TISUK’s Ambassadors
We are delighted to work with our team of TISUK Ambassadors. With a shared vision, for change and improvement in mental health support they are all an inspiration for the groundbreaking work they are doing.
Dr Mine Conkbayir
An award-winning author, lecturer, trainer and researcher, Dr Mine Conkbayir has worked in early childhood education and care, for 25 years. Mine is passionate about bridging the knowledge gap between neuroscience and early years. She designed the first-ever NCFE Neuroscience in Early Years qualifications and award-winning accompanying textbooks as part of this endeavour and her latest award-winning book, Early Childhood and Neuroscience: Theory, Research and Implications for Practice, is now in its second edition.
She is the winner of the Nursery Management Today Top 5 Most Inspirational People in Childcare Award. She is the founder of the two times award-winning online training programme, Self-regulation in Early Years. She is the designer of the two times award-winning free self-regulation app, the Keep Your Cool Toolbox and has contributed to the non-statutory guidance for the EYFS, Birth to Five Matters, on the subject of self-regulation.
Trained in trauma-informed approaches, Mine regularly delivers training on behalf of local authorities and fostering organisations, as well as various early years providers in achieving trauma-informed care. Mine is a frequent main stage speaker and has spoken at the Ofsted Big Conversation events, as well as hosting three sold-out Funzing lectures and Q&A on the subject of adverse childhood experiences and the long-term impact of trauma. Her debut therapeutic children’s resources are now available.
“The work of Trauma-Informed Schools UK continues to demonstrate that prioritising children’s mental health in schools is not only achievable via meaningfully adopting trauma-informed principles, but that it works.
TISUK shows us that prioritising mental health is not wishy-washy wellbeing mumbo jumbo – schools, families and communities reap the benefits of practice that is more relational and inclusive; practice which leaves everyone feeling safe, seen, soothed and secure. It is a privilege and an honour to be an ambassador of the trail-blazing TISUK.” Dr Mine Conkbayir
Jonny Benjamin
Jonny Benjamin MBE is an award winning mental health campaigner, author, filmmaker and public speaker. He speaks publically about living with mental illness, and has given various interviews on TV, radio and print around the world to help educate and break the stigma. He has also produced and presented documentaries on BBC Three and Channel 4 about mental health.
He has written 3 books. His most recent paperback, the Book of Hope, was published in 2023.
In 2018 Jonny co-founded the youth mental health charity, Beyond. Each year they hold an annual wellbeing festival for schools and colleges, as well as giving grants to provide mental health support for young people across the UK .
Jonny's passion for youth mental wellbeing is born out of his own lived experience. He first began seeing a psychologist himself at the age of 5. Jonny believes that there is simply not enough help for young people struggling with their mental health, as well as famillies and educators, and that the situation has been rapidly deteriorating instead of improving. His vision is for a total revolution in mental health, which includes a shift towards focussing on both prevention and early intervention instead of mostly 'crises'.
Humphrey Berney
Pastor Mick Flemming
Pastor Mick has a remarkable life story- of being raped on the way to school at age 11, never crying again for decades, moving into a world of crime, violence, and drug dealing, having a breakdown, going to university when he could barely read or write, getting help, ending up with a good degree and then becoming ordained. He then had a life choice: ‘Do I go to work in a church somewhere, giving the sermon every Sunday, or do I sit outside McDonalds with a suitcase and talk to people sitting there too?’ He chose the latter and has never looked back.
His enterprise, the Church on the Street, offers refuge for anyone struggling with life. Since 2019, it has served thousands of people and brought trauma recovery to many. He recognises importance of having the courage to deeply connect to those in abject emotional pain - a great many in his community are actively suicidal -and letting their pain touch you.
“Investing in communities, bottom up, will save millions of pounds and thousands of lives, bringing very isolated people back into family, by being alongside them.”
