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.

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

We are joined by two more incredible guests for our 2nd Birthday to talk about reflection. Our first guest Steve Pilgrim is a drummer and singer-songwriter. With 4 released solo albums and being Paul Weller's drummer for over a decade Steve has toured the world and played with some incredible musicians. He is the founder of the 'BeOnePercent' charity and promoter at St Michaels Live. Steve talks about the stressors of being a professional musician, the tactics he uses to manage his mental wellbeing and the power of songwriting to create and express emotion.

Our first ever guest Jake Mills (CEO Chasing the Stigma) re-joins us to talk all about the new version of the Hub of Hope app and the incredible ongoing work at Chasing the Stigma

https://beone.foundation/

https://www.chasingthestigma.co.uk/

https://hubofhope.co.uk/

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

World Bipolar Day is observed annually on March 30th to raise awareness about bipolar disorder, reduce stigma, and promote understanding of the condition, which is also the birthday of Vincent van Gogh, who is believed to have had bipolar disorder.

On this special episode we are joined by Theo James (@BipolarTed) who is a 38-year-old navigating the complexities of life with bipolar disorder. With a creative spirit and a love for storytelling, Theo channels both the highs and lows of this journey, trying to craft compelling narratives that resonate with many.
During manic episodes, Theo experiences bursts of energy and inspiration, often resulting in what many call ‘artistic’ pursuits. Conversely, the lows can be challenging, leading to moments of introspection and vulnerability.
Through it all, Theo has learned the importance of self-care, maintaining a structured routine, and seeking support from friends, family, and mental health professionals. An advocate for mental health awareness, Theo shares personal experiences to help destigmatize bipolar disorder, encouraging others to embrace their journeys.

Bipolar Ted (Instagram) - Bipolar_Ted

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

In this episode we are joined by two amazing guests who having both been bereaved by suicide and found a desire to dedicate their lives to suicide awareness and prevention.

Chris Sibley is one of the founders of the OLLIE Foundation. Having lost his son TJ to suicide Chris created the OLLIE foundation with two other people who had also lost children to suicide. The OLLIE foundation do incredible work and Chris tells us all about that along with his own experience.

Jess Gallier, the 2019 Merseyside Woman of the Year winner set up the Martin Gallier project having lost her Dad Martin to suicide. The award winning Martin Gallier Projact offers a wide range of support, training and events and Jess tells us all about their amazing work and how you can also get involved.

Our co-host Ian was at the Suicide Summit event in Newcastle and caught up with Jake Mills (Hub of Hope) and Ellen O'Donoghue of James's Place for their views on suicide awareness.

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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 Death and Dying.

We are joined by two more amazing guests: Kristoffer Hughes is chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, an author, Drag Queen and TV presenter. Kris worked as a coroner for 30+ years and his recent Television programme ‘Death With Kris’ saw him travel to India, Indonesia, the United States and Mexico in search of different – and better – ways of dealing with death. Kris joins us to tell us all about his journey and lived experience.

We are also joined by local celebrant Hannah Todd, who runs Death Cafes in the Liverpool area, so we will be finding out what they are and how people can access them for support.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0jsv129/marw-gyda-kris

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Hosted by:

Dean McShane
Conleth Kelly
Ian Pierce Hayes
and
Dan Cooper

In this episode we explore the Adolescent brain, the current mental health landscape for children and adolescents and we are joined by two fantastic guests. Juliette and Ryan work in YPAS = Young Persons Advisory Service. They discuss the service and what they offer to both young people and carers along with an insight into current concerns, triggers and issues for young people.
We had a main guest booked for this, but sadly, he is not well, so we decided to postpone his appearance until later in the year.
Please visit YPAS at www.ypas.org.uk for more information and Young Minds at https://www.youngminds.org.uk/ for further resources.

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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