuss the influence that fitness guru David Goggins has had on Gar's life, how we tackle the loneliness epidemic in men and how and where men can find meaning if the traditional route of a family is out of reach.In Part 3, we discuss: the concept of men crying, the importance of regulating and managing your emotions as a man and when is the right time to cry as a man and the wrong time to cry? We also discuss Gar’s approach to his own sons when they have cried in front of him. We then discuss how Gar has approached bullying when it comes to his children in how he’s stopped them becoming bullies and also handling being bullied too, in both his sons and his daughters. Other subjects on the menu include how men should psychologically approach being out earned by their female partner and the concept of ‘monk mode’.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of Gar's journey below: Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-196-gar-lockPart 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-225-gar-lock-part-2Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In this episode of Behind The Mic, we checked back in for (maybe) the final time with UK rock band Cavalcade.In JCIP #25 we interviewed interviewed Jack Campbell from the band for the first time. A couple of years later, Jack was joined by bandmate Connor to check in again on Behind The Mic.The band then played JCIL #4 (Take Two) and sold out The Victoria in Dalston, east London. In August 2024, they announced the sad news that the band was coming to an end.Since we last checked in, Jack and Connor have continued to grow and managed their own mental health better. Jack has tackled the grief of losing his dad suddenly in 2017, dissociation and body dysmorphia. Connor has dealt with periods of depression in his university days, and was exposed to the reality of mental illness and mental health issues through Jack’s experiences.In this episode we discuss: the reasons why they decided to call time on the band and all of the emotions behind it, their favourite moments in Cavalcade and all the other highs and lows, Jack’s continued growth and managing of his body dysmorphia and dissociation.We also discuss Connor’s experience of his body image issues and how he’s managed it and improved his own physical health since we last checked in.As always, #itsokaytoventListen to Cavalcade on streaming platforms below:Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/209yZUIl2pYkLRP0D7TdROYouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC4CPexJYMslunmyFgk4OHigFollow Cavalcade on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/cavalcadeband/Facebook: www.facebook.com/CavalcadeBand/Twitter: twitter.com/Cavalcade__You can listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of Cavalcade's journey below: JCIP #25 - Cavalcade - Jack Campbell: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-25-cavalcade-jack-campbellBehind The Mic - Cavalcade - Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/behind-the-mic-cavalcade-part-2Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

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In episode 262 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Duncan Craig OBE.Duncan is the Founder and CEO of We Are Survivors (WAS), formerly known as Survivors Manchester.We first checked in with Duncan in JCIP #147 where we charted his journey starting the charity many years ago, being recognised for his work with an Order of The British Empire (OBE), the conversation at that point for male survivors of abuse, Duncan’s own story of survivorship and all of the emotions associated with that alongside his sexuality as a gay man.In Part 2 of Duncan’s journey, we discuss: the state of play today in the conversation around male survivors, why organisations like WAS bridge the gap between the rhetoric of ‘reach out’ vs the reality of what support there is for male survivors when they do reach out and are male survivors still counted as victims of Violence Against Women and Girls?We also discuss his work with the new Labour government and the work WAS do in prisons and the relationship between abuse and the prison pathway.We then move onto the portrayal of stories of male abuse in popular media. We discuss the role that popular shows like Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, as well as Channel 5’s ‘My Wife: My Abuser’ in highlighting these stories, as well as the complexities around public consumption of these very heavy topics.For Duncan’s continued mental health journey, we discuss his growth in understanding of awareness of his own survivorship and a period of depression he went through in 2022 and how he recovered from it.We finish the topic by exploring his feelings around his role as CEO of WAS and the decisions he is contemplating around when is the right time to step down from it, and the danger of staying too long as a Founder of a business.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about We Are Survivors here: www.wearesurvivors.org.uk/.You can follow WAS on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/thisissurvivors/Twitter: x.com/ThisIsSurvivorsYou can follow Duncan on social media below:Twitter: twitter.com/MrMadrigalOBESupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkTRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains a discussion about sexual abuse, which some listeners may find upsetting or distressing, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 261 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jody Goldsworthy. Jody is the Founder and CEO of Jonathan’s House Ministries, which serves as one of the only male domestic abuse shelters in Wales. Jonathan’s House Ministries firmly believes in all men, and that all men deserve to be healed, restored and eventually fulfilled.Through building safe spaces and educating people on the effects of abuse, they believe they can change things for men who have been domestically abused across the UK.Jody founded it in 2023 and it became a C.I.C in March 2024. In Wales, Jody says there are approximately 850,000 men who have gone through present or historical domestic abuse.Jody is a survivor of domestic abuse himself and was abused for 10 years by his first wife. This abuse took the form of financial abuse, coercive control, physical abuse, psychological abuse and sexual abuse through being made-to-penetrate or how it should be defined, rape.Unfortunately, Jody’s history of abuse didn’t start there and he was physically and sexually abused by his father in childhood.He was 11 years old when he was first diagnosed with depression and he made three suicide attempts between the ages of 11-16 years old.He also began hearing voices and in 2010 was diagnosed with psychotic tendencies. After the domestic abuse and the breakdown of his marriage, he was put on three different types of medication and was on them for two years.In 2010, he reached breaking point with the domestic abuse and he made several more suicide attempts between 2010-2012. He also claims his wife deliberately left medication out around him when he was in a state of suicidality to tempt him into taking his own life.Thankfully, in 2013 he was able to escape this marriage and from 2013-2019, he began to rebuild his life. He had been banned from going to church by his wife, which she did as a way to isolate from his faith community. He first disclosed to a friend about his domestic abuse and the childhood sexual abuse in 2015, the latter of which was reported to the police by his friend. Thankfully, this story eventually has a positive ending. He has since remarried and has started Jonathan’s House Ministries to channel that trauma into something positive to help men. In this episode, we discuss all of that abuse and the mental health impact it had on him, his story of recovery and the positive work that JHM does for men in Wales and his ambitions for it for the future.As always, #itsokaytoventYou can find out more about Jonathan's House Ministries here: https://jonathanshouse.org.uk/You can follow Jonathan's House Ministries on social media below: Twitter: https://x.com/jhministriesukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhm_uk/Support Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkTRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains deep and at times graphic discussions of sexual abuse, domestic abuse and suicide which some listeners may find extremely upsetting or distressing, so please listen with caution.

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