Episodes
Every day, 18 people commit suicide & sadly 12 of these are men.Mental health is a non for profit organisation that is committed to increasing the mental health awareness within our community.WHO ARE MENTAL HEALTH FIRSTMental health first training was set up as a company that provides accessible and affordable training to everyone not just companies that have big training budgets.The company consists of two main trainers that have been delivering Mental health training within the construction industry with great feedback and success for some time now.Mental health within the construction in...
"Like a swimming pool, we concentrate on pulling them out of the deep end like an emergency service, but we know theyve been in the shallow end for 12 months, splashing about.." by Marcus LeonardMarcus Leonard joins us, to speak about IAPT, perspective, today's society, mental health, depression, anxiety and so much more. He is joined by all the BCB gang today who all share their own struggles and hope that this resource can benefit as many people as possible who may feel they need an assessment or help.About Marcus: After qualifying in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and making a “now ...
"Look at yourself and ask do I need help?" #293 of the BCB gang discuss Bullying and how it affects our life not just at the moment but also moving forward in our day-to-day life. Lee, Kev & Aren discuss their own personal experiences with either being bullied or witnessing bullying. We openly send a request to anyone who is bullying to stop. This is not cool, this is not how we should treat each other. Similarly, if there is anyone experiencing bullying, then please do not hesitate to reach out to your loved ones, to us or helplines. Do not suffer in silence.Important timestamps:[04:20] Ba...
"I didn't hate my mom, I hated my mom for drinking" #28Kristian Marrey explains his troubled past of seeing his mothers battle with alcohol forcing him to fend for himself and his younger brother. Having lived in hostels, forced to grow up far too quickly Kristian shares such a brave story openly on this episode but more importantly leaves us with a lesson that you can change your life. You do not need to be a product of your initial environment and you can change your circumstances.We all go through pain and adversity, but together and by recognising that the adversity can teach us to be s...
"Have You Found Your Purpose Yet? #27All the BCB gang discuss the finding and having a purpose. A question that likely crops up for all of us during our years and as we go through life. We also agreed that Purpose tends to change as we grow older or life hands us different experiences. Whether it's your job, philanthropy, children or spouse we all find purpose in things that often sit outside us. It is those things that keep us striving and moving on days we may not feel itWhat's your purpose? Have you found it yet?Important timestamps:[00:30] Kevs Purpose[02:10] Arens Purpose[12:00] Craigs...
Male suicide does not seem to be slowing down & it is now everyones responsbility to help. For this episode, all of the BCB gang have come along and spoken about the society we now live in and what is going on. Can we help?Are we to blame? What is the future like for the young children who will soon grow up into men likely to face? A raw and honest episode that touches on some serious subjects.Some shocking stats:In the UK & Republic of Ireland, there were 6,859 suicides in 2018. In the UK, there were 6,507 suicides. In the Republic of Ireland, there were 352 suicides.Deaths by suicide rose...
"The problem with the internet is, you can be whoever you want to be" #25The gang open up about the dangers of catfishing in all walks of life. People deceiving people, deliberately to manipulate them for self gain sadly exists. The property industry, where Aren operates in sadly saw someone commit suicide due to the stresses of life. This was never exclusive solely to property, or at least it can't be solely pinpointed to this. But having been a victim of catfishing, lies and unethical practice Aren speaks about his own struggles with falling for the wrong things. Similarly Kev speaks abou...
"Self care is probably the most neglected thing we do" #24An honest conversation with NLP & life coach expert Nick Daveis, and 3/4 of the BCB gang, Kev, Craig, Lee & Aren discuss the goals, and also self care & consistency. A common neglected aspect of many of our lives, as we chase money, cars and houses often neglecting the most important thing to us. Our mental and physical health. The conversation in true BCB form segway from goals, to self care, to inner voices to Dan Bilzerian! But I am sure there are so many aspects of this, that will hugely resonate with you all.Important timestamps...
"To lose your older brother, your robbed of seeing him in the pub having a drink with, going for a drive with him..." Steve Hansel #23A tragic story of loss, Steve bravely shares his story with 3 of the gang. A story of learning to cope, over time and the blessings that have came from that. Blessings in the terms of existing relationships growing stronger post the tragic event of a freak accident.[01:55] Freak accident[06:00] An innocent mistake?[13:00] A parent losing their son[17:00] Coping mechanisms, remembering who they was[25:30] We are not alone, in what we are going throughAn insigh...
Managing Anxiety with Alexander Walker? #22"Depression and anxiety is an accumulation of your events, or perception of your events" - Alexander Walker An insightful interview with Alexander Walker who helps people deal with their anxiety via hypnotherapy. Talking about the anxious mind and how that actually forms, it gives a great insight into why some of us struggle with anxiety today.Important timestamps:[02:55] An anxious mind[05:30] A visualization strategy to help you with anxiety[13:45] Self relaxation to help you relax[17:50] Suicide in men[24:22] Consent with Hypnotherapy[34:00] Fin...
"Your as good as anybody and better than most" Episode #213 of the gang, speak about motivation. Motivation is often short-lived and comes in and out of our lives at different times of the day, moments in the week, or across the year. Of course, we are all motivated by different things in our every day life, but at the same, there are many similarities in regard to the things that do motivate us. Family, music and goals, is some examples of these. Lee, Kev and Aren speak about their own internal motivations and also share stories of what helps them get through the difficult times, when the...
Antidote or Poison? #20An honest conversation with NLP & life coach expert Nick Daveis, where the BCB gang, Kev, Craig, Lee & Aren discuss the choices we make in our life. So often we know what we need to do, or what we should do but we often dont. This is the poison. Yet we could have benefited from taking the antidote.Important timestamps:[01:17] Why we choose the poison over the antidote?[14:30] Getting into your alpha state[22:30] The BLAST technique[34:00] Learning from situations[39:30] BLAST self care tapping techniqueHope you found this useful, and do not forget to share and drop a ...
Bob Dillon, GB Boxing Coach joins the BCB and shares his incredible story Part 2 #19Bob Dillon has coached people from, the hosts of this show themselves, to the Anthony Joshuas and Frankie Gavins of the boxing world. A respected man, not just because of his character and everything he stands for but also for his world class coaching. Bobs results speak for themselves, but to have someone who is held in such high esteem by all those who have encountered his presence, to share his story so openly was fascinating.Hearing Bob, suffer and struggle to comprehend racism, to then struggling at sch...
Bob Dillon, GB Boxing Coach joins the BCB and shares his incredible story #18Bob Dillon has coached people from, the hosts of this show themselves, to the Anthony Joshuas and Frankie Gavins of the boxing world. A respected man, not just because of his character and everything he stands for but also for his world class coaching. Bobs results speak for themselves, but to have someone who is held in such high esteem by all those who have encountered his presence, to share his story so openly was fascinating.Hearing Bob, suffer and struggle to comprehend racism, to then struggling at school wit...
Tough Enough To Care #17Dave, Co-Founder of the #ToughEnoughToCare movement, joints the full gang (Kev Dillon, Aren Deu, Lee Cadman & Craig Pinches) on the Black Country Blokes Podcast. An open and raw interview discussing the effects of PTSD, anxiety, depression and life as a man battling with their thoughts. Additionally, Dan discusses how Tough Enough to Care first came about and was started. We talk about the stigma, the stresses of helping and what we as men recommend doing not just for our own mental health, but to help others who have struggled with it too.Key timestamps:[02:30] Dan ...
Your Pain Makes You #16Andrew Price joins the Black Country Blokes. Boxing Titles, Anxiety, Depression & Understanding the Travelling Community. He joins 3/4 of the gang on this episode and discusses the truth behind a mans thoughts who suffers with anxiety. Beyond the solid exterior, Andrew has had to face many demons inside his head, like many of us. Yet he is not afraid to share them on the show. Remember even the physically strongest of us can suffer, or struggle. But talking helps.Also his song at the end is absolutely incredible! Wait for that! [48:00]The group consists of the followi...
The lads are joined by Ashley Nixon once more, for a short episode were they discuss hobbies. This is a bonus episode where they guys talk about the importance of finding your own hobbies and enjoying your own life and journey. Very often we tend to do things based on other people and we become almost people pleasers, yet we often forget to put our own needs and happiness first.The beauty of some of our hobbies is that we can relate and get together with people who are like minded, with similar interests sharing a common admiration towards a particular hobby. Belonging to tribes, whether it...
"The Difficulty of Being a Father" #14The journey of being a father is full of all sorts of emotions. Ups, downs, smiles and frowns. The lads speak about their feelings of being a father, in today's society. They not only share their feelings, but also how they feel they may be viewed and perceived by the general population too. Is being a male parent more difficult nowadays? Are we becoming more worried about how we are perceived as men when we are around children? Does this mean that we are being pushed towards not caring as much and acting in a different way?An interesting topic that man...
"That shame gripped me" - By Ashley Nixon#13Lee Cadman and Kev DIllon speak with ex boxer Ashley Nixon on this captivating interview. Ashley discusses his incredible journey from ups to incredible downs. He speaks openly about the thoughts and masks that he wore. Royal marines, prison, boxing, drugs & gangs are just some of the things that come with Ashley's life prior to hitting his 20s! An honest raw interview that will massively open your eyes, to why some men or women, do what they do and why they think what they think.The group consists of the following guys:Kev Dillon a head coach at ...
"The Purpose of life, is a life of purpose" - By The BCB #12The Gang just sit down and discuss travel including all the benefits it can provide, such as a change in a perspective, understanding different types of people better and just opening your eyes to what is truly out there.We often live in a narrow minded society, where we assume our reality, is the only reality out there. But when we are exposed to different areas, cultures, people, climates, foods, drinks, lifestyles etc we see ourselves open our mind and eyes. This becomes a humbling and learning experience if we are willing to em...
"Live & Let Learn Just let Life Be The Play, You Can Write The Script, They Can Show it on Broadway " - By The BCB #11The Gang just sit down and discuss topics, we all probably do over a cuppa, a pint or just a general get together. Movies.Movies have the power to influence our thoughts, change our emotional state and just bring us memories, both good and bad. We speak about the nostalgic memories of movies and the more recent ones, whilst diving into understanding more about how they impact us.A very open discussion with no real agenda, just 4 blokes giving their opinions and thoughts on m...
"Stay safe & Be lucky" - By Ben Taylor #10Ben Taylor joins Kev & Lee on today's episode of The Black Country Blokes Podcast. Sharing his stories of working with the likes of Joe Calzaghe to Amy Winehouse, to Iron Foundries and Peter Andrew Ben has done a lot! But only recently has he found true happiness and fulfilment in opening up his own Barbers RnL Gentlemens barbers. Ben discusses the shift, from thinking you know it all to realising you never really know anything as you level up. Ben also discusses the relationships and lessons he learnt from each of his paths that he has travelled in...
Nostalgia - Ep 9"Tomorrow is a mystery, Yesterday is history but today is gift. That's why they call it a present"From Blockbuster to Peter Andre & Pubs to Conkers 3/4 of the gang discuss the state Nostalgia and how society has changed today.Have we lost touch and human communication with the way the world has now gone?Was it better before, or are we just putting our nostalgic memories on a pedestal?What kind of things do you remember when you think of nostalgia?Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theblackcountryblokesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaf9AXib-iEmwb8anljsjjQWho ...
The Loss of a Pet & dealing With The Grief of Losing a Family Member - Ep 83/4 of the gang drop by and speak about losing a Pet. To many, losing a pet is like losing someone in the family and the trauma and grief from losing a pet can have significant impact on all those attached. A void, a feeling of sorrow and the struggle of comprehending a loss, is something the lads talk about on this show.Memorable quotes:"You don't realise what a pet means to you, until they're gone" - Craig Pinches"It's only when death is upon you, do you realise you have not took advantage of someone or something" ...
Dealing with Child Abuse & Grooming ft Andy Plant - Ep 7Andy Plant bravely shares his story on with the Black Country Blokes. Discussing his story of being groomed, and sharing his emotions which included shame Andy explains his emotive story. Sadly this is not exclusive to Andy, and many people are victims of trauma and abuse, so just sharing this story deserves acknowledgement. The importance of talking about such traumas, abuse is that it opens up the conversation. It opens it up for others who may have experienced similar situations to not only feel alone, but know that they shouldn't f...
Are you suffering with Nerves or Anxiety?- Ep 63/4 of the gang drop by and speak with Nick Davies about a few areas of our life that can affect our mental wellness and health. Starting of the discussion with nerves vs anxiety, the gang segway into strength of sharing ones vulnerability especially as a male. This includes the importance of understanding social media and its purpose of gaining our attention.Finally the gang move on to discuss the importance of finding your own tribe, and if that requires you to outgrow your current set of relationships, then that is okay.Other useful points d...
Sex, Drugs, Violence & Food! - Ep 5The gang drop by and speak about social media, how we react to certain trends and topics and why we are the way we are. An interesting dissection from NLP expert as he explains the science behind clickbait titles working, and why we sometimes feel unsatisfied when we get poor responses on our own content.Other useful points discussed:[03:59] Find your tribe & understand your environment[08:38] Understanding peoples Facebook posts[15:28] The nicest people who have nothing[20:30] Beauty in adversityFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theblackcountrybloke...
EpisodeAn honest conversation with NLP & life coach expert Nick Daveis. Kev Dillon runs the show with this, encouraging Nick to share some brilliant takeaways, whilst also sharing his own vulnerabilities. Trauma, PTSD, Anxiety are all discussed via this episode, with real life relatable topics. We hope this episode adds value, & in a few weeks we will also have Nick on again, with all 4 members of the BCB speaking about some fascinating topics!Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theblackcountryblokesWho are we?The Black Country Blokes consists of 4 regular guys, speaking about all issue...
EpisodeShould men cry? Now this is a conversation I am sure we all have an opinion on. But here is the 4 hosts, discussing their experiences & sharing their views on whether men should cry. Remember this is just an opinion, but by opening up this topic, we hope it encourages you to know that talking about taboo subjects is okay.We want to open this conversation up, to ensure that noone is suppressing their emotions, or being dishonest to themselves and letting it affect their mental health. We are designed to express our emotions and providing this is done in a healthy manner, it should be ...
EpisodeThis emotive episode dives deeper into the lives of 2 of the hosts Lee Cadman & Kev Dillon. Lee's daughter has a rare form of epilepsy along with many other health complications he discusses. Kev also has his own disabilities living with 7% vision.Now one is a father, with a disability. The other a father of a child with a disability.Two sides of the same coin!Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theblackcountryblokesWho are we?The Black Country Blokes consists of 4 regular guys, speaking about all issues related to being a man in today's society.It is not just designed to focus o...