TEDCO sat down with the Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, Johnny Morton, to find out more about his expanding companies and the recent business support he has received through TEDCO and the North of Tyne Combined Authority. Having recently completed the Digital Track programme, the Director & CEO of both Blue Talking Therapies and Blue Education & Training also discussed the value of mental health training in the region.
Johnny Morton and his business partner Rebecca Meagher are Cognitive Behavioural Therapists (CBTs). They set up Blue Talking Therapies more than a decade ago to help people in the North East suffering from anxiety, depression, OCD, phobias, insomnia and eating disorders, among other issues. More recently, the pair alongside their colleague Craig Thompson launched Blue Education & Training, providing mental health training across a range of different industries – but with a particular emphasis on schools.
Johnny says,
“Mental health matters on an individual and community scale. At Blue Talking Therapies, our seven therapists provide evidence-based talking therapies for common mental health problems, while Blue Education & Training offers wider approaches to mental health for businesses, industries, and schools. We offer different levels of training, with approval from the Department of Education.
“We currently have a partnership with NTH (North Tees and Hartlepool) Solutions, which has allowed us to scale up the business and create scalable e-learning materials for schools. In the future, we aim to design and create training for different industries like veterans, police, and NHS staff.”
Despite having set up the Education & Training business through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnny and the team have achieved great success in a short period of time. And the intention is to continue to grow the organisation significantly over the coming years.
He says,
“For the past three years, we’ve done a lot of work in local schools, and now we’re focusing on this new partnership. TEDCO and the North East Business Hub helped us start the process. TEDCO also introduced us to the North East Business Awards, and last year we won New Business of the Year.”
Getting Mental Health on Digital Track
With help from TEDCO, Johnny and his team recently learned about the Digital Track programme and the opportunity to undertake a fully-funded course that incorporated marketing and leadership modules. Johnny describes the latter as a chance to “Go back to basics and refresh, relearn, rethink, and reflect.”
In particular, he says that the marketing module has helped them to better utilise internal resources and the leadership module has given him space to consider how he approaches managing other members of staff as a CEO:
“The marketing module has saved us money, giving us the skills to manage our social media ourselves rather than paying for external support. Meanwhile, the leadership module allowed me to reflect on managing different personalities. Managing relationships can be tough, so reflecting on the right skills is sure to be a huge long-term benefit.
“For us, it hasn’t just been about the learning. One of the most beneficial factors has been meeting other people. In that way, it also acts as a networking event. You attend alongside other people and other businesses, and it’s a great opportunity to form connections.”
TEDCO Business Advisor, Jeff Thompson, who introduced Johnny to the Digital Track programme, says,
“Digital Track helps business owners like Johnny boost their skills and confidence, and gain access to digital tools that can help them meet their goals and enjoy long-term success. Being able to network with other entrepreneurs has allowed Johnny to broaden his horizons even further.
“It’s great to see how the short course has benefitted him and his team, and to hear that he’ll be utilising what he’s learnt as both of his businesses continue to thrive.”
The Digital Track programme is offered exclusively to businesses based in North Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland and is funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority. The programme offers support in a number of different areas – including marketing, growth and leadership courses – delivered through a combination of in-person and online workshops.
To find out more about Digital Track, click here.
To see more from Blue Education & Training and Blue Talking Therapies, check out their website here.