Growing from strength to strength by bringing people together with shared visions of making a difference in opening up difficult conversations around taboos and stigmas, the Let’s Talk Better (LTB) themed event ‘The Last Taboo’, on 21st September 2023, couldn’t have gone any better.
There are so many unspoken or feared topics which we seldom talk about, and that needs to change. LTB Founders Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale chose to have this event focus on two taboo topics: Financial Distress, something that is affecting far too many people right now in the UK due to the cost-of-living crisis, and Suicide which has sadly been on the rise, more and more affecting young people.
Both, Zeenat and Darren were delighted with the turnout once again and the positive impact that this event made on those present. News of what we are doing is spreading far and wide beyond the Borough of Bromley. It is only the start and there is much more to come. LTB celebrates its ‘One Year Anniversary’ on 22nd February 2024. Mark your diaries – you don’t want to miss this!
Back to our latest event. Firstly, thank you to Community House for the venue and all your support. Event compere and speaker Zeenat Noorani said, “We want to say a huge thank you to all those who attended, with special thanks to Simi Ghuman and Chanice Baugh of Radfield Home Care for sponsoring the event, and the amazing speakers who shared wonderful insights, as well as heartfelt personal stories that have impacted their mental wellbeing.
“Thank you to the Mayor of Bromley Cllr Mike Botting and MP Gareth Bacon for saying a few words and sharing some of your own personal insights. LTB is grateful for your support.”
It was wonderful to have Richard Cox of Richard Cox Wealth Management speak on Financial Distress and he gave some valuable tips on financial stress, how it happens, what looks like, and how to try to prevent it.
Suicide attempt survivor Nick Wilson drove all the way from Milton Keynes and met Zeenat for the first time in person (having been the first guest on her Mindset Matters Radio Show on Channel Radio). He spoke about how listening to lived experiences of mental health, disability and suicide helped to save his life and how he now helps people to share their own stories.
Neil Peters, Suicide Prevention Consultant, shared key information about identifying people with suicidal thoughts; how to offer support, listening tips, and what to say and do.
Two touching videos were specially recorded for and shared at the event. One by Mike McCarthy, co-founder of the Baton of Hope suicide prevention campaign, who told us about the loss of his son, Ross.
The other was by Steve Phillip, fellow co-founder the Baton of Hope, and his own cause, The Jordan Legacy, spoke about losing his son Jordan to suicide.
Zeenat spoke for the very first time in public about a part of her life where she fell pregnant and she almost took her own life. She reflected subsequently, “Vulnerability, though, and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they are never a weakness.”
We welcomed back singer-songwriter Oliver Anderson, who sang two beautiful and profound songs about toxic relationships, ‘Burning Leaves’ and ‘Surrender’.
It was an eventful day of emotions: highs, lows, moments of connection and moments of honest conversations, bringing a sense of relief to many. The day entailed some interactive activities, The Tree of Expression where attendees reflected on their thoughts and feelings, writing them on cut-out paper leaves to attach to the tree of that name. Inspired by Shauna Darling Robertson poetry for young people’s mental health, we all took part in contributing lines of verse to create a LTB cohort poem that will become our signature poem.
The Let’s Talk Better campaign aims to contribute towards creating a world without Taboos and Stigmas, where conversations are open on all topics. Join us on the 22nd of February 2024 for Let’s Talk Better’s One Year Anniversary, where light will be shed on how better conversations contribute to the hopes and successes of people’s lives.
Zeenat Noorani, 3 October 2023
Let's Talk Better 