Kevin Rogers has spent decades asking questions in courtrooms, on panels and in national enquiries. Yet the prospect of hosting Show Me Your Thing, an event opening conversations about men’s mental health, leaves him a little daunted.
Sunny Singh, whose idea brought them together for Show Me Your Thing, understands the difficulty of beginning. He spent years keeping personal experiences to himself before discovering how many people recognised something of their own lives when he started to speak.
Together, they want to make those first conversations easier. Their starting point is something people often enjoy being asked about: what do you do when you are away from work?
For Sunny, the answer is retro gaming. For Kevin, it is music and Lego. These interests give them somewhere to direct their attention, a way to switch off and, sometimes, a connection with someone they might otherwise know only through a job title.
“This particular event is more aimed at the person behind the brand, the person behind the LinkedIn screen, the person behind the uniform,” says Sunny.
The idea took shape after Sunny noticed the contrast between the visibility of International Women’s Day and the quieter response he saw to International Men’s Day.
As group commercial director at Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, he had seen the success of its Women with Vision network, launched in 2021. He wanted to create an opportunity for men to connect too, and approached Kevin, a partner at Wilson Browne Solicitors and a past Chamber president.
Kevin’s response, Sunny recalls, was immediate: “What can I do to help?”
Sunny brought the vision. Kevin suggested giving it a name with enough humour to get people talking. Behind Show Me Your Thing was a simple observation: someone who finds it difficult to discuss their feelings may have plenty to say about an old games console, a favourite band or a carefully ordered garage.
“They will normally light up and be happy to talk, which in and of itself is enough, but it can also be a great way in,” says Kevin.
That distinction matters. A conversation about something you love has value in its own right. It can also help build the familiarity and trust that make a more difficult conversation possible.
For Sunny, retro gaming has offered enjoyment and somewhere to recharge for 20 years. It has also brought him into a community of people who share his enthusiasm. Some friendships have begun on LinkedIn, through discovering a shared passion beyond work.
He recognises the barriers to talking more personally: fear of judgement, concern about how others perceive you and the persistence of the idea that “boys don’t cry”. That last message, he says, remains embedded in many men, himself included.
His reasons for wanting to challenge that silence are personal. When explaining why the subject matters to him, Sunny mentions suicide among family members, alongside domestic abuse, gambling addiction and substance abuse.
“I have only recently started to talk more openly about these experiences and I have been blown away by the support and kind words I have received,” he says.
What struck him was the response from people he already knew. They contacted him to say thank you because they could relate to challenges he had kept bottled up for years.
Speaking had revealed connections he had not known were there.
Kevin’s own interests offer another perspective on the value of life beyond work. Music has been a constant, from choirs and bands when he was younger to more recent charity projects. He enjoys the process of working on a piece or a song, even if nobody else ever hears it.
Lego offers a different activity with a similar appeal. He likens it to a jigsaw: something absorbing to focus on while other thoughts settle in the background.
“The real truth, though, is that both are an escape. A complete switch off.”
Kevin also recognises the value of talking from his own experience. There have been situations involving people and their difficulties that he has found exhausting, and conversations that have helped him through them.
He does not believe someone needs to have experienced a crisis to care about men’s wellbeing or want to support the event.
Nevertheless, hosting it brings a different kind of responsibility from the questioning he knows professionally.
“I am a little bit daunted about this event because I am not qualified,” he says.
He hopes that admitting his uncertainty might encourage someone else who feels unsure where to begin.
“You don’t need any qualifications just to talk.”
At Show Me Your Thing, those informal starting points will form part of a wider discussion about men’s physical health, mental wellbeing and the pressures that can sit behind professional life.
Kevin will host, with contributions from Sunny, Chamber board member Richard Davies and local tailor and mental health advocate Nicholas Simon. Dr Suzanne Brown will deliver the keynote. Personal accounts and hosted table discussions will sit alongside professional insight, with local health charities and wellbeing specialists helping attendees understand the support available. Women are encouraged to attend, along with employers and colleagues.
Ahead of the event, attendees are also being encouraged to share their own interests online, extending the conversation beyond the room.
For Sunny, the message to the business community is straightforward.
“Your inner world needs care and attention just like your physical body,” he says. “Let’s celebrate that and recognise that.”
Attend Show Me Your Thing
Show Me Your Thing takes place on Thursday 19 November 2026, from 10.30am to 1pm at Hilton Northampton, 100 Watering Lane, Collingtree, Northampton, NN4 0XW.
Attendance is free, with women and non-members welcome. Find out more and book your place. Non-members should book by calling 01604 490490 or emailing events@northants-chamber.co.uk.
Discussions may include distressing subjects, including self-harm and suicide. On-site clinical support and signposting will be available. Attendees will be asked not to record or photograph on-stage interviews or group discussions.
Main Image: Sunny Singh, left, and Kevin Rogers are encouraging people to connect through their interests at Show Me Your Thing.
