Speak About It Mate is without doubt one of the unique psychological well being help teams that has hyperlinks with the MAN v FAT neighborhood.
Mike Richard tells us all about it!
What do you do at Speak About It Mate?
We concentrate on creating areas for individuals to attach in as we consider within the energy of individuals serving to individuals. Our work has developed over the previous 5 years from informal meetups and occasions in Manchester to extra organised peer help areas which we had been in a position to transfer on-line through the pandemic.
Alongside these, we had been in a position to join individuals by WhatsApp teams, with our primary group nonetheless going robust to this present day. We run an additional soccer sport on Monday nights and the lads know there’s somebody they’ll converse to in the event that they want help.
Prior to now couple of years, we’ve been in a position to present a spread of face-to-face peer help teams akin to males’s teams and combined strolling teams. Now we provide three weekly daytime males’s teams in Salford with lots of the members being referred into us by social prescribers.
How did you get TAIM up and operating?
I’ve at all times had struggles with my very own psychological well being which solely turned clear to me in 2004 aged 18, after I was recognized with despair. The panorama has modified significantly since then and looking out again I can see that what I actually wanted was areas to speak and open up about what was happening for me, which I didn’t have.
In consequence, I struggled for 12 years earlier than experiencing a psychological breakdown and looking for help within the type of counselling. I used to be determined for others to not undergo what I’d been by, so after I moved again to Manchester after a number of years away I made a decision to create a small meetup group known as ‘Speak About It Mate’ since then it has modified my life for the higher in each manner.
I used to be in a position to cease instructing and begin coaching as a counsellor alongside rising TAIM, now I juggle each roles and issues are rising on a regular basis.
What’s TAIM’s relationship with MAN v FAT?
Following my breakdown and whereas I used to be residing in London I made a decision (whereas having remedy) to lastly sort out my points with confidence and shallowness. As this principally got here from how I felt about my weight, this was the primary time I’d ever thought of making an actual change.
I joined MAN v FAT in Leyton and performed up till coming again up north, after I joined the freshly launched Salford league. After some time I additionally joined the Manchester league. Being a part of the neighborhood was nice for me, not solely was I dropping pounds and rising in confidence I used to be making new friendships too.
