Meet The Team

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  Certified Mental Health First Aider with MHFA England  

Phil founded JourneyMEN which launched on 7 April 2020.

Phil is JourneyMEN's First Responder and  delivers our day to day services.

Phil was former Merseyside PCSO for over 17 years, Phil was part of the joined up Early Help Team on Wirral and saw first-hand the devastation of depression and mental health issues affecting men in particular.

He dealt with many incidents of attempted suicides and tragically several deaths by suicide - which led him to establish a community organisation to save lives. 

“From working in the police over many years, I knew that male mental health and suicide was an urgent issue. Many men were not able to gain timely access to the support they needed from overstretched health services. That’s where the idea of JourneyMEN came from. We aim to better link up the crucial support and provide a safe space for men to access that support. I know we can make a difference.”

Since then Phil has collaborated with professionals and organisations across the region to help join up provision for men and to bridge the gaps across the many different services, which gave rise to establishing JourneyMEN, launched on 7 April 2020, World Health Day. 

Phil is one of JourneyMEN CIC 's registered directors.

   Certified Mental Health First Aider with MHFA England   

Leon founded JourneyMEN  which launched on 7 April 2020.

Leon supports JourneyMEN's day to day services. 

For three decades, Leon has helped to partner the business, charity and government sectors to plug gaps in social provision. He spent 25 years in business initially working for Dame Anita Roddick in the 1990s. He is a former CEO of P&L Communications and previously Director at WPP’s Burson-Marsteller, where he pioneered corporate social responsibility programmes in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong. 

Leon has also held senior management positions with national charities where he first encountered issues around mental health crises. He remains actively involved within the wider charity world and sight loss charities in particular.

Born in 1960s Toxteth, Liverpool, Leon maintains close ties with Merseyside.

 Leon is one of JourneyMEN CIC 's registered directors. 

   Certified Mental Health First Aider with MHFA England   

Liam looks after our day to day operations.

Liam worked within the logistics sector for 25 years for supermarket chains, parcel delivery services and most notably, Head of Logistics for BP Oil, Stanlow, where he led the operation out of The refinery.

Following a number of life events, Liam needed to take some time off work suffering with anxiety and low mood, early signs of a decline in his mental health.

He says: “whilst My recovery has been hard, JourneyMEN have enabled me to see a future of positive outcomes. As part of the team, my next journey with JourneyMEN Wirral, will be a privilege and an honour".

Click HERE to read his story

 Dave founded JourneyMEN which launched on 7 April 2020. 

Dave runs JourneyMEN's event programme.

Born in Wilmslow Cheshire, Dave was a Firefighter with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service for 32 years. During that time he was stationed throughout Wirral including Upton, Heswall, Wallasey and the very busy Birkenhead operation. It was as a frontline firefighter that Dave experienced the importance of looking after mental health.

“I learnt back then that it is crucial to openly talk about serious issues. On my Watch I would make sure we all sat around the mess table and talked after we returned from the more devastating scenes we were called to.”

Dave’s compassion is legendary amongst colleagues who witnessed him resuscitating a dog after he found it trapped unconscious during one call out.

Upon his retirement from the fire service until last year, Dave volunteered as a Police Community Volunteer (PCV) and regularly patrolled with Phil Roberts on a range of tasks including road safety, anti-social behaviour and mental health issues. 

Dave also volunteers as a narrowboat skipper with YMCA Wirral where he takes out groups with different needs on Cheshire's canals. Dave brings his narrowboat skills to JourneyMEN both in leading its own narrowboat excursions as well as supporting the off site counseling that takes place aboard a specially designed narrowboat.

 Dave is one of JourneyMEN CIC 's registered directors. 

Peter is a Counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. (BACP) 

Wirral born and bred, much of Pete’s career has been spent in the voluntary/charitable sector. He has held substantial management posts in the fields of homelessness, serious offending, corporate management and mental health, and holds a university level qualification in managing not for profit organisations.

Additionally, Pete is a qualified counsellor, using both person centred and psychodynamic strategies and interventions, and has worked with many diverse and complex individuals from street homeless individuals, perpetrators and victims of crime, to professional people in both the public and private sectors. Pete is an active and practicing member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. (BACP), and adheres to their Ethical Framework

His philosophy is that everyone encounters up’s and down’s in life; all of us experience trauma or vicarious trauma, and that all of us have a right to be treated with dignity and respect whatever our circumstances. He recognises that every counselling client is on their own journey as they navigate their way throughout life, and that our physical and mental health is inextricably linked. 

Any of us can suffer some form of mental health deterioration at any time, whether triggered by current circumstances, or historic and painful events re-surfacing, that can threaten our very existence, and perhaps impact on others around us. He also recognises that mental health issues are a significant issue within the criminal justice system. His working experiences have also included working with sectioning’s, suicide ideation, self harm and addictions.

He says “I strive for innovative practice, and believe that giving someone time to talk, and make sense of their life in a calm and welcoming environment, can assist them to see themselves, their life, and their future does have meaning, and validation. Being a man is more than simply about being “macho “ ;Men often bottle things up, choosing to internalise their individual demons, without realising help, and support is available for them ; this is where Journeymen have a significant and unique role to play in Wirral society.” 

Additionally, Pete is well travelled, and understands the value of cultural diversity within society; he has twice spent time living with a local family in Nairobi, Kenya.

   Certified Mental Health First Aider with MHFA England   

Joyce is our Stake Holder Manager and Drug & Alcohol worker with 20 years’ worth of experience behind her, having developed a  background working for substance misuse services on the Wirral.  

She is a degree-qualified substance misuse practitioner and qualified life coach. 

Joy has always recognised the lack of mental health support services for men on the Wirral and hopes that her volunteering with the JourneyMen will help to readdress that disparity.

Joy’s work experience ranges from residential rehabilitation supporting residents through their drug/alcohol detoxes with psychosocial interventions to assisting residents to move towards their chosen independent lives.  

Joy was employed by the flagship NHS Wirral Drug and Alcohol Service as a substance misuse practitioner for twelve years providing recovery orientated substance misuse treatment to clients and support for their families. 

The Wirral Drug and Alcohol Service enabled Joy to link into the various Wirral services including homeless hostels, criminal justice services, GP shared care services, aftercare services and other various treatment provision to support clients. 

   Certified Mental Health First Aider with MHFA England   

Harry is our press officer who represents JourneyMEN to the regional print, broadcast and online media. He also manages the website and social media pages. He is our contact for all media enquires. 

Before working for JourneyMEN, Harry studied an honorary degree in Journalism at Liverpool John Moores University. During his studies, he did work placements in both Journalism and PR, with the Liverpool Echo and with Briggs Automotive Company, a bespoke sports car manufacturer based in Speke, Liverpool. 

He graduated with a 1st class degree and is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council.  

Email: harry@journeymencic.com

Twitter:  @harryleahey1