Test Inspect Group is proud to sponsor the networking lunch at Ken Johnson and BECBC's International Men's Day event, on Thursday 19 November 2026 at Hunday Manor Country House, Workington.
The morning is run by Ken Johnson with the Organisational Performance Group of Britain's Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC). It brings people from across West Cumbria together to talk about men's wellbeing and to inspire positive change. It is not a men-only event: everyone is welcome.
Register through BECBC · Add it to your calendar · Get directions
When and where
- Date: Thursday 19 November 2026, International Men's Day
- Venue: Hunday Manor Country House, Winscales, Workington CA14 4JF
- Doors: 8:30am for networking and refreshments, with the event starting at 9:00am prompt
- Finish: close at 12:30pm, followed by a networking lunch until 1:30pm
The speakers
Claire Mclean, CEO of Realise HR: "A Woman's View". Claire shares personal stories about the men who have shaped her life and career, and the lessons she has learned from them. After more than two decades supporting thousands of men through work and life challenges, she talks about advocacy, empathy, and letting people define success, fulfilment and happiness in ways that are right for them.
Gary McKee MBE. Gary has lived in Cleator Moor all his life, has been a team leader at Sellafield for over 20 years, and has raised more than £2 million for charity. His talk covers his and his family's fundraising over the last 20 years, why it is always too early to quit, how movement is medicine, and why difficult doesn't mean impossible.
Andy Steele: "Jumping into the fire: a journey to and through PTSD". A former paratrooper and firefighter, Andy is now a therapist, author and speaker.
Mike Laird. Mike is a speaker, risk management professional and adventurer. He was a participant in the BBC's Castaway 2000, spending 13 months in the Outer Hebrides, and has since led expeditions across the globe, including solo journeys across Australia and Siberia and to the Magnetic North Pole. He speaks twice: on how a childhood diagnosis motivated him to do more and see more, with lessons on resilience from diving accidents and mishaps in the High Arctic, and on his journey across Lake Baikal.
The running order
- 8:30 to 9:00: networking and refreshments
- 9:00 to 9:10: introduction
- 9:10 to 9:35: Claire Mclean, "A Woman's View"
- 9:35 to 10:10: Gary McKee MBE
- 10:10 to 10:30: networking break
- 10:30 to 11:20: Andy Steele, "Jumping into the fire: a journey to and through PTSD"
- 11:20 to 11:50: Mike Laird, "A childhood diagnosis and how that motivated me to do more and see more"
- 11:50 to 12:20: Mike Laird, Lake Baikal
- 12:20 to 12:30: close
- 12:30 to 1:30: networking lunch, sponsored by Test Inspect
Why we're backing it
A lot of the people who do our work are men who are used to getting on with it: early starts, long drives, nights away from home, safety-critical jobs on nuclear, fabrication and engineering sites. Being good at getting on with it is not the same as being OK. Mornings like this one give people the space to listen, to talk, and to look out for each other, on site and off it.
The theme of International Men's Day UK is "Supporting Men and Boys", and Test Inspect Group is one of the organisations supporting the day this year. Thank you to Ken, to BECBC, and to our fellow sponsor A2R.
If you need to talk
You do not have to deal with it alone:
- Samaritans: call 116 123, free, any time, day or night
- Shout: text SHOUT to 85258, free, 24/7
- CALM: 0800 58 58 58, 5pm to midnight, every day
- Andy's Man Club: free peer support groups for men, every Monday at 7pm
Places are booked through BECBC: register on the BECBC events page. If you run a community group or event in Cumbria, Durham or Hampshire and think we could help, get in touch, and see what else we support on our community page.
