The V•Inspired Podcast

This is the story of how volunteering saved John Sennett's life. As a teenager he faced bullying, his sister's stroke and his Mum's breast cancer scare. He locked himself in his room and cut himself off from the world. But then he started volunteering and his world changed. Four years later John has volunteered for 100s of organisations across the UK and helped to break several world records. He runs the world's top volunteering blog 'John's Road to Volunteering' and provides advice, talks and daily inspiration for those wanting to give back. I asked John about his mental health battle. Inspired by our conversation, he gave a talk and wrote about it in his blog. Little did I know - that after 12 years, he hadn't revealed the despair he felt as a suicidal teenager until this moment. This is his untold story, that is, until now. Credits: The podcast was made by Jan Flisek-Boyle on behalf of Vinspired. Thanks to John Sennett for such a passionate and inspired interview. Visit his blog at https://johnsroadtovolunteering.com Intro/Outro theme: VVYCH - In Drunk York 1st tune: Podington Bear - Sad Cyclops 2nd tune: Gillicuddy - Springish 3rd tune: Broke for Free - As Colorful as Ever 4th tune: Fleslit - Love in the Sky Sound Effects via Freesound.org courtesy of: ifartinurgeneraldirection - Space Orobornosnz - Cricket-Sport EducationMusicale - pub-loop-3eme Everythingsounds - Cave-Drips Kiddpark - cash register Kangaroovindaloo - Medium-wind Cityrocker - jfk-space-race-speech Kwahmah-02 - london-underground-mind-the-gap Baby Talk - Soundbible.com

1 in 10 children have a mental health problem. This only gets worse when we get older. 1 in 4 of us experiences mental health issues in our lifetime. More needs to be done to tackle the UK's mental health crisis. So we spoke to Deborah Mansell about one of the biggest issues affecting young people today. She gives her advice on how to deal with anxiety, verbal abuse and exam stress. It worked for her, and now her head is a healthier and happier place to be. Watch our 10 tips to 'improve your mental health' on You Tube for more advice. Or visit https://vinspired.com/blog/how-i-improved-my-mental-health for Daniel Twist's story. Subscribe to Vinspired on You Tube, and on Soundcloud, for more advice on how to deal with the major issues affecting young people today. Music thanks to VVYCH.

‘It doesn’t have to be time consuming. Even providing 5 minutes to listen to someone who is clearly struggling. That makes such a difference in their life.’ Nicole believes the world would be a kinder place if we all volunteered. It changed her life, and it could do the same for you. It improved her confidence, made her appreciate life, and meant she could pursue her passions. She’s run workshops for year 7s, made films about truancy and the environment and now writes about how we can create a happier world. Discover why Nicole believes young people receive bad press and how they can make their voice heard. Are you sick of the way the world is? Then give your time to change it. There’s 1000s of ways to support a cause you’re passionate about on vinspired.com. Read Nicole’s article ‘Let’s make 2017 the year of positivity’ on the V•Inspired blog. https://vinspired.com/blog/lets-make-2017-the-year-of-positivity Soundtrack - 'Energy' by Bensound

Jess was unemployed for two years after leaving University. Her confidence was low, and it didn't help that she couldn't find support for her Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia. So she decided to do something about it. By creating a support group for people with Dyspraxia she's created a community and transformed lives. Now people like her can receive workshops for anything from Finance to Yoga. Jess's story shows that anyone can make the world a better place with a bit of time and a lot of heart. Find a volunteering opportunity near you on Vinspired.com to make a difference to your community. Jess's project was supported with funding by V•Inspired Cashpoint, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit Dyspraxic.me.uk Backing track - 'I'm what you'd be without her long version' by Doctor Turtle Theme tune - 'Energy' by Bensound

We interviewed our young trustee Nat Hawley for Trustee Week. Nat talks passionately about how getting involved in volunteering and social action changed his life. He wonders what the world look like if everyone volunteered, how volunteering is kindness and the effect it can have on your self and your community. He finishes by talking about his experience as a young trustee for V•Inspired and says that anyone can do it. Your voice as a young person is valued, the opportunity is there, will you take it?