Andrew Caress

Educator/Teacher

I am a mental health trainer and campaigner based in the Ogmore Valley, Bridgend. I live with borderline personality disorder and work to raise awareness about this condition. My background is as a youth and community worker, and I have also worked in outdoor education and as a chaperone in professional theatre productions in the UK and abroad. I obtained a PGDip in Youth and Community Work in 2007 followed by a PGCE in Secondary History in 2011. After moving to Wales in 2014, and working as a mental health trainer in schools, colleges and universities across the UK, in 2021 I obtained my MA in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. In my spare time, I enjoy canicross with my three dogs Ernie, Monty and Humphrey. Running with them, I have completed two ultra marathons, two marathons and numerous shorter distances.

Mental health awareness, community engagement and connectivity, and promoting children’s freedom to have a voice in decisions about their lives.

Having just organised my second TEDx event, my idea worth spreading is that it is so important to give a voice and a platform to those who would not otherwise have this. There are so many incredible people doing amazing things in unassuming ways, and they deserve to be celebrated. The self-promoters who are all style and no substance are having far less effect on the world than those people who are cracking on with making a difference

Community work, Education, Mental health, Suicide postvention

In 2016 one of my colleagues Dick Moore shared his deeply personal and powerful TEDx talk “Dancing or drowning in the rain” and I started watching more TED and TEDx talks. In 2018 I was accepted to give a talk at TEDxBrayfordPool on the topic of suicide postvention. I really enjoyed the experience, and was determined to bring TEDx to my own community, an ex-mining village in the South Wales valleys. In January 2020 I hosted the first event titled “20:20 Vision” which was an amazing experience with a fantastic range of speakers. The feedback was positive and I learnt a lot from the experience, and I was keen to run another event. Unfortunately COVID-19 led to a number of delays, but in 2023 I found a sponsor, identified a venue within the village, and after recruiting and working with nine wonderful speakers, in November 2023 I hosted “The Heart of the Community”