The Just Checking In Podcast

In episode 373 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Sarah Roberts. 

Sarah is a communications professional and has over 25 years of experience in global communications and business strategy.

She is currently Senior Managing Partner at PR agency Vane Percy & Roberts, which she co-founded, and is also Executive Director of Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute (RGHI).

We came across Sarah through a LinkedIn post she published after she attended the Women’s Business Forum at the Institute of Directors (IoD). In that post, she questioned the echo chamber nature of the event, how male and female relationships in the workplace can improve, and highlighted how the glass ceiling is not always held up by men in powerful positions, but women too.

She also opened up a conversation about the difficulties men face in the workplace in the post-Me-Too era.

In this episode we discuss Sarah’s professional journey, how she balances holding the very senior dual roles she has today, her views on men and women in the workplace, and what needs to change to facilitate better conversations, without fear of reprisal.

For Sarah’s mental health journey, we discuss burnout she experienced in the second half of 2024 and the unresolved trauma which was the trigger for it, including a miscarriage she had gone through earlier in her life and the death of her father-in-law.

We finish by discussing the death of her father, who died in February 2026, his life, her relationship with him and how its forced her to rediscover who she is and what she stands for.

As always, #itsokaytovent

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 372 of The Just Checking In Podcast our Founder Freddie flew solo for a one-off episode investigating a men's mental health organisation we had previously been big supporters and champions of, Men's Sheds. 

We even interviewed former CEO of the UK Men’s Sheds Association, the body who oversee all Men's Sheds in the UK, Charlie Bethel in JCIP #249, in July 2024. 

Men’s Sheds are community-based, non-commercial spaces where men gather to socialise, share skills, and work on practical projects. Designed to reduce loneliness and combat social isolation, these workshops focus on building, repairing, and collaborating while significantly improving mental health and well-being.

The reason for this episode is because we stumbled across some threads on Twitter/X from men claiming that Men’s Sheds, a space deliberately and purposely created as a men-only space, were now accepting female members. This wasn't just an isolated one-off incident but allegedly on mass.

Surprised, angry, and confused, we decided to investigate and the public data we very easily found disappointed us. 

On the UK Men’s Sheds Association website, on a section called ‘Women’s Health and Wellbeing’ it states that “between 30% & 40% of Men’s Sheds in the UK have women involved in them”.  

We speak about the implications of this, why this means in our view that Men's Sheds are currently no longer safe spaces for men only, and provide a public example of women invading these sheds too, in a Shed in Loughborough, Leicestershire. 

We know there are some fantastic people who work at the UK Men's Sheds Association, and we hope they listen to this episode, heed our warning and take action to protect the long-term mental health of the men they claim to support. 

We don’t want Men’s Sheds to fall, we want them to reflect, adapt and remember what their founding purpose was for.

As always, #itsokaytovent

In response to this episode, a UK Men's Sheds Association spokesperson said: “UK Men's Sheds Association doesn’t run or operate any Sheds, we’re here to provide support. 

"As each Shed is independent and self-determining, they’re responsible for deciding their own membership in line with the needs of their members and communities. We don’t determine who Sheds include in their activities. 

"Sheds choose to welcome members in a variety of ways – mixed sessions, men only sessions or women only sessions, while many remain men-only. This reflects the autonomy of individual Sheds rather than any change in the purpose of the movement or UK Men’s Sheds Association. 

"Most people don't join Sheds for health benefits, mental health or otherwise; those are important but ancillary benefits. As a result, we’ve always been happy to support both those Sheds who feel a need to preserve a safe space for men and those Sheds who feel their primary goal is met by mixed membership.  Our focus is on supporting Sheds to create safe, supportive environments where members can connect, share skills and improve their wellbeing.”

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 371 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Joe Giles.

Joe is an artist and creates, in his words, intuitive abstract paintings rooted in emotional expression rather than planned composition.

We came across Joe through his interview on friend of the pod JD and his platform, ‘What’s On Your Mind?’.

Joe’s life story is not what you’d expect. He was born in Sussex in the South East of England. However, he was raised in a religious cult. 

The cult controlled every aspect of Joe and his family’s life; education, work, and thought. 

He wasn’t allowed to watch TV, radio and never had a holiday. 

His father left the cult when he was just eight years old and from that point was raised by his mother. 

Seven years ago, in August 2019, he was ex-communicated from the cult and was able to escape the cult. However, he has never spoken to his mum or his two sisters ever again. 

Thankfully, he was able to reconnect with his dad, and his brother left one year after Joe in 2020. He now lives in London and can see him occasionally. 

At 29 years old, he was thrust into a world he had no idea how to navigate and had been sheltered from for his whole life up to that point. 

To unpack and heal from the trauma he had gone through with the cult, he tried CBT therapy and other methods but what helped him the most was art and painting.

He took up painting in 2025 after going through several mental health difficulties at the same time. He experienced the loss of a relationship break-up, lost his job and his dream apartment. 

As a result, he had an identity crisis, and painting was his therapy to get through that period and has now become his passion. 

In this episode we chart this journey from cult survivor to artist, reuniting with his father, discovering art, its power to heal and everything in-between. 

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can find out more about Joe's artwork here: https://joe-giles-art.myshopify.com/.

You can follow Joe on social media below: 

• Instagram
• TikTok

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 370 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Carolyn Gorman. 

Carolyn currently works as a Fellow for an organisation called the Manhattan Institute. 

The Manhattan Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank whose scholars and journalists are dedicated to advancing opportunity, individual liberty, and the rule of law in America and its great cities. 

They cover a range of policy issues including policing and public safety, housing, education, law, economics and more. 

In this episode we discuss Carolyn’s professional journey and her career up to this point, before we dive into a range of issues Carolyn writes and speaks about through the Institute. 

These include: the failures of the mental health system in the West, the deinstitutionalisation movement of the 1960s and 70s and the impact that’s had up to now and 'therapy culture'.

We also discuss the early screening of young people for conditions like autism and ADHD, what is the right approach? Can early screening be harmful for some children long-term? And can destigmatising these conditions ever have a downside? 

For Carolyn’s mental health journey, we discuss her psychology undergraduate experience at university and how it made her self-reflect on her own personality and development, her regret at not taking economics instead, and her argument against solely relying on lived experience. 

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can follow Carolyn on social media below: 

X: https://x.com/CarolynGorman_

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 369 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with David Harper. 

David is a freelance journalist, presenter, producer and reporter.

David is currently host of LBC News’ Saturday Breakfast Show, and is a regular presenter of the BBC’s World Business Report.

Growing up in the small North Wales village of Penyfordd, David left his state comprehensive at 16 years old with very little qualifications and no idea what he wanted to do with his life.

In his words, he fell into community radio, when he got a job at a radio station in South Flintshire.

In 2005, he then left local radio and landed a job at BBC Cymru Wales based in Cardiff, where he worked as a producer, presenter and reporter for over 14 years. 

In 2019 he went freelance and has gone onto host a range of roles at broadcast organisations including ITN, Global and BBC News.

We chart this journey, how he developed the skills to be a newsreader and television host and making the transition from local radio to national radio.

For industry issues, we discuss social mobility, and the decline in state-school journalists from working-class backgrounds in the industry. 

For David’s mental health journey, we discuss his diagnosis of Bipolar, which he obtained around 12/13 years ago.

In 2023 he spoke publicly about his mental health for the first time and from there, he has become an advocate for greater awareness of the condition.

He was also diagnosed with ADHD in 2025 and we discuss this latest development, how he feels now having this dual diagnosis and moving forward with his life alongside them.

As always, #itsokaytovent

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 368 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Sunil Jindal. 

Sunil is the former Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Magic AI, a fitness-technology company which produces a Fitness Mirror, completely powered by AI. 

Sunil and our Founder Freddie went to the same sixth-form college and have been friends for over 15 years.

We first checked in with Sunil in November 2023 in JCIP #207. We discussed his love of table tennis and founding the Ping Pong Society, work-life balance, the shyness he had as a child and how he overcame it as an entrepreneur and adult. 

Since we last checked in, MAGIC AI has gone from strength to strength and grown hugely. 

However, Sunil has made the decision to leave the company and we talk about the new challenges he hopes to take on going forward and his vision for what his future looks like. 

For Sunil’s continued mental health journey, we discuss the importance of having a strong support network in your life and why he has more gratitude for that in the last few months.

We finish by talking about several health scares his grandmother had and the mental health impact that had on him. 

As always, #itsokaytovent

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 367 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with friends of the pod Dean Corney and Jason Reeves. 

Dean is a firefighter in the London Fire Brigade who has worked in the service for over 20 years. 

Dean is also the Co-Founder of Walk & Talk 999, a men's walking group in the UK for any man in the emergency services to walk and talk about their mental health, if they want to, and be met with empathy, trust and understanding.

Dean first came on the pod in JCIP #203 and again in JCIP #289. 

Jason Reeves is the Founder of Embers Woodcraft, a charity which offers bushcraft experiences, workshops and a range of other activities that bring people together and focus on the natural environment’s power to improve their mental health. 

Prior to Embers, Jason served in Kent Fire Brigade for 28 years at various stations in the county and retired from the Fire Service in May 2025. Jason came on the podcast in JCIP #289. 

We wanted to bring these men on not just because they’re both great men but also to have a holistic conversation about different elements of firefighting. 

This podcast will have a different structure to our usual pods and will be broken down into four parts: The Calling, The Bravery, The Watch and The Hurt. 

Dean and Jase are shining examples of how to overcome obstacles, own your mental health and how you can help other men through sharing your journey and experiences too.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can find out more about Walk & Talk 999 here: https://www.walkandtalk999.co.uk/.

You can follow Walk & Talk 999 on social media below: 

• Instagram

You can find out more about Embers Woodcraft here: https://emberswoodcraft.co.uk/.

You can follow Embers on social media below: 

• Instagram

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 366 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Jamie Dennis. 

Jamie Dennis is the Founder and CEO of Mandem Meet Up, 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.

We first checked in with Jamie in JCIP #268 in December 2024, where we discussed MMU’s origins, his experience of being a survivor of abuse, social class, and a big turning point in life when he could have gone to prison.

Since then, MMU has gone from strength to strength, changing men’s lives for the better and becoming a pillar of the community across Manchester, Wolverhampton and the wider North West and Midlands. 

In this Part 2, we discuss a new youth-oriented programme Jamie has created called ‘Youtdem’ and the impact its had on the young men who've accessed it.

We also discuss social class and the confidence he has as a CEO from a working-class background, the pride in that achievement and staying authentic and true to himself.

We then discuss a collaboration MMU have done with great friends of VENT We Are Survivors and our mutual close friend Duncan Craig OBE, who have created a Survivor Allyship programme to encourage professionals to receive enhanced training for working with male survivors from sexual harm.

A massive recent development for MMU has been taking lease of five acres of land in Wolverhampton, which they aim to turn into the UK’s first nature space specifically for men and boys.

After we checked in with Jamie, we had Leigh Edwards on from MMU Wolves, who ran an incredible 10 marathons in 10 days in June 2025 to raise money for MMU. We discuss that achievement and what Leigh’s fundraising has been invested into.

We then reflect on the growth MMU has done that people might not see: the infrastructure, the hiring of more staff, and the steps Jamie has taken to grow the organisation and the responsibility he has to continue that progress.

And finally, we touch on a few issues in the men’s space which MMU advocate on, including the recent Men’s Health Strategy from the UK Government, which was published in November 2025, and the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which still counts male survivors of abuse as women, and Jamie’s views on that. 

For Jamie’s continued mental health journey, since we last checked in, he has gotten married and become a father, and we discuss these two massive life changes, the benefits its brought him, but also just as importantly, the challenges of fatherhood and how parenthood can impact a relationship.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can find out more about Mandem Meetup here.

You can follow Mandem Meetup on social media below:

• Instagram
• TikTok

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In this episode of Behind The Decks we checked back in for a third time with Australian DJ and producer, Jafunk. 

Lachy was the very first special guest on Behind The Decks when we launched the series all the way back in June 2020! 

Lachy then came back on again in May 2023, and three years later he has joined the esteemed group of guests who have checked in for a hat trick of appearances!

Since we last checked in, Jafunk’s career has continued to go from strength to strength. At time of recording, he has amassed over 197,000 followers on Instagram and over 103,000 followers on TikTok! 

He has also released two EPs, ‘Disco Nights’ in 2024 and ‘Classic’ in 2025, toured with Australian peers Cosmo’s Midnight, supported another Australian peer and huge artist Young Franco, refreshed his brand identity, launched his own record label AND published his first book called ‘The Independent Artist’s Playbook’ in 2025!

In this episode we discuss this chapter in his musical journey, establishing himself as one of the biggest and most respected disco producers in the scene right now, evolving his sound from Dance-R&B to Disco and Funk, and the two massive achievements of publishing the book and launching his own record label. 

We also discuss the tragic deaths of two producers and DJs in the music scene in the last few years, DJ titan Jackmaster’s death in October 2024 and Roche Musique label owner Kartell in March 2025. We discuss these deaths solely in the context of how they impacted Jafunk and how they shaped his attitude towards life, music and his career.

For Lachy’s continued mental health journey, we discuss burnout from making social media content, and finding the right balance between music and social media when both are his livelihood now. 

We also discuss the proud moment of having his parents come to a hometown show back in Australia.

We finish with a special section where Lachy checks in with our Founder Freddie about his journey and their relationship over the last six years!

As always, #itsokaytovent

Listen to Jafunk on streaming platforms below:

• Spotify
• YouTube

You can follow Jafunk on social media below:

• Instagram

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise

In episode 365 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with academic Dr Emily Setty.

Emily is currently Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Surrey. Emily has a particular focus on young people’s online and offline sexual behaviours and the evolving challenges of digital sexual cultures.

We first checked in with Emily in JCIP #210 in November 2023.

In that podcast we talked about her wider academic journey and a whole range of issues she’s passionate about, including: the fear of false allegations young boys have, breaking down the myth of 'oppressor vs oppressed' paradigm and how we bridge the divide between young men and young women.. 

For Emily’s mental health journey, we discussed the sudden death of her father when she was 21 years old and why it was one of several factors which led to her developing an Eating Disorder, which thankfully she overcame.

In Part 2, we discuss the continued work she’s done with men and boys, particularly around the issue of consent.

She is also about to start a new project about how men and boys engage with online content. Emily adopts a mantra of ‘less pathologising, less problematising’.

In addition, Emily is working on a new educational model designed to help all young people and can provide a framework for teachers and educators working with young people. 

And finally, Emily is working with a charity about sexual harms online for young boys – both in how they can become victims of it, and what impact does online grooming have on young boys with additional needs or vulnerabilities. 

For Emily’s continued mental health journey, she became a mum in October 2025, and we discuss how her life has changed from that moment. 

We finish by talking about how she feels about the conversation around motherhood online, particularly given the advocacy of great friend of the pod Freya India and her highlighting of 'The Femosphere’, which she spoke about first in her landmark book GIRLS. This work was then popularised by the viral piece in the New Statesman, which we also discuss.

As always, #itsokaytovent

Support Us:

• Patreon
• PayPal
• Merchandise