In September 2017 I run to the Electric Picnic for charity as part of their Tour de Picnic fundraiser campaign
I went on my own, much to the amusement of my friends and the bemusement of my family, but I wanted a few days to think things through and work on a plan that was forming in my head.
While getting on the bus that would drop us in the middle of nowhere to run through forests and fields, I met a friend of mine that was heading one of the charities:
"What are you up to? I haven't seen you in ages...", Sarah asked me.
"I am working on an idea for website to help teenagers struggling with their mental health. I hope to do some work with Bressie at some point in the future."
I hadn't met Bressie and didn't know much about what he was doing other that I had seen him at a couple of talks and I thought he was an ideal person to have on board to reach teenagers.
The next day I visited the MindField tents to attend a number of talks, after enjoy some extravaganza at the Jerry Fish's Electric Sideshow tent, and Bressie and Paula McLoughlin were on stage to talk about mental health and A lust for Life...
An "Irish mental health charity based in Ireland that uses content, campaigns and events to facilitate young people to be effective guardians of their own mind - and to be the leaders that drive our society towards a better future".
So my idea of the website was already there and was run by people that knew a lot more about it than I did.
I went back to the drawing board in my head and in between Lewis Capaldi and the Divine Comedy gigs, the idea of the Social Fabric Podcast was formed.
I have since interviewed Paula McLoughlin and Ciara Walsh of A lust for life, as well as Malie Coyne and Fiona Brennan, both regular contributors to the website and their programme.
Jerry Fish and I have been trying to meet to record but Covid 19 has kept us apart so far.
Tomorrow I am doing a live conversation on Instagram with Bressie, as part of World Mental Health Day, to discuss the importance of connections, conversations and the tribe for mental heath.
We'll talk about our MindfulWest Run and its people.
The long and winding road,
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
(The Beatles)
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