On this episode we explore the theme of Movement and we are joined by two wonderful guests.

Rob Glover is a Liverpool-based cultural architect, performer, and storyteller who grew up and built his career as a professional dancer. That background shapes how he sees the world – through a choreographic lens, where behaviour, space, timing, and presence all matter. Across years working in dance, sport, music, and live performance, Rob has spent his life observing how men move through pressure, expectation, identity, and silence. His work now focuses on men’s mental health from an embodied perspective, exploring how the body holds stress, how environments can regulate or overwhelm the nervous system, and why many men struggle to speak until they feel safe enough to slow down. Rather than offering fixes or slogans, Rob is interested in practical, human insight – how creating the right spaces, rhythms, and moments of connection can help men feel less alone, more grounded, and more able to talk honestly about what they’re carrying.

Rob joins the Man Hug podcast to explore men’s mental health through movement, presence, and lived experience. We are also be joined by Brian who is the founder of Thrive Guys, who are a men’s wellbeing support group who are doing some amazing work in building a strong community through supportive walks and events.

https://www.robglover.co.uk/dance

Instagram - @ThriveGuys_

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

Theme:Talking.

We are thrilled to be joined by ex-rugby league professional Danny Sculthorpe. 

Danny is a former English professional rugby league prop forward who played for clubs including Wigan Warriors, Castleford Tigers, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Huddersfield Giants, and Widnes Vikings. He is also known for overcoming serious health challenges, including type 1 diabetes, a brain tumor and later became a motivational speaker focusing on resilience and mental health. After retiring, he faced depression and mental health struggles, which he has spoken about openly, encouraging men to talk and get help.

We are also be joined by Antony Valori who is the Merseyside and North West lead for the wonderful Andy's Man Club to talk all about the Andy’s Man clubs across the North West.

https://andysmanclub.co.uk

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

On this episode we are joined once again by former professional goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. Chris tells us all about his new autobiography "Keeping it quiet" that documents his life in sport, his journey with injuries, depression and addiction. Chris was recently honoured with an honorary doctorate for his work in the community which he tells us all about. 

We are also joined by Chris Puddephatt who tells us his own story with addiction and all bout the amazing work being done by the Spider Project and the Silk Team (who support family members affected by addiction).

'Keeping It Quiet' - The Chris Kirkland Story

https://www.spiderproject.org.uk/

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

On this episode we are joined by two more amazing guests to talk all about 'Gym Culture'. We dive in to topics about fitness, wellbeing, steroids, testosterone, community, inclusivity and accessibility. 

Sam Gelling is a coach and personal trainer working closely with people to improve knowledge and ability around fitness and strength. Sam takes a holistic view on an individual basis which addresses nutrition, motivation and positive mental health. Sam is a former body builder and has personal experience of steroid cycles. He openly discusses with us the complications, pros and cons of anabolic steroid use highlighting many of the dangers to both mental and physical health from prolonged use. Sam is also a keen rugby player and coach and talks about the negative experiences of gym culture and how he has overcome them and helps guide his own clients positive mental health within their own journey.

We are also joined by Liam Starkey, director of the Inclusive Hub. The Inclusive Hub was created back in 2016, initially to help children with Autism and ADHD take part in fun based boxing sessions. Each session grew in numbers and also in ranges of abilities taking part. They now support thousands of people living with additional needs like Down Syndrome, Wheelchair Users, Mental, Physical, Hearing and Visual Impairment. They also provide inclusive fitness sessions for people with life threatening illnesses like Parkinson's Disease, heart issues, Multiple Sclerosis, bereavement and social isolation. The Inclusive Hub is a unique community based space that provides bespoke inclusive fitness, community and educational sessions to schools, colleges and care groups across Merseyside.

Sam Gelling PT - https://www.instagram.com/samgelling_fc/

The Inclusive Hub - https://theinclusivehub.co.uk/ 

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

David Dineley’s My Brain & Other Beautiful Disasters is a story about identity, friendship, and the complicated beauty of living with a mind that doesn’t play by the rules, for anyone who has ever felt “too much,” “not enough,” or both at once.

Although a piece of fiction the book is based upon on David’s experiences dealing with his own mental health over the years. David sadly passed away in August and with the book set for release on World Mental Health Day his daughter Becky joins us to talk all about David, the book,  Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder and social media. The book is free as an e-book on the first week of release. 

Ian visits the Artizan Cafe & Creative Space in Harrogate where they provide hospitality training & work experience, creative crafts workshops & more for adults & children with special needs, the charity aims to enable, empower and support people with disabilities to meet their full potential. Ian joins Stephen Russell for a chat.

We are also joined by Dr Gary Lamph. Gary is employed as a Clinical Academic, in the position of ‘Reader of Mental Health Nursing’ at Keele University and Research and Innovation Honorary Consultant Nurse/ NIHR Senior Research Leader at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Gary has over 25 years’ experience working in mental health services. He is a BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist with experience of facilitating DBT and MBT group interventions. Gary gives us an overview of 'Personality Disorder', how it is diagnosed, what types of support is available and some valuable resources to help expand knowledge.

Link for the book - My Brain & Other Beautiful Disasters eBook : Dineley, David: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

On this episode we focus on the theme of food. We are joined by MP Ian Byrne. 

 Ian Byrne is the Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby.  Before entering Parliament, Ian worked as a taxi driver and trade union organiser for Unite, championing workers’ rights and NHS staff conditions. He co-founded Fans Supporting Foodbanks in 2015, a grassroots initiative uniting Liverpool and Everton fans to combat food poverty.  In Westminster, Ian has been a vocal advocate for social justice, leading campaigns such as the 'Right to Food' campaign and the Hillsborough Law Now.  Ian joins us to talk about food poverty inequality and the impacts on mental health. 

We are also joined by Chris Guy, Chairman of the Mersey Mind Project. The Mersey Mind Project is a community-driven initiative focused on improving men's mental and physical wellbeing across Merseyside. Their mission is to: Empower men to take control of their health, Challenge harmful stereotypes around masculinity and encourage open conversations about mental health. Chris joins us to talk all about the initiative and how people can get involved.

Ian Byrne MP - Working for West Derby

Right To Food Campaign — Ian Byrne MP - Working for West Derby

Mersey Mind Project | Men's Mental Health Services | Merseyside

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

In this episode we are joined buy special guest artist Joe Kiney Whitmore. Joe is an oil painter dedicated to the mastery of classical techniques. Though he holds a Fine Art degree, he considers himself largely self-taught, drawing upon centuries of tradition to inform his meticulous approach. Joe is deeply connected to themes of addiction, recovery, and mental health, his work is both a means of understanding the world and a pursuit of personal equilibrium. Joe discusses the importance of art and community work in his own recovery journey. 

We also focus on Writing on the Wall (WoW) They believe that writing is for everyone. It’s turning up, sharing our stories and creating change on the page. They host two annual literature festivals, WoWFEST in May and Black History Month in October, which welcome writers, activists and artists. 

https://jkwhitmore.com/

https://writingonthewall.org.uk

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

On this episode we focus on male domestic abuse. 

We are joined by Kevin Crimmons, a senior lecturer and nurse who spent years practising as a nurse in war zones. He was deployed to Belfast during the troubles, Belize, and the first Gulf War where he earned a Commander's Commendation for his work as part of a Burns Team. Kevin then completed a specialist course in Burns & Plastic Surgery at Queen Victoria East Grinstead. He was posted to the regional Burns Unit at the military hospital in Woolwich.

Kevin tells us about his childhood and a relationship in which he was a victim of domestic abuse. Kevin talks about his ongoing support as part of his own recovery and encourages men to seek support early. 

We are also joined by Paul Gladwell of the male domestic abuse charity the Paul Lavelle Foundation. He shares with us the story of his friend Paul who was killed in a violent relationship. The Paul Lavelle Foundation is now the largest male domestic abuse charity in the country and he tells us all about the great work they do and how people can access them for support:

https://paullavellefoundation.co.uk/ 

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

On this episode we focus on the theme of Bereavement. In 2015 Joe and Agnes used the Beacon Counselling Trust as service users, following the tragic loss of their son, Paul, to suicide. In 2017 they co-founded Paul’s Place Suicide Bereavement Support Service with Kathy Devlin.  At this time, they also became volunteers within the charity. This primarily involved organising fundraising events, promoting the Paul’s Place service to external agencies, and co-hosting weekly peer support groups. They join us to talk about Paul and their own story. 

We are also joined by Andrew Okell of Paul's Place, who tells us all about the work they do and how you can get involved. 

Our very own Conleth joined the Liverpool John Mitchel's GAA for a mental health awareness walk in which he interviewed fellow walkers about the event. 

https://beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk/pauls-place-suicide-bereavement-support-programme/

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

David Quinti is a founding member of the Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) and as well as acting as co-lead of Operations at GLEN he also works for BetKnowMore, another leading charity in the sector. He is a member of the Lived Experience Council at GambleAware and has expertise in the development of the lived experience community movement in Great Britain having been in recovery from gambling harms for over 10 years. His lived experience expertise informs his support of others and in tackling the stigma associated with gambling harms.

Lauren Campbell of Beacon Counselling Trust, which is a North West based mental health charity which has been supporting people since 2009. They work on a number of mental health and wellbeing support programmes across the region. BCT are a partner of the National Gambling Support Network, and offer early intervention, education, treatment and recovery support programmes for gambling-related harms. All the programmes they run are completely free and confidential, with no waiting list. 

Send us a text

Support the show

Follow us on Instagram - @The_Man_Hug
We are also on Tik Tok and YouTube - search "The Man Hug Podcast"

Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper