“We’re all struggling and nobody has the answers,” Quids in! caught up with the face of the #NobodyInTheDark campaign, poet and mental health campaigner, Hussain Manawer.

Growing up in East London Hussain Manawer saw how crime and juvenile behaviour could damage people’s futures. At university, he suffered from severe depression. He later had to deal with grief after losing his mother. 

Hussain began using his voice to help others. Earlier this year he opened the FA Cup final with a poem he wrote called ‘The Sound of Support’. It was aimed at people suffering from mental health issues. He also hosted the world’s largest mental health lesson with King’s College London. 

That’s why he was chosen to be the face of the #NobodyInTheDark campaign. Hussain’s messages of support reached out to all of us who are struggling, encouraging us to find help.

Here’s what he had to say when we caught up with him: 

Q When you were growing up what was your experience with money like?

A “I never really had money, I come from a very hardworking working class family so we cherished every penny and never wasted money on things we didn’t need or could do without. I remember holding on to £1 coins like they were gold dust!”

Q Since the pandemic have you noticed people behaving differently when it comes to money? 

A “Everyone is way more cautious now, but I think we’re all struggling in some respect but it is good to see more people I know becoming entrepreneurs.”

Q What do you hope people take away from the messages you provided for the tower blocks?

A “That we are all in the same boat, nobody has the answers and we are all feeling pain and confusion and that is the facts!”

Q If you could give one piece of advice to people who are struggling with their mental health right now what would it be?

A “Education. Education. Education. It’s the best thing we can give each other!”

Help is out there

Quids in!, and our colleagues at Clean Slate Training Employment, are working with community partners around the country, delivering over the phone and online money guidance. We have Quids In Centres in London, Bath, Bristol and Gloucestershire but partners work in Liverpool, Birmingham, Hartlepool, and Newcastle and the North East. Our support workers can walk you through a money health-check to help you stretch and grow your budget. 

To find out if we or our partners are working in your area, visit cleanslateltd.co.uk/contact