Hey everyone – how are you all? I hope you’re all good and have been enjoying this lush weather we’ve been having; I hope you’re all in good mental health, too. I’m going to talk to you about my new venture – a podcast – that has helped strengthen my confidence.

First off, I need to give Laura Drysdale from the Restoration Trust – and the organiser of the Burgh Castle Almanac Gathering I belong to – a shout out. I emailed her, asking if she knew if there was any funding out there for me to create create my own podcast; I didn’t think the recording equipment I had would be suitable.

Laura got back to me within a day or two and said, “Why you don’t use the Burgh Castle Almanac laptops that aren’t being used at the moment because of the lockdown?” Laura then mentioned about getting a microphone, which she could loan out, so I immediately said, “Yes please, that would be awesome!” I just want to say a very big thank you to her, and the Restoration Trust, for supporting me. I did a podcast with Laura and we talked about all things mental health, lockdown and Burgh Castle Almanac, which will be my next blog post. I’m excited to report we’re going back to Burgh Castle on the 28th July, where we’ll be meeting with Doctor Dance. please find the link to the podcast here: https://anchor.fm/john-durrant3/episodes/My-interview-with-Laura-Drysdale-from-the-restoration-trust-eernq0

My second podcast was with a role model I look up to and share my #livedexperence with. He’s the amazing Josh Connolly. I first met him at a mental health conference in my home town of Lowestoft, a couple of years ago now. I thought I was pushing my luck when I asked him to participate in my podcast. but he said “Yes” and I was really buzzing, as his talks on alcoholism and how he beat it are truly inspiring. We also talked about the different mental techniques you can use when you’re struggling. Please find the link to Josh’s podcast here: https://anchor.fm/john-durrant3/episodes/My-interview-with-Josh-Connolly-ef52sm

My next podcast was with a lady called Sue Willgoss. We talked about the charity she has set up in memory of her son, #liftloudfordanny, who lost his life to suicide. We talked about what she aims to do with the charity, as well as about her plans for a crisis centre in Lowestoft, which is a very positive thing. I find Sue a really passionate person when it comes to mental health and related areas. The link to her podcast is here: https://anchor.fm/john-durrant3/episodes/My-interview-with-Sue-Willgoss-from-lift-loud-for-Danny-efefeq

My next podcast was with a man called Dan Biddle, a 7/7 terrorist attack survivor. We talked about how he survived the London Underground bombing, C-PTSD, all things mental health and how he enjoys wheelchair boxing. Please find the link to Dan’s podcast here: https://anchor.fm/john-durrant3/episodes/My-interview-with-Dan-Biddle-efqcjk

The most recent podcast I’ve done was with my friend Ivan Humble. We talked about the work to he does combating racism and it was fascinating to hear his views. The link to Ivan’s podcast is here: https://anchor.fm/john-durrant3/episodes/Labels-and-the-negativity-it-could-cause-eh0ccs

I feel these podcasts have boosted my confidence, and I look forward to improving with every one I do. Thanks for reading and listening to my blog and podcast. I wish you all good mental health and hope you have a good weekend.