Meet the Mancunian - Talking supporting mental health in the youth with Angeli Sweeney

MtM-6.7-Angeli Sweeney-transcript

Intro

Hello, and a warm Mancunian welcome to all my incredible listeners out there. I'm Deepa Thomas Sutcliffe, your friendly host. And you've just tuned in to the sixth season of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, where I share remarkable social impact stories from the heart of Manchester every Tuesday throughout the season.

This podcast is a celebration of the unsung heroes, the change makers, and the passionate souls who are making a real difference in our vibrant city. From social enterprises to non-profits and community groups, I bring you the voices of worker bees and volunteers, all coming together for a common cause.

Through heartfelt conversations, my guests share their experiences, dreams, and unwavering commitment to making a difference. From the challenges they've overcome to the triumphs that fuel their passion, their stories will leave you moved, enlightened, and brimming with hope. Join me on this audio adventure as my guests and I explore the transformative power of collective action and the remarkable impact we can create when we unite for a common cause.

Their tales are a testament to the power of community, collaboration, and the indomitable Mancunian spirit. They not only address pressing issues right here in Manchester, but also offer insight and inspiration that resonate far beyond these boundaries. So, whether you're commuting, on a run, or just relaxing at home, I invite you to tune in on Apple, Spotify, Google, or any of your favourite podcasting platforms. You can also log on to my website www.meetthemancunian.co.uk. Let's embark on this journey of discovery and inspiration.

For my new listeners, you can catch up on the incredible stories from the first five seasons at www.meetthemancunian.co.uk where you'll also find out more about my own journey as a podcaster. And to all my returning listeners, I can't thank you enough for your support. You make this podcast possible and I'm immensely grateful.

So, join me as I continue to share these inspiring tales of change and community support from the beating heart of Manchester. Together we can spread a bit of good news, spark meaningful conversations, and inspire positive action. Thank you for being a part of the Meet the Mancunian community.

Welcome to the seventh episode of Season Six of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, social impact stories from Manchester.

Passionate about supporting mental health in the youth, we hear from Angeli Sweeney, Senior Mental Health Practitioner and Youth Worker, 42nd Street Charity in this episode.

Episode 6.7

[00:03:04] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I'm delighted to introduce my guest, Angeli Sweeney, Senior Mental Health Practitioner and Youth Worker, 42nd Street Charity. Thank you so much, Angeli for joining me today.

[00:03:16] Angeli Sweeney: Hello, thank you. Thank you for allowing me on this podcast. I'm excited to talk through my passions.

[00:03:23] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Absolutely. Looking forward to hearing all about that. Tell us first about how you started your passion for supporting the youth.

[00:03:29] Angeli Sweeney: To be perfectly honest, I think I started when I was a young person myself. Attending youth clubs working with other youth workers and attending youth sessions with my peers. And basically, seeing what support that they were getting.

And I guess seeing the way that my dad, who did community work, the way he supported young people in the community. I guess that's when the passion started recognising that I could positively impact young people's lives. And then, it was pretty much after I'd graduated from a completely different degree to youth work, and I came back to Manchester and did some voluntary work and, decided that youth work was for me.

[00:04:09] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much for sharing that. And that's so interesting that your father was in this space. You experienced the impact of youth work yourself and then you did some volunteer work. It's a great way to have those lived experiences that you could bring to your role.

And that brings us well to how you got involved with the 42nd Street Charity. What does it do? And tell us about what you do within the space?

[00:04:34] Angeli Sweeney: I'll start off with what 42nd Street does. 42nd Street is a children and young people's mental health and emotional wellbeing charity. 42nd Street has been around for 43 years in January of this year. They started off quite small as a street- based youth work project and have grown over the years into an amazing charity.

I think the largest in Greater Manchester, serving thousands of young people a year. And offering things like counselling, psychosocial education, group work, therapeutic work, creative work, a lot of stuff around social justice, youth voice, advocacy, and essentially trying to help young people to break down the barriers that they may face when it comes to improving their own mental health and emotional well-being, essentially. So that's what 42nd Street do.

And what I do there, I started working there in 2021 and it was essentially a combination of everything that was happening in the world at the time. And me deciding that I wanted to do more heart-based work.

The job that I was doing at the time, it was great. And I got a lot of experience and a lot of satisfaction from that job. But I also realised I want to give a bit more. And essentially, I wanted to get into some type of therapy work, using my skills as a professional youth worker because I was convinced that it changed and it saved lives.

I'd always followed the work of 42nd Street. I'd been to different trainings and had referred young people there myself, and then I happened to have a conversation with one of the senior managers there. And she told me that, she felt that there was a job coming up soon that would be perfect for me. And then, when that job came up, I looked, I saw it, I applied and I've been there ever since.

[00:06:23] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much for sharing that. And it's amazing that 42nd Street has been going for 43 years, you said, which is a very long time. That's really amazing.

Tell us about why it's called 42nd Street.

[00:06:36] Angeli Sweeney: From my understanding, last year we had our 42 is 42 celebrations, so it was a few months of different activities, celebrations, symposiums, events that celebrated 42nd Street's 42nd birthday. Now my understanding is that 42nd, or the number 42, is taken from the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

It was a favourite book, I believe, of one of the founders of 42nd Street. And within the book it talks about 42 being the answer to everything. And I think that's why the name was chosen, and it's clearly stuck and that's it. Don't quote me on that. People would have to probably do a bit of a Google deep dive search for that. But that's my understanding.

[00:07:18] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That is a lovely story. I really like that. And I remember reading Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy sometime ago. And it was, definitely, they had 42 as the answer to everything.

[00:07:32] Angeli Sweeney: Very interesting. There you go.

[00:07:35] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That's a great story. Even if it's true or not, it's still a great story, isn't it?

[00:07:39] Angeli Sweeney: It certainly is.

[00:07:40] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: This brings us very well to; you've talked about 43 years. I'm sure there's a lot of lessons and challenges that have been overcome. Can you share some of them that you've had to navigate? Perhaps in the context of the last two years, you have been with them?

[00:07:56] Angeli Sweeney: The challenges that I have personally faced whilst working at 42nd Street have been more around the sheer numbers of young people who are needing intervention, clinical intervention, and some type of therapeutic intervention or modality-based intervention from practitioners, clinicians, counsellors, youth workers, etc.

And just the fact that there's not enough provision out there, that the services are woefully lacking, and that our young people, in Greater Manchester are really underserved. For me, has been the main challenge since I've got there. It was a challenge that I experienced when I was in my previous roles as a youth worker.

Essentially, it's just the challenge of young people not being seen or not being afforded the opportunities, the interventions all of those things that that they should be getting. The mental health system as it stands in Greater Manchester is woefully underfunded.

We have waiting lists of nearly two years or more. Our waiting list is growing every single day and then clearly the impact of the lockdown and then COVID, not only on the physical but the mental and emotional well-being of young people has definitely been stark and we're still dealing with that today.

[00:09:12] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Yes, and of course yesterday was Suicide Prevention day.

[00:09:16] Angeli Sweeney: It certainly was.

[00:09:16] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: And there were some statistics that one of my guests shared from Season 5 about the number of young people who are taking their own lives or are close to the risk of suicide.

[00:09:28] Angeli Sweeney: We deal with a lot of young people in crisis. Essentially, it is a service where young people come when they are in crisis and that's exactly it, where they feel that it's gotten to the point where, they've got nowhere else to turn. I'm not saying that other organisations or charities out there don't do an amazing job but I just believe that we need a 42nd Street in every single city, every single ward, there's just not enough of us to go around because there's that many young people in crisis.

[00:09:58] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Yes. What is the impact that has been made so far?

[00:10:02] Angeli Sweeney: I do know that over the past year we've worked with over 6, 000 young people. I know that we've offered hundreds, if not thousands, of one-to-one sessions to young people, that we've offered hundreds of group sessions so I lead in a lot of the group work and the social action work at present.

We have 15 different groups at 42nd Street, and when I started, we had about nine. So, I've really been busy over the past two years creating as many different identity based groups as possible. I guess that would be the impact. It's listening to the young people and ensuring that the groups and the services that we create are youth led.

That is. It's really voluntary in in terms of the groups that they attend and using the professional values and principles and practices of youth work, community work, group work to ensure that they are as high impact, high value as possible for the young people who attend.

[00:10:58] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you for sharing that. And that is an amazing impact.

How can interested people reach out to you and learn more? Where can they find your website and where can they find your social media?

[00:11:08] Angeli Sweeney: Amazing. They can just go into the internet and type in www.42ndstreet.org.uk. From there, you can find out all of the work that we do. There's loads of tabs on there for young people to go into, for professionals, for parents, and then there's also our social media. So like Instagram, Facebook LinkedIn, all of those places and you can get all that information on the website.

If not, then just jump on Instagram and you can find us on Instagram at 42nd Street and it should come up.

[00:11:43] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much for sharing that, and I will include it in the show notes so that anybody listening to the episode can also easily link to all the wonderful resources I'm sure you have there.

What advice do you have for people looking to start a similar movement in their local community? You just talked about 42nd Street being in every corner.

[00:12:04] Angeli Sweeney: I know. I'm thinking, definitely. To start a similar movement, I just think you need one person or a group of like-minded people who have the commitment and the passion and the know-how and the expertise to do this. And expertise doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have university qualifications or be clinically trained per se, but it's about being able to create a platform or a hub.

Most importantly, a place of safety where young people can go, and they don't even have to talk. They can just go and be seen, heard, and acknowledged in their own agency. And then from there, it's about reaching out to the existing structures that are there to see how this work can be funded and embedded into everyday life.

For me, like I said, it needs to be in every city, every ward in Greater Manchester. And essentially, it needs to be a core service that's funded by our local authority, by the government and some real economic fiscal support, ring fenced for it to make it happen.

[00:13:05] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you for sharing that and that's really good advice and I hope that can happen and many people get inspired by your podcast interview.

An opportunity now for you to talk about anything I haven't asked you about.

[00:13:19] Angeli Sweeney: I guess the month of September at 42nd Street is very much a get back to normal kind of month because we've had the summer, it's been super busy, and we've been doing loads of different things with the young people. So, September is probably going to be a quiet month for us, but I do know we're doing some stuff for Black History Month we've just got finished doing some amazing work with Pride that was at the end of August.

But for Black History Month, we have on the 19th of October, we have our Open Mic event, which will be at the Horsfall, which is our exhibition and creative space, because we believe that creativity is a human right, so we definitely champion that for young people. And then on the 21st, we will be working with an amazing organisation, Melanin Markets to create a Black Market Day where we'll have some vendors linking in with the theme of saluting our sisters the theme for Black History Month, and hashtag We Matter. Those are the things we're going to be doing for October.

I guess leading up to Christmas we're going to be doing some great work around ensuring that any of our young people who may not have anywhere to go on Christmas, can come along and attend a Christmas day meal and we'll be pulling together some volunteers from our staff team and our young people to make that happen.

[00:14:35] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you for sharing that, both your plans for Black History Month as well as your plans for Christmas and giving people a nice environment to come to when they might be feeling isolated and alone.

[00:14:48] Angeli Sweeney: That's exactly it, yes.

[00:14:49] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Before I go to the signature questions, I ask all my guests, is there any message you want to share with my listeners for Black History Month? You talked about saluting our sisters being the overall theme. But for anybody who's listening, whether they be from the community or overall allies, what's your message for them?

[00:15:09] Angeli Sweeney: I guess my message is to remember that we are human first, and that black and white is indeed a construct, and that racism is a construct, and that the more that we can call it out, challenge it, and then seek to dismantle it in a healthy way the sooner we can get to a place of parity and equity for all.

Particularly when it comes to black women. Being one myself, definitely. I guess that's the message, and that we're probably going to see a lot of movement when it comes to race relations and civil rights over the next few months and years because now is the time for this oppressive system to be dismantled and to just stop.

We're going to start decolonialising our minds and our hearts and our spirits and indeed our lives. So that's something that I'm looking forward to seeing and being part of that change.

[00:16:03] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I like how you started with, we're all basically human at the end. And everybody should have the opportunities and the support so that they can thrive. Absolutely, thank you for sharing that.

I'll now ask you the signature questions I ask all my guests. And my first question for you is, could you describe the Mancunian spirit in a word or a phrase?

[00:16:24] Angeli Sweeney: Mancunian spirit in a word or a phrase would be belting. I don't know where that came from, but yes, I've got a really good friend and she uses that word all the time and, belting when something's good, when something's amazing if I was to use a word. But in terms of a phrase, I'd say the Mancunian spirit is cheerful and indomitable and always rainy.

[00:16:48] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I like that very much. And especially this bringing in Manc speak with belting. That's a nice one. But also, like you said, cheerful, indomitable. And did you say the third was raining?

[00:17:00] Angeli Sweeney: Always. Yes

[00:17:01] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: it has been a rainy day after all the sunshine, hasn't it? We did have some sunshine.

[00:17:06] Angeli Sweeney: We lost it now.

[00:17:07] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Can you share a Mancunian who inspires you and why?

[00:17:11] Angeli Sweeney: To be perfectly honest, it’s going to be my dad. If he wasn't my dad, he'd still inspire me. Because the work that he has done and that he continues to do is just mind blowing. How he's contributed to the city, how he's contributed to black history education which he does a lot of and tracing your roots and genealogy and Caribbean history.

And again, just putting Black people on the map and helping the community to understand their history and their place in the world, their impact, and their massive contributions. That, for me, is priceless.

[00:17:44] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Shout out to your dad. Do you want to name him as well, Angeli?

[00:17:48] Angeli Sweeney: Sorry, Linford Sweeney.

[00:17:49] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Lovely. Big shout out to him today.

[00:17:52] Angeli Sweeney: Thank you.

[00:17:53] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?

[00:17:56] Angeli Sweeney: I'd say for me, the most important life lesson is to be authentic. I always say to the young people that I work with be as authentic as you can be.

And remember that you can only be you, can't be anybody else. That's literally it, you cannot be anybody else, you can only be yourself. So, you may as well get used to the body that you're in, and be 100 percent unapologetic and authentic.

[00:18:23] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Love that very much, and I also believe that because I think it keeps things simple as well. You don't have to remember what's your fake face that you were showing in a particular place or social media or something like that.

[00:18:36] Angeli Sweeney: That's it. And I know it's easier said than done. I think as young people develop, they start to recognise their identities and, what they do and what they don't like.

And I definitely think Mancunian young people have their own specific identity, which is a beautiful thing to see.

[00:18:51] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Yes, if you could have one superpower, what would it be?

[00:18:56] Angeli Sweeney: My superpower would probably be teleportation, just so I can, just so I can travel the globe. Go to every single country, visit a country a day. I don't know. That will probably be it.

[00:19:08] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That's a great one, and I think it's very popular. Teleportation. The most popular is flying, and then this is the second most popular. Amazing. I love the idea of visiting every country in the world. That would be quite great.

To end the podcast, is there a funny or a heart-warming story you'd like to share with listeners, something from your work or something from Manchester?

[00:19:29] Angeli Sweeney: Oh, I was actually speaking to a colleague, I think on Friday, and I was telling her I'd taken out a group of young people a few days before for some food and some bowling. And we were sat having some food.

One of the young people, we just started talking about age for some reason, and then one of the young people were like, Oh, I thought you were this age, I thought you were 30 odd, or etc. I thought you might be 20. And I was like, I can take that, thank you, I appreciate that. I've never really been one to get upset about people asking me my age.

And then, this young person sat next to me said, So how old are you? So when I told her, she just stopped and she looked me in my face and she said, okay, you've used it well. And that was it.

[00:20:11] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Cheeky, but nice.

[00:20:13] Angeli Sweeney: She said, you've used it well, and I don't normally give people compliments, but I'm going to give you one, so you're lucky. I was like, thank you very much, and just turned back to eating my food. I was floored.

[00:20:24] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That's a great one to end on. Thank you so much. It's been a real pleasure to talk to you today. Thank you so much for sharing all the amazing work you do.

[00:20:33] Angeli Sweeney: Thank you so much. Thank you, Deepa.

Outro

Angeli, I really enjoyed learning about supporting the youth today.

Dear listener, thank you so much for listening to the 7th episode of the Meet the Mancunian Podcast Season 6. Tune in every Tuesday for a new episode or log on to www.meetthemancunian.co.uk to listen to all the episodes and learn more about my podcasting story.

Next week on Tuesday, 24th October 2023, I speak to Jane Wells about supporting employability for the youth.

Thank you for joining me on this enriching journey through the social impact stories of Manchester with the sixth season of the Meet the Mancunian podcast. I hope the stories you heard today have sparked a fire of inspiration within you. May they serve as a gentle reminder that no dream is too big and no passion too small.

Your feedback means the world to me. Visit www.meetthemancunian.co.uk to share your thoughts, suggestions and the causes that touched your heart. Your input helps me craft a podcast that truly touches hearts and makes a difference in our community.

Stay connected with the podcast on social media. You can find us @MeettheMancunian. on Instagram, on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @MancunianPod. Sharing and leaving a comment would be a fantastic way to spread the word and build a vibrant community of changemakers.

Before I sign off, remember to introduce this podcast to your friends and family, so together we can amplify the impact and reach of these incredible stories. Once again, thank you so much for being a part of the Meet the Mancunian family. Your support fuels my passion and I can't wait to bring you more compelling stories that will touch your heart and fuel your soul.

Until we meet again in the next episode, let's keep creating waves of change together. Remember, the world needs more Mancunian spirit. So go out there and be the change you wish to see.

Take care. Stay inspired.