Jason Robinson

“Jason Robinson OBE, the first black man to captain the England team and 2003 England Rugby World Cup winner, gave a powerful speech on his experiences as a black male and the importance of diversity and inclusion in all areas of life. He touched on the topic of social mobility, and the fact that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background. Jason himself is a great example of someone who has achieved success through hard work and determination, despite facing significant challenges along the way. I was particularly moved by the stories he told of his upbringing, and inspired by how he uses his own experience to empower others. Overall, the evening was inspiring, informative, and thought-provoking. I feel incredibly grateful to have been a part of such an important conversation.”

“The event was really great, it has been our most engaged with D&I event so far. We had 100 colleagues in person and over 440 online. Jason’ talk went down extremely well and seemed to really resonate with our colleagues here. I’ve had colleagues go out of their way to come up to the team and thank us for putting it on. I’d like to thank him again for such an open and honest talk about mental health, and how that intersects with many different aspects of his life.”

“It was such a good evening, Jason was amazing and we have had some really good feedback form people who attended. Jason arrived early so we were able to get to know him a little more ahead of the event and he kindly posed for photos with us.”

“Thanks to Jason for his keynote speech yesterday!  He was amazing, such an inspirational speaker, who took the whole audience on a journey.  He really set the tone and intention for our event and drove home the message about how we can all support young people to be their best!”

“Jason went down an absolute storm, and his talk was so inspiring. We got so many amazing comments for him in the chat that I wanted to share them all, but I can’t copy them across (there are about 100!):

‘WOW – so inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing your story. Too many people don’t feel they can speak up about their mental health, concerns, or mental load. Consistently raising awareness pushes this forward and helps people get the support and focus they really need. No one ever needs to feel they are on their own.’

‘Thank you, Jason! I spent hours and hours after school side-stepping between cones pretending to be you. I’m sure that was replicated across the country and the world by millions. I hope you recognise how many people you have inspired!’

‘I’m Scottish and have no interest in rugby (sorry), but that didn’t stop me attending – and I’m glad I did. Eye-opening and inspirational.’

‘So inspiring, thank you. I’m going to buy your autobiography to give to my son-in-law, who is also a rugby player. Thank you so much for sharing your life story with us.’

‘So inspirational, thank you for sharing. I don’t think it’s about resilience; we use this word so much and people think they have to be resilient. You have shown strength, empathy, and motivation, and continually develop and look after yourself – and in doing so have looked after others. I know nothing about rugby, but it’s clear you know a lot about people. You put being the best kind of person, and the best version of yourself, first. We need you in schools.’

‘Coming from a Romanian background with four big brothers and a dad who never “believed” in mental illness, it’s so inspiring to see people like Jason be open and honest about what they’ve been through, no matter their background.’

‘Massive respect for opening up about your mental health and self-harm. It’s really influential when prominent men, especially those in “typically” masculine roles, do so. Opening up really can open people’s eyes to what they themselves may experience yet struggle to articulate or name. It also shows that mental health conditions show no discrimination in who they can impact – and the more we open up, the more others may do so around us.’

‘I used to watch you at Central Park for many years – inspirational rugby player! And thank you for being an ambassador for Joining Jack (AJ’s cousin).’”