On 13th March - aka University Mental Health Day - I had the pleasure of joining Channel 4, CALM and Student Minds as part of a special screening and Q&A in London for the finale of the popular show Big Boys. 

 

The event centred around the themes raised in the finale episodes of the final series of the critically acclaimed hit comedy. Collectively, we signposted resources available with the aim of improving the statistic from Student Mind’s 2023 research that “1 in 4 students would not know where to get mental health support at their university if they needed it".

 

It was a fantastic event to be part of, tackling such important topics. Side note - Clara Amfo had just interviewed Robert De Niro before chairing our panel!

 

I was a guest alongside Dr. Jane Gilmour discussing risk taking (or the lack of it!) in teens, and the potential benefits of such actions. 

 

I share some ideas on how parents and educators can help young people become more comfortable with taking risks in their daily lives; and recount a personal story of failure and opportunity, illustrating the valuable lessons learned from unexpected experiences.

 

This episode is part of a new series from the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.  29 mins of interesting discussion (I hope!)

'Stop Opening Up About Your Mental Health Online! Instagram being #HereForYou? Hahaha, please…'

 

This is a new blog, written by Freya India, that I am sharing as recommended reading - I think it is very thoughtfully written. 

 

I was also interviewed for this Canadian article ‘What happens after a death on campus’, which is an interesting read, though I should pre-warn that it discusses suicide.

This photo is from a recent school talk to Sixth Formers at Monkton Combe School (in the chapel, no less!), and I have also been speaking to medical students at Kings College London, as well as parents and staff at Chigwell School.

 

In the coming weeks I'm off on a speaking tour which takes me to Norwich, Hampshire and Leicester, and I have more availability further into 2025 if you would like to book me. My talks prove popular at schools with parents/carers and staff bodies alike, and include themes such as: