Time Out With Connell & Co

The first episode of series 2 comes from Reece Towler.

Reece talks about ADHD, what he goes through, how we can have more understanding around ADHD and Reece speaks candidly about what teachers can do to help as well as giving some great advice in that regard.

Reece was very brave to talk about some of his past Mental Health experiences and he says about the need to deattach the stigma around Mental Health as a whole, Reece gives a strong message that it's ok to not be ok!

Another avenue for Reece spoke about is Music and he uses this as a release for the benefit of his own Mental Health, he uses song writing to express himself and he feels like he can express his feelings better through Music.

a great way to kick off series 2!

For the last episode of the series i had the pleasure of speaking to Sue Anderton who was my old Deputy Head so it was great to catch up!

Sue speaks about her journey through to teaching and how inspired she was to make a real impact on children's lives.

Sue spoke about Maze and how she wanted to help parents navigate the challenges of the SEND system, she touches upon her ambitions for Maze and wanting to make a difference.

Me and Sue spoke about the rigours of the education system and the need for a more kinder, compassionate education system which includes everyone, we discussed this in great depth and we spoke about the difference inclusivity makes to ensure each child thrives in a school that benefits them.

I know how passionate Sue is about making a difference to help parents who have children with SEN and this episode defines that so it's a fantastic listen and a good way to end series 1!

https://www.themazegroup.co.uk/

Today I had my longest episode yet!

I had the pleasure of having father and son rap duo FMA+12 Gage on the podcast,

Callum and Matthew spoke about their mental health experiences very openly so you get a real insight into the struggles that made them into who they are today.

They talk about how they got involved in music and what inspired their passion for music as well as talking about the state of music today.

They talk about a range of things such as bullying, mental health, addiction so it gives a personal side to what they do.

I enjoyed having this chat with these lads so definitely check out their music.

This episode i had my first overseas guest!

Saiesh talks about his own experiences of Mental Health and how he has inspired others through talking openly and his own podcast too.

Saiesh talks about the impact relationships can have on Mental Health and what needs to change around the stigma of Mental Health in order for us to be more understanding and compassionate towards each other.

Saiesh talks about the impact Mediation can do for Mental Health and he goes into detail about how this has helped him get through the tough times but also inspiring others to see the benefits it can have for you Mentally.

this is a great listen and i enjoyed having this chat with Saiesh

Todays episode comes from Chantelle Speaks,

Chantelle talks about her journey throughout her own Mental Health experiences and you can really see how passionate she is about what she does as she elaborates on how these issues affected her and how she wanted to spark a change.

Chantelle talks about how she became a youth mentor and the responsibilities of being a mentor, she touches upon the difference youth mentors can have on young people and how she wished she had one when she was a child.

we both agreed that youth mentors can have an enormous impact on young people and the benefits in terms of Mental Health.

This is a great listen!

Today's episode i have none other than former Wheelchair Basketball Paralympic Athlete Wendy Smith, Wendy's journey to get to where she is today is fantastic and i recommend you all listen to this one.

Wendy speaks about how she became paralysed detailing in a motorbike accident that happened when she was 17 years old, with prolonged hospital stays and physio, being told by doctors she wasn't going to walk again Wendy was determined to prove them wrong.

Wendy speaks openly about how she got into Wheelchair Basketball and how she had never played the sport prior to going to a weekly club which she felt gave her a sense of purpose and to keep going in the face of adversity, this opportunity then lead her to being picked for Team GB and she competed in Athens back in 2004 Paralympic games.

Wendy speaks about the coaches she played under and how each coach she played under elevated her game to a different level, she speaks openly about her Mental Health experiences and how she used sport and meditation to help with her own Mental Health.

Wendy speaks about her retirement from being a Paralympic Athlete and how she became a life coach, Basketball coach and public speaking.

i hope this inspires you all as much as it has inspired me :)

Todays episode i have Genevieve Yusuf on the podcast, she talks about her own Mental Health experiences and her book publishing.

Gen spoke about the need to empower young people and improve understanding around Mental Health as a whole.

Gen speaks about how social media can play a massive part on Mental Health due its toxicity and how people can feel insecure about themselves due to what others can post.

Gen speaks candidly about how she got into book publishing and she spoke about how the book 'Sam the Spider' has made all the difference to improving understanding in schools for children and teachers, it's a great read if you want to check it out!

this is a great listen!

Todays episode I am joined by none other than my former Headteacher Mr Gary Smith!

Gary talks about his journey to becoming a headteacher and what inspired him to take up the role he now has today, Gary talks about the impact it has had on him.

Gary reiterates the need to try and help boast SEN employment figures as we both agreed that has got to change and society needs to change its attitude towards people with SEN, Gary talks about setting up Market Field farm to help people get into work.

Gary speaks about how Market Field improves people's mental health.

This one is a great listen!

Todays episode i am joined by Jensen Hooks who is an ambassador for The Multi Schools Council Jensen talks about his own experiences within Mental Health, how that has affected him and he talks about Public Speaking.

Jensen talks about how important it is that we continue to keep talking about Mental Health as he delves into his experiences during when he was in Scouts and when he was in School.

Jensen speaks about delivering Teaching training to his own teachers so that they could have a better understanding of Autism, we both agreed that understanding around Autism needs to improve so the only way to do that is education.

Jensen speaks about what helps him when he feels down within himself and gives advice to those who maybe suffering with their own issues.

Jensen talks about doing public speaking in front of hundreds of people with Dean Beadle all exclusively about Autism and he speaks about what helps him calm his nerves in public speaking.

Thank you all for listening

This episode comes from Kierran Pearce who is the creator of The Multi Schools Council, he speaks openly about the people who have impacted him and his overall experiences surrounding Mental Health from when he was a young lad.

He speaks about how he got into teaching and how it changed him as a person, he talks about how important it is to amplify children voice.

Kierran speaks thoroughly about The Multi Schools Council and why it is important that we continue to break down perceptions in Mental Health and Disabilities, he touched upon his future aspirations for The Multi Schools Council too!

this is truly a great listen!

Instagram: the_multischools_council
Facebook: The Multi Schools Council