In episode 366 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Jamie Dennis.
Jamie Dennis is the Founder and CEO of Mandem Meet Up, a grassroots charity which promotes, corrects and improves the conversation around men’s mental health and wellbeing. They provide an open, inclusive community for all men, integrating a range of social, holistic and more ‘traditional’ forms of clinical support.
We first checked in with Jamie in JCIP #268 in December 2024, where we discussed MMU’s origins, his experience of being a survivor of abuse, social class, and a big turning point in life when he could have gone to prison.
Since then, MMU has gone from strength to strength, changing men’s lives for the better and becoming a pillar of the community across Manchester, Wolverhampton and the wider North West and Midlands.
In this Part 2, we discuss a new youth-oriented programme Jamie has created called ‘Youtdem’ and the impact its had on the young men who’ve accessed it.
We also discuss social class and the confidence he has as a CEO from a working-class background, the pride in that achievement and staying authentic and true to himself.
We then discuss a collaboration MMU have done with great friends of VENT We Are Survivors and our mutual close friend Duncan Craig OBE, who have created a Survivor Allyship programme to encourage professionals to receive enhanced training for working with male survivors from sexual harm.
A massive recent development for MMU has been taking lease of five acres of land in Wolverhampton, which they aim to turn into the UK’s first nature space specifically for men and boys.
After we checked in with Jamie, we had Leigh Edwards on from MMU Wolves, who ran an incredible 10 marathons in 10 days in June 2025 to raise money for MMU. We discuss that achievement and what Leigh’s fundraising has been invested into.
We then reflect on the growth MMU has done that people might not see: the infrastructure, the hiring of more staff, and the steps Jamie has taken to grow the organisation and the responsibility he has to continue that progress.
And finally, we touch on a few issues in the men’s space which MMU advocate on, including the recent Men’s Health Strategy from the UK Government, which was published in November 2025, and the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which still counts male survivors of abuse as women, and Jamie’s views on that.
For Jamie’s continued mental health journey, since we last checked in, he has gotten married and become a father, and we discuss these two massive life changes, the benefits its brought him, but also just as importantly, the challenges of fatherhood and how parenthood can impact a relationship.
As always, #itsokaytovent
You can find out more about Mandem Meetup here.
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