Ian Hurst is a highly skilled and creative communicator. Having spent many years in a corporate industry across various roles such as Business Development, Training Manager and Global Relationship Leader, Ian has built a wealth of knowledge and expertise which lends itself effectively and confidently to being and Associate Trainer with Mind Matters.
‘Following 17 years in corporate insurance, in a world that I never really was able to bring my ‘whole self’ to and after facing my own mental illness I took the MHFA course and to say it changed my life is an understatement!’
‘I was so driven by the content and motivated to make a change to others opinions and knowledge around mental illness, that I trained to become an MHFA instructor and left my corporate job. I have never looked back’
Having the opportunity to train individuals in a relaxed and engaging environment and feeling the energy and desire that radiates from them is such a rewarding experience.
Feedback from my sessions always reaffirms why I do this and my life is richer as a result. MHFA is a great course that everyone deserves the opportunity to attend.
Ian founded my own business in 2018, an organisation that aims to create a global community where people can achieve the strength and confidence they need to communicate openly.
Ian is qualified to deliver:
- Adult 2 day MHFA
- Adult 2 day Online MHFA
- 1 Day MHFA
- Half Day MHFA
- Awareness MHFA
Alongside this Ian specialises in Suicide Prevention & Intervention and is a qualified Instructor for National Centre for Suicide Prevention Education & Training CIC and is registered with National Suicide Prevention Association.
How have you taken care of your own mental health and wellbeing since the start of the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic it has never been more important to practice the skills and support that I train others in. Taking the time to apply daily skills and techniques such as the ‘Stress Container’ and working through my anxiety triggers has enabled me to stay grounded when times have got tough. Understanding what is forming that ‘big black cloud’ as I like to call it, really helps when breaking it down and analysing it.
I have ensured that I maintain a routine and have taken the time away from face to face training to build my non profit organisation, ensuring we continue to provide a platform where others can be helped and encouraged to talk openly about their own mental health, either positive or poor.
This focus has really allowed for growth and engagement with so many wonderful people who in turn through their sharing and engagement have been able to help me. The key will now be to continue this level once I am back to regular training, however the foundations I have laid should make this very achievable.
I have also been able to remain focused on my mental health through the filming of a mental health awareness series which will be aired soon and contributing a to a book and app which are to be released soon, as you can see, keeping busy is what keeps my mental health balanced and in check.
Away from work the biggest positive for my mental health is the engagement and quality time with my two amazing daughters and wife. Using this time has been great for reconnecting and being there for each other. We started to collect rocks and paint them for the walkers past our house, this soon grew and people would leave us rocks with requests, we featured in local press and in the end raised over £250 for the girls school.
Covid has the ability to remove our 5 simple ways to Wellbeing, however realigning and thinking ‘outside’ the box can allow us to seek the positives and new ways of achieving these: Connect, be active, Keep learning, help others and take notice.
Whilst Covid has allowed me to realign and reconnect, I am now ready to get back out doing what I do best – training!
How do you want to change the world?
Everything I do is for the generation of my children and their children, this for me is about allowing adults to recognise what mental health really is and it not being the same as mental illness. Educating adults will allow them to not suppress the thoughts and feelings of children, but instead to nurture them and encourage conversation.
If we want to make a real difference we must let the future generations grow up in a world where discrimination and stigma towards mental illnesses doesn’t exist.
It’s really short and simple for me, I don’t want to change the world, I simply want to educate so that what we are naturally born with, innocence and openness doesn’t get suppressed. We all have in us the ability to be open about our mental health.