Tom Grennan Advocates for Mental Health Awareness Through Walking and Conversation

Tom Grennan, the 29-year-old Bedford-born singer and songwriter, includes mental health awareness in his advocacy. He speaks to the importance of open communication and physical activity in improving our mental health and wellbeing. During a recent visit to his hometown, Grennan engaged in open discussions with friends about mental health issues, highlighting the importance of connection and support.

Grennan’s advocacy is intensely personal. His original experience with depression came from an unprovoked attack in his university years that resulted in the breaking of his jaw and time spent in the hospital. This traumatic experience ignited Nate’s path toward mental health awareness, making him more willing to open up about what he was going through to friends. “Our feelings, about what was going on and there was a lot of tears, there was a lot of laughter, those barriers were breaking down,” he reflected on the conversations.

Growing up in Bedford, Grennan had a hard time finding his emotional voice. He credited his mother with instilling the importance of expressing emotions, recalling her words: “If you’ve got emotions then let them out, because letting them out is always the best thing.” These first lessons have informed his approach today in how he wants to discuss mental health.

Grennan formed an artistic collaboration with fellow winner of the BBC’s Make a Difference Awards (MAD), Kevin Willows. Walking as medicine Together, they explored how walking is one of the most impactful forms of therapy around. Willows’ work in starting up a bereavement walking group returned to the understanding that physical movement can promote emotional healing. Grennan underlined the benefits of combining physical activity and dialogue. As Gov. He added, “A walk can save a life, and talking can save a life.”

Reflecting on his friendships during this period, Grennan was encouraged by the way these discussions have deepened their connections. “I think as friends we became closer and cut the rubbish out,” he explained. He was just thankful that he and his buddies have become the kind of adults who can talk to each other about their mental health. As adult men, we started to be able to sit down with one another and talk about what was going on. Then we can start thinking together about what mutual aid looks like.