Freelance trainer.
Full-time dad.
Based in Scotland. Delivering mental health training, facilitation and suicide intervention skills across Scotland, England and beyond since 2017.
The long road
to this room.
I started coaching Parkour in Glasgow in 2008. That led to youth work. Youth work led to See Me, Scotland's national programme to end mental health stigma, where my team won Team of the Year at the YouthLink Scotland Awards. That led to mental health training. The route was not obvious at the time. Looking back, it was direct.
I am a freelance mental health trainer, facilitator and full-time dad based in Scotland. I specialise in delivering Scotland's Mental Health First Aid, ASIST and MHFA England. I care about suicide prevention, challenging mental health stigma, and making sure the training I deliver actually changes something.
I work best in rooms filled with curiosity, openness and a willingness to engage. My clients range from third sector teams and local authorities to universities, community groups and international organisations.
In 2023 I became a parent and went freelance at the same time, which was either brave or chaotic depending on who you ask. The two decisions are inseparable. Being present for my family is the thing I organise everything else around, which is why I drive early, take the ferry when I need to, and say no to things that don't fit.
I have a music degree and I still play guitar. Music has been part of my life for longer than any of the work I'm known for, and it stays close. There's something about standing in a room and holding people's attention through uncertainty that feels familiar whether you're playing or facilitating.
I live surrounded by sea and mountains in rural Scotland, and getting out on the paddleboard after a course is one of the things I look forward to most. The training room asks a lot of me and I'm holding a lot of other people's stuff. The water gives me somewhere quiet to put it down.
How I got
here.
Fifteen years of work that looks unconventional until you see the thread running through it. Movement, youth work, arts, mental health. Every step shaped who I am in the room today.
Founded one of the first professional parkour coaching outfits in Scotland. Schools, youth organisations, festivals and community projects.
Co-created a parkour and physical theatre programme with the National Theatre of Scotland and British Council for young men in Kingston's most volatile communities.
A move into youth and community development that continued at the Prince's Trust across Glasgow, Ayrshire and Argyll & Bute.
YouthLink Scotland Awards. My team at See Me, Scotland's national programme to end mental health stigma, won Team of the Year.
Led the expansion of Parkour UK from 3 staff to 9 and raised £1.5m to fund a five-year national strategy for the sport.
Began delivering SMHFA, ASIST and MHFA England full time as a freelancer alongside full-time parenting. 504 people trained by year three.
Licensed to
deliver.
Licensed by the Scottish Recovery Network and supported by Public Health Scotland. Accredited to deliver SMHFA and SMHFA for Young People.
Accredited by LivingWorks to deliver Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. Global licence covering Scotland, England and international delivery.
Licensed MHFA England Instructor Member. One of a small number of trainers accredited to deliver both SMHFA and MHFA England.
The full
picture.
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YouthLink Scotland Awards: Team of the Year 2020See Me
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Scotland's Mental Health First Aid: Certified TrainerScottish Recovery Network / Public Health Scotland
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ASIST Trainer: Accredited by LivingWorksGlobal licence
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MHFA England Instructor MemberMental Health First Aid England
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SCQF Level 9: Leading in Youth Work
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SCQF Level 6: PDA in Youth Work
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Level 3 Award in Education and Training
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QCF Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Parkour/Freerunning
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MA Joint Honours: Music and Arts and Media Informatics (2:1)
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Full PVG Checks & Insurance
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Member of the Parkour Professionals Register
Also trained
in.
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Scotland's Mental Health First Aid for Young People
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Duke of Edinburgh: Introduction to DofE
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Young Enterprise Scotland: Centre Lead
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CEOP: Internet Safety for Young People
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LGBT Youth Scotland: Supporting LGBT Young People
Organisations I
have worked with.
Want to work
together?
Public courses, in-house training, or something bespoke. Get in touch and we can talk through what you need.