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
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