Inspirational talks: Testimonials
In recent months, we’ve partnered with Gary and Michelle from Secure Mind Solutions to focus on a topic close to our hearts - mental health & wellbeing. Their site visits have been moving for everyone who have attended. Gary and Michelle share their journeys in a way that has resonated profoundly with our team and by January 2024, every site will have received a visit. The impact has been significant, and these dialogues are crucial in dismantling the barriers and stigma around mental health. Each team member can access 10 free counselling sessions with Gary and Michelle. Here’s why this matters - in the construction industry, mental health challenges are alarmingly widespread, with 2 construction workers taking their own lives every day. Recognising this, M.Lambe Construction is committed to supporting our people’s mental wellbeing and create a supporting work environment for our people to thrive.
M.Lambe Construction Limited
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Many thanks to whoever decided to book up this presentation by Michelle and Gary . The feedback from the lads was all very positive and hopefully it will get us all talking more, which in turn will improve our mental health and well-being . The thoughts from this site is that it was the best work stoppage we have had – it’s a course and topic that everyone can relate too.
Dave Lynch, Site Manager, McDermotts Buiding & Civil Engineering
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It was really great to have Gary come and give a talk to ITV Central about his life story and Mental Health. He was so open and honest and I think that's so important when discussing these issues that are so often brushed under the carpet. His talk generated many questions and Gary didn't shy away from answering anything. Afterwards, many colleagues praised Gary's bravery and said it was a truly enlightening talk.
- Catherine Reid, On-Screen Journalist, ITV
————————————————————————————————————
At IIZUKA we prioritise the wellbeing of our staff and we are very pleased with Michelle and Gary's approach to speaking to our team about mental health. Michelle met with our directors to find out more about our business and to discuss different approaches that could be taken, accounting for both the practical issues of delivering a talk to all of our staff and ensuring that individuals would feel supported and be able to take matters further in confidence should they wish to. We agreed how the talk would be run and what package of support would be offered to our staff that wish to make use of their ongoing service. Michelle's presentation to our team was both challenging and motivational and was pitched in a way that was meaningful to everybody, regardless of their background, personal situations and life experience. She used a combination of well researched facts and a touching case study to cover a wide range of mental health issues and give guidance on the support that is available. Following the talk many of our staff gave positive feedback about how they could relate to it and that they were grateful for the opportunity to discuss what can be difficult and sensitive topics. Some have then gone on to receive further support in complete confidence through Michelle and Gary's counselling services.
We would highly recommend their flexible and practical approach to businesses that wish to support the wellbeing and mental health of their staff in a confidential, sensitive and cost effective way.
- Steve Randerson, Technical Director, IIZUKA
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Thank you both for coming in and sharing your life story. Sparked a lot of conversation between all those who attended. Am looking forward to sharing this with the rest of the teams.
- Andrew Foster, Operations Manager (East Midlands) M.Lambe Construction Ltd
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Doocey Group would like to say a big thank you to Michelle who recently delivered a vital message about mental health to all our team. Overall, four hundred plus attended the valuable stand down days in various venues and even thought the content of the talks was sometimes hard-hitting, it was thought provoking and very well received. Please get in touch with them to keep this message spreading.
-Doocey Group Utility Infrastructure Specialists, West Midlands
————————————————————————————————————-
Just want to give a little feedback on today’s Mental Health Awareness training delivered by Gary and Michelle.
Firstly I’d like to thank both for taking time to come to site today and deliver what I can only describe as a fantastic session! This session has been more than helpful for all who attended and I believe touched all in one way or another. 5 star!
- Craig Brittlebank, Project Manger, McDermotts Building & Civil Engineering, Birmingham
—————————————————————————————————————
We asked Gary to come into our company to share his life journey. Our aim was to open the gates and widen the awareness of the importance of mental health to our workforce. Gary had us all gripped from the start and, along with his story, questions were asked and answered with great honesty and dignity. His story is so real and so enlightening. His message is clear – you don’t need to be mentally unwell, as thoughts and behaviours can be changed. He is the epitome of that! He certainly left people with plenty of food for thought. I would highly recommend him as a speaker.
– Andrew Bean, LMB Group (lmb-group.co.uk), Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
———————————————————————————————————————
We asked Gary to carry out a talk regarding mental health on one of our construction sites. We’re aware of the high suicide rates for men in construction, so thought it was a massively worthwhile exercise.
We didn’t quite know what to expect as far as the outcome of the talk, how it would be received by the guys on site etc, but I was blown away by the reaction.
Gary was waiting for everyone when they arrived. Gary made his introductions and took the room through the story of his many life challenges, the things that contributed to his mental health - both negatively and positively - and the paths Gary ended up going down. It was a highly personal and touching story and the room was silent throughout as Gary spoke, which was unusual in itself.
The talk was so, so well received, to the point that afterwards someone came up to me and said nearly all the lads are gathered around talking about it, openly talking together about mental health in a really positive way!
We couldn’t honestly have asked for more, and we’re looking forward to carrying out many more talks on-site with Gary and Michelle in the future.
– David Mee, Senior SHE Manager, Lambe’s Construction Ltd, Birmingham
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As Managing Director of a House Builder I thought it was paramount to attend the talk Gary and Michelle kindly delivered to our operatives and staff on site. As the industry with the highest suicide rate, I thought it was really important to support not only from a Directors position but also as a Mental Health Champion of our group. I was left speechless at their life experiences and felt very moved they were able to share this in such a public setting. Even if one of our people out of the 30 that were there sought help from Gary and Michelle their visit was whole heartedly worth it. Thank you both for the work you are doing and continue to do in our industry in helping to break the stigma in the construction industry.
- Richard Williams, Mananging Director Keon Homes
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Lovely to meet you both and thank you for the talks today and the chat afterwards. Very helpful, and I am sure the guys got a lot out of it. Hopefully, we as an industry, start to talk openly about mental health.
-Stuart Hopkins, Project manager, McDermotts Builing & Civil Engineering
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Gary and Michelle have delivered talks to all of our project sites at various locations across the UK, also at our Head Office. Gary reflects on his own mental health journey to inspire others, whilst also offering practical solutions on how to look after your mental health. The feedback from the attendees has been very positive and we would highly recommend Gary and Michelle’s services
-Joe McDermott, SHEQ Director at McDermott Building & Civil Engineering Limited
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Gary and Michelle recently visited one of our construction sites to give a talk to our site managers, on site staff and any other members of the team who wanted to attend. As part of an industry with one of the highest suicide rates I thought it was paramount to attend. The whole way through I was captivated by them both. It was eye opening to hear about their own experiences with mental health as well as the services they offer to others who may need it. There was no judgement in the room and they both felt like very approachable people. I really hope our partnership can grow with Gary and Michelle and we can help to tackle the stigma of mental health in the construction industry, thank you both for all the work you are doing and trying to make that a difference.
-Lydia Evans Business Coordinator Keon Homes
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Gary and Michelle came to our site and delivered a great talk for the lads. Construction can be very stubborn to mental health, Gary really captivated his audience in the room with his story. We are looking forward to having Secure Mind Solutions back on site soon where they can continue to help even more people, Well done guys.
-Luke O’Brien Contracts Manager M.Lambe Construction
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“At the Tara Group, we want to do all we can to support the mental health and wellbeing of our people. When we initially met Gary and Michelle and Gary told us his story we knew this was something that we wanted him to share with our people in the hope that it would encourage anyone who is struggling with their mental health to seek support. Gary and Michelle spoke at three of our sites – their talks combine hugely impactful life stories with practical tips on how we can all look after our mental health and get support if we need to. Their message that help is out there and with that help people can improve their mental health, no matter how impossible that might seem, is something that everyone needs to hear. Thank you to Gary and Michelle for what you do.”
- Chloe Lloyd People Partner Tara Group
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We had the pleasure of Gary and Michelle visiting us on site to encourage our site workers to open up on the discussion of mental health. Gary’s story is one that though incredibly heartbreaking and candid in parts it overall offers an overwhelming amount of hope for anyone who may be struggling. Both Gary and Michelle are so approachable and warm you really do feel like you could go to them about anything. I cannot recommend them enough and encourage anyone considering sourcing support on mental health in the workplace to give them a shout.
-Lauren Orme Customer Care Coordinator Keon Homes
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As someone that has struggled and sometimes still struggles with my mental health I was genuinely pleased when the company I work for invited Gary and Michelle to some of our sites to talk to the lads and lasses about their own personal journey,
Gary openly spoke about his mental health troubles from a young age and into adult life, he is proof that things do get better! After the talk I stood on the car park where two lads that I’ve known for a long time called me over and opened up about the dark times they sometimes had, they had taken Gary and Michelle’s cards and said they’d feel 100% comfortable in calling them if they ever felt the need too, it had made them realise that they aren’t alone when it comes to mental health issues,
If anybody ever gets the chance to attend one of these talks or feels that they may need one on one counselling or somebody to talk to then you will not go wrong with Gary and Michelle,
Thank you Gary and Michelle, you are an inspiration to all that struggle,
Shane Delaney, Contracts manager, Chasetown Civil Engineering
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As a midwifery lecturer I have also found the book (Daddy & The Two Bears) very beneficial for midwifery students; twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is discussed in a way that students can relate to both physiologically and emotionally, giving them a much wider understanding of TTTS and on the impact it can have on both the mother and the father.
Gary agreed to speak to the first year BSc Midwifery students and from the moment he started to discuss the book the students engaged with him on every level. Events that occur in the book reinforce the importance of being aware of father’s mental health, emphasising that they should be involved in all aspects of their partners care and to be aware of ensuring that father’s mental health is a priority. There was a big discussion about this. Gary’s discussion with the students about ‘Daddy and the Two Bears’ was profound and influenced the students understanding of the importance of father’s mental health, as well as an understanding of TTTS and the impact of this on families.
I will most definitely be inviting Gary to speak to the student midwives again this year because he has made such a significant impact on their practice.
- Maggie O’Brien (Hon) FRCM, RN, RM, MSc.
————————————————————————————————————————
If you have real problems in the world and you need a real solution, it goes without saying that you need to be guided and counselled by real people who understand and more importantly have overcome the very problems you are dealing with. These people are rare in the world, so it is with great pleasure and assurance that I highly recommend Gary; as a teacher, as a healer, and a counsellor of repute. He is a wonderful, gentle, massively experienced man, with a great elixir to share. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
– Geoff Thompson, BAFTA winning screenwriter
———————————————————————————————————————
Gary is a unique character. He is a very caring man, who knows what it is like to feel both physical and emotional pain. Gary’s experience doesn’t just come from books but from real life experience. His earlier life was a mix of emotional ‘hard’ times and destructive, physical escapism. However this is not what makes him unique as there are lots of very physical men in the world who might marinate themselves in this type of situation. Gary has transcended from a world where being emotionally deprived and being physical was the ‘norm’ to now using all of the knowledge he has learnt on his journey to help others. I would have no hesitation in recommending Gary on any level, his honesty and integrity shine through.
– Tony Somers, BACP Counsellor, 5th Dan Martial Artist and author of ‘Fighter Rescuer Healer’.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Thank you so much for coming and sharing your experiences and expertise with the students, Gary. You made a real connection with the group and provided them with a valuable insight into mental health from multiple perspectives. Your authenticity and honesty were really refreshing.
– Tony Myers - Professor in Quantitative Methods, Newman University, Birmingham
_________________________________________________________________
Many thanks to whoever decided to book up this presentation by Michelle and Gary . The feedback from the lads was all very positive and hopefully it will get us all talking more, which in turn will improve our mental health and well-being . The thoughts from this site is that it was the best work stoppage we have had – it’s a course and topic that everyone can relate too.
Dave Lynch, Site Manager, McDermotts Buiding & Civil Engineering
——————————————————————————————————
It was really great to have Gary come and give a talk to ITV Central about his life story and Mental Health. He was so open and honest and I think that's so important when discussing these issues that are so often brushed under the carpet. His talk generated many questions and Gary didn't shy away from answering anything. Afterwards, many colleagues praised Gary's bravery and said it was a truly enlightening talk.
- Catherine Reid, On-Screen Journalist, ITV
—————————————————————————————————
At IIZUKA we prioritise the wellbeing of our staff and we are very pleased with Michelle and Gary's approach to speaking to our team about mental health. Michelle met with our directors to find out more about our business and to discuss different approaches that could be taken, accounting for both the practical issues of delivering a talk to all of our staff and ensuring that individuals would feel supported and be able to take matters further in confidence should they wish to. We agreed how the talk would be run and what package of support would be offered to our staff that wish to make use of their ongoing service. Michelle's presentation to our team was both challenging and motivational and was pitched in a way that was meaningful to everybody, regardless of their background, personal situations and life experience. She used a combination of well researched facts and a touching case study to cover a wide range of mental health issues and give guidance on the support that is available. Following the talk many of our staff gave positive feedback about how they could relate to it and that they were grateful for the opportunity to discuss what can be difficult and sensitive topics. Some have then gone on to receive further support in complete confidence through Michelle and Gary's counselling services.
We would highly recommend their flexible and practical approach to businesses that wish to support the wellbeing and mental health of their staff in a confidential, sensitive and cost effective way.
- Steve Randerson, Technical Director, IIZUKA
—————————————————————————————————————
Thank you both for coming in and sharing your life story. Sparked a lot of conversation between all those who attended. Am looking forward to sharing this with the rest of the teams.
- Andrew Foster, Operations Manager (East Midlands) M.Lambe Construction Ltd
—————————————————————————————————————-
Doocey Group would like to say a big thank you to Michelle who recently delivered a vital message about mental health to all our team. Overall, four hundred plus attended the valuable stand down days in various venues and even thought the content of the talks was sometimes hard-hitting, it was thought provoking and very well received. Please get in touch with them to keep this message spreading.
-Doocey Group Utility Infrastructure Specialists, West Midlands
————————————————————————————————————-
Just want to give a little feedback on today’s Mental Health Awareness training delivered by Gary and Michelle.
Firstly I’d like to thank both for taking time to come to site today and deliver what I can only describe as a fantastic session! This session has been more than helpful for all who attended and I believe touched all in one way or another. 5 star!
- Craig Brittlebank, Project Manger, McDermotts Building & Civil Engineering, Birmingham
—————————————————————————————————————
We asked Gary to come into our company to share his life journey. Our aim was to open the gates and widen the awareness of the importance of mental health to our workforce. Gary had us all gripped from the start and, along with his story, questions were asked and answered with great honesty and dignity. His story is so real and so enlightening. His message is clear – you don’t need to be mentally unwell, as thoughts and behaviours can be changed. He is the epitome of that! He certainly left people with plenty of food for thought. I would highly recommend him as a speaker.
– Andrew Bean, LMB Group (lmb-group.co.uk), Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
—————————————————————————————————————
We asked Gary to carry out a talk regarding mental health on one of our construction sites. We’re aware of the high suicide rates for men in construction, so thought it was a massively worthwhile exercise.
We didn’t quite know what to expect as far as the outcome of the talk, how it would be received by the guys on site etc, but I was blown away by the reaction.
Gary was waiting for everyone when they arrived. Gary made his introductions and took the room through the story of his many life challenges, the things that contributed to his mental health - both negatively and positively - and the paths Gary ended up going down. It was a highly personal and touching story and the room was silent throughout as Gary spoke, which was unusual in itself.
The talk was so, so well received, to the point that afterwards someone came up to me and said nearly all the lads are gathered around talking about it, openly talking together about mental health in a really positive way!
We couldn’t honestly have asked for more, and we’re looking forward to carrying out many more talks on-site with Gary and Michelle in the future.
– David Mee, Senior SHE Manager, Lambe’s Construction Ltd, Birmingham
——————————————————————————————————————
Lovely to meet you both and thank you for the talks today and the chat afterwards. Very helpful, and I am sure the guys got a lot out of it. Hopefully, we as an industry, start to talk openly about mental health.
-Stuart Hopkins, Project manager, McDermotts Builing & Civil Engineering
——————————————————————————————————————-
As a midwifery lecturer I have also found the book (Daddy & The Two Bears) very beneficial for midwifery students; twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is discussed in a way that students can relate to both physiologically and emotionally, giving them amuch wider understanding of TTTS and on the impact it can have on both the mother and the father.
Gary agreed to speak to the first year BSc Midwifery students and from the moment he started to discuss the book the students engaged with him on every level. Events that occur in the book reinforce the importance of being aware of father’s mental health, emphasising that they should be involved in all aspects of their partners care and to be aware of ensuring that father’s mental health is a priority. There was a big discussion about this. Gary’s discussion with the students about ‘Daddy and the Two Bears’ was profound and influenced the students understanding of the importance of father’s mental health, as well as an understanding of TTTS and the impact of this on families.
I will most definitely be inviting Gary to speak to the student midwives again this year because he has made such a significant impact on their practice.
- Maggie O’Brien (Hon) FRCM, RN, RM, MSc.
————————————————————————————————————————
If you have real problems in the world and you need a real solution, it goes without saying that you need to be guided and counselled by real people who understand and more importantly have overcome the very problems you are dealing with. These people are rare in the world, so it is with great pleasure and assurance that I highly recommend Gary; as a teacher, as a healer, and a counsellor of repute. He is a wonderful, gentle, massively experienced man, with a great elixir to share. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
– Geoff Thompson, BAFTA winning screenwriter
———————————————————————————————————————
Gary is a unique character. He is a very caring man, who knows what it is like to feel both physical and emotional pain. Gary’s experience doesn’t just come from books but from real life experience. His earlier life was a mix of emotional ‘hard’ times and destructive, physical escapism. However this is not what makes him unique as there are lots of very physical men in the world who might marinate themselves in this type of situation. Gary has transcended from a world where being emotionally deprived and being physical was the ‘norm’ to now using all of the knowledge he has learnt on his journey to help others. I would have no hesitation in recommending Gary on any level, his honesty and integrity shine through.
– Tony Somers, BACP Counsellor, 5th Dan Martial Artist and author of ‘Fighter Rescuer Healer’.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Thank you so much for coming and sharing your experiences and expertise with the student, Gary. You made a real connection with the group and provided them with a valuable insight into mental health from multiple perspectives. Your authenticity and honesty were really refreshing.
– Tony Myers - Professor in Quantitative Methods, Newman University, Birmingham