Hi my name is Alfie,
Just as a Peacock shows its beauty when its feathers are spread and voice heard, so we show our beauty when we live in a state of expression. Hence, the name and reminder, Be More Peacock!
Bringing joy to people’s lives is something that I strive to bring in all areas of my life, predominantly because I know the struggle when this is lacking.
Exploring ways in which to alleviate the challenges of those whom live with addiction, mood & neurological disorders is why I formed Be more Peacock CIC.
No one should go to the ground with the song still inside them. And neither should you!
The causes I strive to focus on can be summed up in the following areas;
- Mitigating the effects of trauma
- Helping people to live fulfilled lives and
- Support/rehabilitate the most vulnerable members of society.
I firmly believe by creating cultures that nurture wellness, we can mitigate the ills we see in society, whilst simultaneously improve quality of life.
How I got here?
I’ve never considered my challenges including epilepsy as a stumbling block, nor have I or do I consider myself to be a victim.
Many of the workshops and training I provide and or promote has its roots in desiring to mitigate and counteract the impact of trauma as well as poor choices that have not just impacted my life but also those I’ve hurt by my behaviours.
Growing up, I viewed myself as damaged and the people, places and situations put me in company with many who thought the same. Yet what I saw which I had not seen in myself were those who were talented, capable and most worthy. Interesting characters who like myself were and are largely misunderstood. I use the word were, because sadly some of those are no longer with us.
Since my release from custody in late 2014 (Assaulting police officers), I have been 10 + years sober (including drugs). I’ve applied myself to various jobs, even running my own cleaning business for a time whilst returning to education gaining qualifications in psychology and security.
Through these studies, I’ve been fortunate enough to derive a model that can be used to champion wellness personally and professionally.
I’ve always had an interest in wanting to use my lived experiences to help others, yet It was during Covid I had set out on course putting my pain to purpose and make a difference.
You can listen to some podcasts I had created on Spotify, entitled Not Rocket Science, under my old name Ashley Gurney. Sadly, a series of traumatic events led to a mental breakdown, which put a pause on my goals. You can read more about my health journey, Clicking my-road-to-wellness
On my road to wellness, I have been diagnosed with CPTSD. I’ve also found through testing to be indicative of several ADHD typologies. I am not sure if such findings known in years prior would have made much of a difference. That said, my experience of mental health services and research has given me an insight into why many of the conventional ‘treatments’ can be counter-intuitive. My experience has taught me the need to identify the importance in creating nurturing environments and championing wellness, and alleviate the challenges for those who suffer with mental health.
In addition to delivering training that nurture wellness, the skills and knowledge derived from my lived experience and training has been a motivation for providing specific workshops in the following areas;
Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing from you.
Alfie