Meet The Team
Derrick Gidden – Chairman
Hi there! I’m Derrick Gidden, the Founder of Men’s Health & Wellbeing Group (Midlands).
With a background in International Business Consulting, I’ve ventured into championing men’s health and wellbeing, driven by my own quest for better health guidance. Recognizing the need for accurate information and support, I established this initiative to create a space where men can share knowledge and experiences to lead healthier lives.
My journey began when I encountered questionable medical advice, which spurred me to create our self-help group. As Founder, I’m dedicated to ensuring our community has access to accurate resources and support for its well-being.
Despite my professional endeavours, I’m an avid advocate for staying active and healthy, believing in the power of sports and leisure activities for overall wellbeing.
Dr Jacquie Halliday-Bell – Medical Adviser
About Me: I’m am blessed to be a medical doctor with 36 years of experience. I am a GP out of hours and a Consultant occupational Health Physician advising employers on fitness for work, work related ill health, sickness absence and ill health retirement.
Role in the Organization: As Medical Adviser, I volunteer my time and skills to support and embolden the health agenda of the group. I will support the Leadership with funding applications , source speakers who can present to the group and notify the Leadership of relevant events or programmes being run by other organisations.
I can also be available to subscribing group members for one-to- one confidential consultations – free of charge for up to twenty minutes to offer advice and signposting to that health solutions can be accessed quickly and appropriately.
Fun Fact: Jesus is Lord! – I praise him on soprano saxophone and love snorkelling in the beautiful seas I visit on holiday
Glenville Salmon – Secretary
Hi, I’m Glenville Salmon.
Up until my mid 50’s I was pain-free and very active, playing a lot of
sports regularly, recently time has caught up with me. As a consequence, I’m thinking about my health and well-being the Men’s Health and Wellbeing Group is a good place to talk and catch up with like-minded men.
Aidan Atkins – Tackle Prostate Cancer
Aidan was diagnosed with aggressive, high risk Prostate Cancer following a routine work medical in 2015 which included a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test. He was aged 53 and had no family history of Prostate Cancer. He has since had surgery, salvage radiotherapy, Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), and chemotherapy to treat the cancer.
He started attending his local Prostate Cancer Support Group in Solihull in 2015 which he now runs after the founding chairperson left the area, he also now supports the Sutton Coldfield Prostate Cancer Support Group and has started up a virtual / Zoom Group for men diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer.
He is Co-Chair of Tackle Prostate Cancer – The National Federation of Prostate Cancer Support Groups, of which there are over 90 member groups: https://tackleprostate.org
He volunteers as an Awareness Speaker for Prostate Cancer UK delivering talks to a variety of organisations spreading awareness about Prostate Problems: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/risk-and-symptoms/about-prostate-cancer/book-an-awareness-activity
He is also a Patient Advocate on the West Midlands Cancer Alliance Urology Expert Advisor Group https://wmcanceralliance.nhs.uk
In 2018 following the takeover of GKN where he was the Director of Organisational Development, he left the corporate world where he had started his life as an Engineer and completed a Masters in Coaching and Mentoring Practice completing this with a dissertation on one to one peer coaching in men with Prostate Cancer and now he, voluntarily, delivers training to men to become Buddies, or one-to-one coaches, to other men in their community who have been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.
Living now with Stage 4 cancer he is a big believer in the benefits of exercise, both physically and mentally, when living with and beyond cancer.
Michael Behan – Wellbeing Facilitator
Hi my name is Michael Behan.
I have created a programme called ‘Just a Thought’ (JAT).
I teach people HOW to think. JAT. is based on the understanding that it is not people, life or events outside of ourselves that cause us so much anxiety and unhappiness. It is our beliefs, thoughts, and feelings about life and the world with our perceptions. Our thoughts and feelings that we are creating and we can choose to change these by understanding HOW we think!
When people understand how we create our experience of life from the inside out through the beliefs we hold about ourselves and our world. Realising we can change those beliefs, we tend not to take our thinking too seriously, our minds slow down, we reconnect with the reality of life and our overall health and wellbeing improves.
I spend most of my free time deepening my knowledge on mental health & wellbeing. I am always searching for ways to let people know they are okay. Unfortunately, it is only the innocent misuse of our own thoughts that stops us seeing this. Through the the JAT Programme we can experience invaluable insights, realising the true nature of thoughts and find peace in our natural state.
GORDON GAYLE – COMMITTEE MEMBER
I’m Gordon Gayle, a Committee Member of the Men’s Health & Wellbeing Group.
For over 20 years I worked in sales and marketing as an Account Manager, covering a range of industries and products.
A routine blood test initially flagged signs of diabetes but further checks revealed my PSA levels were high. Within six months I was undergoing daily radiotherapy for a month. Thankfully I’m now in the all clear and doing well.
What truly helped me through that time was having a friend who had been through the same experience just four months earlier. Being able to talk to someone who understood made all the difference. Without that support I would have found it much more difficult. Sharing the load is so important and it’s why I’m proud to be part of this group.
BARRINGTON ROBINSON – ADMINISTRATOR
Barrington Robinson – Support Group Administrator