In episode 383 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Sam Maclean.

Sam is a firefighter by day but also the Founder and host of The Lonely Chapter Podcast (TLCP).

TLCP bills itself as “a podcast for people doing okay on the surface, but still figuring life out.”

Sam started the podcast in May 2024 because of his love for listening to podcasts but increasingly, as he was listening to them, he “wanted to be in the room and ask the next question”.

Since launching it, he has done over 110 podcasts at time of recording, and has interviewed friends of the pod George from TheTinMen and Dr Susie Bennett amongst a host of other great and inspiring guests.

In this episode we discuss how and why he launched the podcast, what he’s learned along the way, how the skills he’s learned as an interviewer has helped him in his firefighting job and vice-versa.

We also discuss how he’s been able to set up a men’s mental health support group in the Fire Service as a result of the podcast and through speaking to Susie in particular.

For Sam’s mental health journey, we discuss burnout he’s experienced whilst being a firefighter, volunteering with the charity Samaritans from January 2024-March 2025 and the skills he learned there, and the detachment skills he’s implemented in firefighting and running the podcast.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can listen and subscribe to The Lonely Chapter Podcast, as well as where follow them on social media here.

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In episode 382 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Ian Goodship.

Ian is the CEO of an organisation called Man Time.

Based in Stone in Staffordshire, Man Time provides a weekly safe space for men to talk, connect and support each other.

The organisation was founded in 2022, and Ian was initially a service user, before taking over the organisation in 2023/24.

In this episode we first discuss Ian’s mental health journey, and his 30 year career in the Ambulance Service as a Paramedic.

Throughout that career, he witnessed many serious and traumatic incidents. Around 25 years ago, he had to deal with one fatality in particular. He thought nothing of it but around 10-12 years ago he began struggling significantly with his physical health and mental health.

His colleagues began to worry about him and he was recommended to contact the Staff Liaison Service and the Ambulance Service Charity for additional support.

He received some Talking Therapy off the back of it but it didn’t work for Ian.

He was then diagnosed with Complex-PTSD, or PTSI as we prefer to call it and accessed something called Rewind Therapy, which was hugely beneficial for him and his recovery journey.

From there, he took more positive steps with his recovery, joined Man Time and the rest is history.

For Man Time, we talk about its purpose, the role it plays in the men’s mental health space in Stone and their collaboration with friends of the pod Headspace FC.

As always, #itsokaytovent

TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains deep, detailed and at times graphic descriptions of fatalities and incidents a paramedic would encounter. This includes car accidents and suicides. Whilst we have taken care to remove details of some incidents, in order for you to understand the reality of the profession, we have kept some details in we wouldn’t normally do. Some listeners may find these details distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 381 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Jide Ehizele.

Jide is a writer and the Founder of the SubStack South East London Psalms, where he writes about class, race, politics and faith.

Jide first came on in JCIP #252 in August 2024.

In Part 1 we discussed a range of topics, including growing up in South London in the mid-2000s, navigating gang culture in his school and local area, his Christian faith, race and even a nostalgic chat about gaming sites like Miniclip.

Since we last checked in, Jide has been commissioned to write articles on a range of outlets, including The New Statesman, The Spectator, Plough and UnHerd.

In Part 2, we discuss a range of new topics, including a term Jide has coined to describe a phenomenon happening within Gen-Z called ‘Urban Nihilism’, why he believes we are now living in an ‘Entertainment Society’ and an article he wrote on his SubStack called ‘The God of Efficiency’.

In Jide’s continued mental health journey, we discuss how and why he’s been kinder to himself in the last two years, his struggles with Seasonal Affective Disorder, (we prefer to use 'Sadness' instead of Disorder) how he’s learned to manage it better, and how his faith has helped him with it too.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can read all of the articles we discussed in full below:

• Urban Nihilism and the Search for Hope
• Urban Nihilism and the Spectacle of Disorder
• The Entertainment Society
• The God of Efficiency
• Which London Are We Talking About?

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In episode 380 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Luke Slater.

Luke is the Founder and CEO of Modern Tribes Collective C.I.C. and is a Wilderness Psychotherapist in training at time of recording.

Before he was a would-be psychotherapist, Luke used to work in sales for luxury brands, but didn’t find fulfilment in it.

He went travelling for 3-4 years on and off, teaching English to make ends meet and fund his travels. However, the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic cut his travels short and he had to return to his home of the North West of England.

However, despite his love of travelling, Luke is not your stereotypical private school lad on his gap year, but a working-class lad from a council estate in Manchester.

We came across Luke through his work with great friends of VENT and the podcast Mandem Meet Up. Luke was initially a service user of MMU and a facilitator of their Talking Circles before CEO Jamie Dennis asked Luke if he wanted to get involved in their youth programme, Youtdem.

Luke helped develop the programme, created the right group dynamic and shaped the conversations they wanted to have with the young men.

In this episode we discuss Luke’s professional career, what the role of a wilderness psychotherapist entails vs a traditional therapist, the skills he’s learned along the way and his work with Youtdem.

For Luke’s mental health journey, we discuss social class, how travelling expanded his horizons beyond his council estate, and the life and death of his father, who died when Luke was just 21 years old. His dad was 44 when he died.

Luke was studying for a Psychology degree at university when his dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. His dad would live six months before he died.

Luke wanted to use the learnings from his degree to navigate his grief. We discuss the addiction issues his Dad had throughout Luke’s childhood, how he feels about his grief now vs when his dad died and the legacy he is hoping to leave for his Dad through becoming a psychotherapist.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can follow Modern Tribes Collective on social media below:

• Instagram

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In episode 379 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Hannah Stallard.

Hannah is Head of Community for an organisation called Looseheadz, which combines the sport of rugby with mental health.

They started at the end of a bar in a rugby club, and their goal is to make this a conversation at the end of every rugby club bar in the world.

LooseHeadz uses the power of rugby to start conversations, tackle the stigma, and save lives.

Hannah joined the organisation in October 2024 and says she wouldn’t be where she is today without Looseheadz support.

In this episode we discuss the work Looseheadz does, the free toolkit it provides to clubs across the country, the mental health training they provide for their Looseheadz champions and the work they do to combat abuse of rugby referees at all levels of the game, on the pitch and on social media.

For Hannah’s mental health journey, we first discuss when she was hit by a bus at 16 years old and the physical and mental health impact it had on her.

We also talk about her experiencing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her keen when she was around 32/33 years old in 2022. We explore how she recovered from it, losing a dog in 2017 and a cat in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During this period, she got to the point where she became suicidal, and made a plan to take her own life.

She drove herself to A&E, waited 8 hours but was then sent home with a prescription for SSRIs.

She sought out therapy on the NHS and waited eight months on a waiting list before seeking private therapy instead.

We discuss why she believes she should have been sectioned when in A&E, how she recovered from it and how she reflects on the experience now.

As always, #itsokaytovent

TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains a discussion about suicide, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 378 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Conor Warren.

Conor is the Co-Founder and CEO of an organisation called Spark UK.

Founded in 2020, Spark UK is a youth-led mental health charity that offers free mental health resources, campaigns, and support to empower young people across the UK.

Conor is also the Director of We Are Prysm, a Gen Z-led consultancy helping brands, charities and media producers connect authentically with the next generation.

Conor’s desire to co-found Spark UK came from his own lived experience of mental health challenges.

He struggled with anxiety during primary school and spent time in and out of therapy during that time, but was helped a lot by taking part in art therapy.

During secondary school, he suppressed his mental health issues and by the time of sixth-form college, it reached crisis point.

He had a breakdown in Year 13 in December 2022.

Conor experienced suicidality and suicidal thoughts, and developed an eating disorder, something he calls ‘anxiety-induced sickness’ which involved restricted eating and purging.

This crisis went on for just over a year. Thankfully he had a strong support network around him, was able to develop coping mechanisms and took a gap year out to recover.

He then realised he was ready for full-time education again, moved out of home and successfully applied for Exeter University, where he is currently studying for a BSc in Business.

Conor is only 20 years old at time of recording but has already achieved so much in his life so far.

In this episode we discuss the work he’s doing with Spark UK, We Are Prysm and the issues affecting Gen-Z right now and his views on them. These include social media, masculinity, the Christianity faith revival, education and young men’s relationship with all of them.

For Conor’s mental health journey, we discuss his experience of anxiety, that eating disorder, how he conceptualised it being a man too, and how he recovered and overcame it.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can follow Spark UK on social media below:

• Instagram

TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains a brief discussion about suicide and suicidality, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 377 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Danny Grady.

Danny is part of Mandem Meetup Wolves (MMUW), the Wolverhampton branch of Mandem Meetup, a grassroots charity promoting, correcting and improving the conversation around men’s mental health and wellbeing.

Danny became part of MMUW in February 2024 when he went to his first Mandem Talking Circle. Now he is a facilitator of them.

He also runs the MMUW football team alongside friend of the pod Jamie Hall.

In this episode we first discuss Danny’s mental health journey, where he started smoking weed and drinking from as young as 12 years old.

After turning 18, he started taking stronger, party drugs but it was alcohol which he sadly became addicted to and took hold of his life.

He was drinking every day, on weekends and had to drink as soon as he woke up to ‘level him out’, a hallmark of addiction.

He became a father at just 19 years old but wasn’t present for them whilst in the throes of his addiction.

He reached rock bottom several times, the most difficult period being in 2009 when he temporarily separated from his wife and became suicidal.

He split up with his wife several times after that, quitting temporarily to heal the relationship but just as quickly relapsing and falling back into negative behaviours.

This cycle continued until 2024 when the penny dropped and he began his recovery.

Since then, he has been clean from all drugs and alcohol for two years, and found a new support network that provides him with positivity, not temptations.

In this episode we discuss that journey from addiction to sobriety, fatherhood, becoming a grandfather at 42, his relationship with his wife and the role MMU Wolves has played in his recovery.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can follow Mandem Meet Up on social media below:

• Instagram
• TikTok

TRIGGER WARNING: this podcast contains a deep discussion about suicide, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.

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In episode 376 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Jamie Hall.

Jamie is part of Mandem Meetup Wolves, the Wolverhampton branch of Mandem Meetup (MMU), a grassroots charity promoting, correcting and improving the conversation around men’s mental health and wellbeing.

Jamie became part of MMU Wolves (MMUW) in 2023 when he messaged the Founder of the Wolves branch, Christian if he could get involved. He went on his first hike with them in the same year and from there, the rest is history.

He now runs the MMUW football team alongside another man called Danny Grady, who took the reigns over from previous guest Leigh Edwards. Jamie also leads on their homeless outreach programme in the city too.

In this episode we first discuss Jamie’s mental health journey. This includes being expelled from school and then multiple prison sentences throughout a 20 year-period.

At 29, he moved out of the city with an ex-partner. However, he got into a fight in a local pub, went to prison for another year, came out and was diagnosed with a brain tumour, collapsing at a house party.

After being hospitalised, he discovered he had an aneurysm on his brain at just 30 years old.

Despite all of this, none of it was the wake up call he needed.

At 33, he became a father for the first time but it was only through joining MMU Wolves which he credits as the turning point for his life.

He went to his first Talking Circle the organisation runs, and after attending a few more, he plucked up the courage to speak himself, and broke down. From there, he has turned his life around, gone from strength to strength and the Mandem has been the vehicle for driving that.

We talk about all the work he does with MMUW, how it fuels his purpose and keeps his recovery on track, and how he reflects on the man he is now vs the lost soul he was in his childhood and 20s.

As always, #itsokaytovent

You can follow Mandem Meet Up on social media below:

• Instagram
• TikTok

Honest conversations about mental health, relationships, purpose, and being human.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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