Following the tragic suicide of his brother, Ben had a bold idea: talking. He wanted people to open up about mental health problems to reduce the stigma around them.
Following the tragic suicide of his brother, Ben had a bold idea: talking. He wanted people to open up about mental health problems to reduce the stigma around them.
Ben started by organising a charity walk to raise money for his brother’s foundation which promotes awareness of mental health in young people. From there, Ben founded Project #WalktoTalk which has raised over £100,000 to date and delivers talks to young people at schools with practical information on coping with stress.
Most recently Ben has led a petition which aims to make mental health first aid a compulsory part of teacher training. It has now been signed by almost 300,000 people and Ben is working with government to accelerate its development.
Ben has had a dramatic impact on the teenage mental health community and has shown remarkable strength in the face of a sibling's suicide. He has turned devastation into a powerful force for change.
