Beacon of hope – Newport man who lost it all set to inspire Birmingham crowd

A man who turned his life around after losing everything following a diagnosis with two life-limiting diseases will share his secrets to overcoming adversity at an inspirational talk in Birmingham next week.

Clive Branson, 54, suffered a mental breakdown after being diagnosed with both motor neurone disease and prostate cancer.

The father-of-four from Newport, will share his experience during a special event at Millennium Point in Birmingham, on July 8.

Clive, who will be looking to provide hope to others during the event, will also be raising funds for the Frank Bruno Foundation – a charity which provides a programme of support for young and older people suffering from mental health issues.

He said: “I was diagnosed with both motor neurone disease (MND) and prostate cancer in the space of five years. This all came at the same time as suffering from grief after my father and mother passed away.

“The culmination of this was a mental breakdown which resulted in me being admitted to a psychiatric ward for ten weeks. My mental health was rock-bottom.

“It impacted not just on me but my family and friends. I lost my career, income, confidence and my identity in the process.

“Thankfully, I’m in a much better place now and I’m not only determined to live my life to the full, but I also want to use my story to help others overcome adversity.

“My experience shows we are all capable of adopting a positive mindset and building resilience, no matter how tough things get.”

Clive’s talk will be delivered in the auditorium at Millennium Point and will cover key issues such as overcoming adversity, effective communication, adopting a positive mindset and building resilience and those interested in attending can purchase tickets here.

It’s not the first inspirational talk to be delivered by the former Ministry of Defence worker. In fact, Clive now travels the length and breadth of the country to deliver presentations on his own journey to recovery and act as an inspirational mental health advocate.

He was a key speaker at Car Fest – the UK’s biggest family fundraising festival in 2022 and 2023; he works in a voluntary capacity with prisons up and down the country and has partnered with some of the biggest UK firms as well as global institutions.

“I’m really looking forward to this event in Birmingham and I hope as many people as possible will attend so that we can raise a decent sum for the Frank Bruno Foundation which is doing tremendous work to support people with mental health issues.

“My talks are delivered with brutal honesty, I do not quote statistics and I am not learning from text books. This is my life, and the next chapter will be dealt with a smile on my face and pf I can help others along the way then that’s simply incredible.”