Keith Leslie, Chair at Samaritans in UK & Ireland, delivered a Catholic Union pub talk on Monday. Chaired by Catherine Pepinster, journalist, the event was packed to the rafters and Keith was incredibly generous with him time and expertise.
Keith discussed the value of listening and how the overriding tendency to problem solve, and inability to tolerate silence, often cut out listening which is so valuable. The talk also focused on prevalence and diagnosis and how defining mental ill health really matters. The rise in depression and anxiety was unpicked with Keith warning that society could not treat its way out of this situation. Keith suggested the importance of family, having a purpose in life, and the sense of belonging offered by organised religion, as potentially supportive of good mental health.
The talk coincided with Pope Leo’s prayer intention for the month of October for mental health ministry, asking the Church to establish and strengthen ministries that overcome stigma and support people with mental illnesses.
The Catholic Union has held a series of pub talks, a very informative way to hear from politicians and policy makers about various issues in a relaxed setting. Recent talks have featured Catherine McKinnell MP, Sir Iain Duncan-Smith MP, Jon Cruddas, the late Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, Alex Macqueen, Lord Glasman, Andrew Hawkins, Stephen Pound, Andy Keen-Downs CBE, Kate Nightingale, Sojan Joseph MP, Margaret and Barry Mizen MBE, John Studzinski CBE and Christopher Lamb. The Catholic Union is grateful to the Charlotte Marshall Trust for its sponsorship of this series of pub talks.
Keith has devoted extensive time to the voluntary sector over the years. In addition to his Samaritans role, which he stands down from at the end of the year, he is also a trustee of St Martins-in-the-Fields Charity and was Chair of the Board at the Mental Health Foundation, Build Africa and Mental Health At Work. He also served as a non-executive director of The Tablet Publishing Company Ltd, as a fellow at Windsor Leadership and a member of Council at St Paul’s Cathedral. He has served 5 years as speaker and mentor at OnBoard, preparing young people from minority ethnic backgrounds for trustee roles. Keith’s book ‘A Question Of Leadership: leading organisational change in times of crisis’ was published by Bloomsbury in 2021.
The Catholic Union’s next pub talk will be on 30 November and in the meantime there will be two webinars, one focusing on loneliness and the other on AI. Members of the Catholic Union are invited to the AGM on 3 November.
