Whysup

14/10/2025

Where it started…

I’m sometimes guilty of getting caught up in the rat race of work. At times, I don’t like the feeling of business - it can remind me of the constant chasing of money or the obsession I had when I was in active addiction.

Sometimes, I have to ground myself and remember why Whysup started.

That often takes me back to my one-bedroom flat in Stourbridge, where I lived from 2014 to 2017.

At the time, I was rebuilding my life after a 13-year gambling addiction. An addiction that caused me to lose everything, including myself. I’d relocated to the West Midlands because I didn’t feel ready to go back home to Bolton.

That flat was the first home I’d ever truly cared about. It’s also where I first wrote “Wise Up” on a notepad.

Back then, I was on benefits and had been volunteering at the rehab I went to - Gordon Moody for around 18 months. From that work, I knew I wanted to use my experience to help others.

That name on the notepad ended up being registered with Companies House. A few weeks later, I spoke in Parliament, and a few months after that, Wise Up delivered its first talk at Thornleigh Salesian College (my old secondary school).

It took a while to gain any traction, but 8 years on, we’ve worked with approximately 270,000 people. It’s something I’m massively proud of, and I remind myself of that whenever I get caught in the rat race.

Whenever I’m back in Stourbridge, I always make sure I walk past my first home and remember why.

I’d have snatched your hand off for where Whysup is today.

We keep going 💪🏻...and here is to the next 8 years of Whysup 💙

Mark

14/10/2025

Strength isn’t about control. It’s about ownership.

💡 40% of men feel pressure to be the main provider, but responsibility goes deeper.

Real responsibility means:
🧭 Taking ownership of your actions and decisions
✊ Standing up for what’s right, even when it’s unpopular
🛟 Providing stability and support for family, friends, and colleagues

10/10/2025

We caught up with Whysup founder Mark for World Mental Health Day 💙

Mark shares his struggles with mental health and how gambling became his way of coping with stress.

Let’s keep making mental health something we all care about - every day, not just one day a year.

10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day and is a reminder of how vital it is to prioritise and invest in good mental health.

This year’s theme is “access to services – mental health in catastrophes and emergencies,” which highlights the importance of protecting our mental health in times of global instability.

When the world feels uncertain, access to the right support can make all the difference.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you are not alone, and there are places you can go to get help (links in comments).

07/10/2025

We are delighted Whysup & The JD Foundation have been shortlisted for the ‘organisation making a difference’ award at This Is Manchester Awards.

This is for The Mental Health & Resilience programme, that delivers impactful lived experience education to students and young people across Greater Manchester. But like most programmes, the delivery is just one part. There has been lots of hard work behind the sences from both the JDF and Whysup teams to make this happen!

We can’t wait to attend the awards with The JD Foundation, who are also up for other awards for their fantastic work across the UK.

Let’s go 🚀

07/10/2025

Strength isn’t about never falling. It’s about how you rise.

💡 1 in 8 men experience a mental health problem each year. Resilience is what helps us through.

Resilience means:
🛑 Facing setbacks, failures, or pain and still moving forward
🔄 Adapting to change instead of being broken by it. Strong men bend, they don’t break.

06/10/2025

Glad to support Little Lever School mock interview day 👏🏻

We hosted our Year 11 Mock Interview Day last week, and it was a huge success! The feedback from all 19 employers who took part in interviews, was absolutely brilliant - so a huge well done Year 11! See a couple of highlights here:

"Students were well prepared, confident and a credit to themselves and the school"

"All the students I interviewed, were well mannered and knowledgeable about their future steps"

We hope students felt this opportunity was incredibly useful and you're feeling confident for any college or employer interviews you may have coming up too!

06/10/2025

Today I spent the morning at JD Sports HQ - filming a podcast on all things addiction & mental health.

I was joined by two members of the JD team - Israh Khokhar & Ben Long, who shared their battles with addiction (Israh) and mental illness (Ben).

It’s always a pleasure hearing other people’s stories, especially when they show vulnerability and open up about the battles they’ve faced.

We spoke about the challenges we’ve overcome, our rock bottoms, the help we received, and what life looks like today, ultimately, our recovery.

Although our journeys were very different, with three unique stories and three different routes to recovery, we all found a way to get the support we needed.

We discussed mental health, wellbeing, habits, addiction, asking for help, recovery, self-care, and the importance of self-awareness.

A big thank you to the team at JD for inviting me to be part of this, and to Katie Brownlow Assoc CIPD and the wider team for their support off camera.

Mark

06/10/2025

Amy Louise Leonard, 20, died, with her mum desperate to raise awareness of the dangers of laughing gas

05/10/2025

Why❓

We all ask ourselves that at some point.
But the way we frame it can change everything.

❌ “Why do I always mess things up?”
✅ “Why not try again tomorrow?”

Shift the why. Choose the one that helps you move forward.

03/10/2025