Ben Lyon
It is my pleasure to be the founder and director of Resilient minds education. RME was started with the idea to improve early recognition of warnings signs of mental health issues in our emergency services and their families through national accredited courses and build awareness of mental health conditions.
During my 11 years as a Royal Marine Commando, I witnessed colleagues struggle with mental health issues without getting the help they needed during times of crisis. If these individuals’ signs and symptoms had been spotted earlier, they could have received help and advice a lot sooner and started the pathway to recovery before reaching crisis.
My own experiences of feeling let down at work motivated me to advocate for change. I ran for the role of College of Paramedics Military and Overseas Representative to try and improve the recognition and treatment of paramedics within the military in a time where paramedics were not fully recognised by all 3 services. I was successfully elected in May 2023 and will serve until May 2025. A passion for teaching led me to gain a PgCert in Clinical Education, helping us to further aid our aim in empowering our community with the tools and knowledge to help others in times of need.
Through my own passion of the outdoors, I have seen how getting into the wilderness can have a positive impact on people’s mental health and help change their perspective on personal situations. While working with World Extreme Medicine I have witnessed how 4 days of being in the outdoors with like minded people having positive conversations can reduce stress, anxiety and even reverse the early stages of burnout.
That’s why RME is committed to being a force for positive change, we will achieve this by using the profits from our educational courses to fund alternative therapies for blue light/emergency service personal and their families. These include but won’t be limited to green and blue therapy, indoor climbing and even weekends away to make the most time off work.
Dan Grace
We are in the midst of a mental health pandemic. In the UK, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year. As an NHS GP, I see this daily, yet as a society, we still struggle to talk about and prioritise our mental wellbeing. The stigma that surrounds mental health continues to hold many back from seeking help when they need it most.
Throughout my career, I’ve supported people pushing themselves to the limits—trekking across vast deserts, navigating frozen expanses in the Canadian Arctic, and taking part in youth development expeditions. I’ve seen firsthand how the outdoors can transform lives: offering space, perspective, and the conditions for recovery. I’ve watched adventurers, athletes and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds grow in confidence, discover purpose, and find a renewed sense of self.
These experiences have shown me that looking after our mental health isn’t optional—it’s essential. That’s why I’ve joined Resilient Minds Education: to help foster a more open, practical, and compassionate conversation around mental health. My goal is to equip individuals and teams with the tools, language, and confidence they need to prioritise wellbeing—both in themselves and in those around them.