‘In my world, the word inspirational gets bandied around a lot, but Jonny Benjamin is truly deserving of that adjective.’ – HRH The Duke of Cambridge
In 2008, twenty-year-old Jonny Benjamin stood on Waterloo Bridge, about to jump. Diagnosed a month earlier with schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Jonny had run away from hospital and into the dark, frozen morning, determined to end his life.
A stranger, Neil Laybourn, saw his distress and stopped to talk with him. The decision not only saved Jonny’s life, but marked the beginning of an extraordinary friendship — and a new start for Jonny as one of the UK’s most influential and eminent activists in the mental health space. His YouTube videos and BBC and Channel 4 documentaries have been watched by millions. His advocacy and charity work has helped to transform mental health care in schools and young families. And his memoir The Stranger on the Bridge has been widely celebrated as remarkable testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
The second in a series of collaborations between How To Academy and Head Talks, a digital platform dubbed the ‘TED Talks of the mind’, this free livestreamed conversation between Jonny and Head Talks founder Oliver Chittenden will explore lessons for coping with anxiety in this turbulent and frightening time.
This talk takes place at 6:30pm British Summer Time.
ABOUT THE SERIES:
Wellbeing in a Time of Crisis is a series of free, livestreamed digital events held jointly by How To Academy and Head Talks.
As the global coronavirus pandemic continues and social isolation becomes the new norm for millions across the globe, we are partnering to address the urgent need for high quality, accessible and free advice on preserving good mental health and wellbeing through the spring and summer of 2020.
Head Talks is a digital platform that aims to open up the conversation about wellbeing & mental health. Head Talks aims to help smash the stigma surrounding mental ill-health, to focus our attention on the prevention of unhappiness, and promote some of the practical things we can do to maintain our mental wellbeing.
As well as providing a platform to air interviews, debates, documentaries, speeches and podcasts, Head Talks has a rich set of resources, including a free weekly newsletter, that can support your mental health and wellbeing.
In partnership with Head Talks we are also giving you access now to a free online family isolation course to support your mental and physical health during this difficult period. You can access it here. You can also donate to Head Talks here.
About Our Digital Programme:
In response to the global pandemic, How To Academy is curating a not-for-profit programme of live-streamed talks and conversations bringing you advice, insight and entertainment. Tickets are offered on a Pay What You Can basis, including a Free option for those who cannot afford more at this difficult time. Thank you for your help sustaining How To Academy through the crisis — and for enabling us to share new thinking from across the globe at a time when it has never been more important.
Books will be shipped within two weeks of the event (hopefully sooner). Please note that due to the challenges of distribution during the global pandemic, some books may be delayed. If we experience any delay in getting your copy to you, we will contact you by email to let you know. Thank you for supporting a local London business, Primrose Hill Books.
