Sharon Bull Speaker | Creative & Lifestyle & Women & Well-being & Mental Health

Sharon Bull

Speaker, author and poet working under the name ‘A Compassionate Voice’

Sharon’s sole purpose is to creatively help others through her own experiences with mental health issues, recovery and well-being.

For over fourteen years Sharon worked as a successful sales executive, until 2010, when her world fell apart. From leaving school she had battled with severe depression and anxiety. This ultimately triggered a shopping addiction leaving her with £50,000 debt. Approaching her mid years, Sharon lost almost everything, including her life, in a suicide attempt on 28^thApril 2011.

It was the 29^thApril 2011, when Sharon began her very tough, but determined transformational journey. Kicking out her addiction and controlling mental health issues wasn’t easy, but Sharon’s passion for helping others, her newfound love of writing and a healthier lifestyle aided her recovery.

Sharon’s inspirational story has caught the attention of the media, with features in national magazines and press, including Woman’s Own, Psychologies, Daily Mirror, Stella Telegraph and the Daily Express.

In July 2017, Sharon made her debut TV appearance, interviewed by Eammon Holmes and Ruth Langsford on ITV’S This Morning. Pre-Christmas 2017, she also spent a couple of days with a BBC production team filming for their documentary about debt and its link to mental health issues. This was aired on Monday 15th January 2018.

In August 2017, Sharon successfully self-published her self-help memoir titled Stripped Bare. Even with limited distribution and numerous constraints the book achieved great success reaching just over 500 in the UK best sellers rankings on release.

At the centre of Sharon’s talks and written work, the key message is compassion and kindness as the way to heal. It has been paramount in everything she does.

Already an accomplished school speaker, Sharon’s shares her lived-in experiences with depression, anxiety and low self-esteem in an easy and relaxed manner. Already making a positive impact, Sharon is being asked to return to schools year on year.

Testimonials from Teachers

"Sharon was invited to be a part of our British Values drop down day and didn't disappoint! Sharon was warm, funny and engaging with the students with a very powerful message to share. I'd happily invite Sharon back to Newark Academy to attend another event."

– Ali Brown, Community Engagement Co-ordinator, The Newark Family of Schools

"Sharon is an engaging, warm speaker who thoroughly captivated her audience for every minute of her hour-long presentation to Year 8 pupils and staff on anxiety, mental health and social media. Sharon’s talk was positive and upbeat and pitched at exactly the right level for her audience. Sharon shared her personal experiences, which really brought the presentation to life and importantly finished with some excellent practical advice for the pupils. It was amazing and uplifting to hear a hall full of 150 Year 8 pupils and staff shouting out ‘Don’t let anyone say you can’t, because you can!’ We very much look forward to working with Sharon again in the future."

– Tanya Waldron, Deputy Headteacher, Spalding High School

"Sharon's poem particularly resonated with the Year group with over 90% of the students, openly expressing similar sentiments felt over time. What followed was a very honest and yet subtle message about life not all being as it seems and how perceptions play such a huge downfall in our society. Through Sharon’s warm and engaging delivery, students listened attentively. They left the session feeling empowered to make positive choices about how they take care of their mental health and how important it is to give someone their hand in times of difficulty."

– Suman Sharma, Head of Year 11, Belper High School

"Many thanks go to Sharon for an inspirational and moving session at our Annual General Meeting; a combination of music, poetry, visual art and audience participation that engaged our members and guests throughout. It was a life story with a serious message, but one that struck a chord with all who were present. We all came away uplifted and energised, with some messages of hope and recovery. Great stuff and well worth inviting her back again!"

– Phil Binding, Mental Health Action Group, Derby

"Her performance was amazing. It was based on poetry that she had written about her life and her mental health problems and her recovery journey. She made us laugh, she inspired us, the whole experience was very heart-warming. She was very clear and explained quite complex psychological issues in a really simple, down to earth way. I would recommend her to anyone who wants to fully engage an audience in the often thorny subject of mental health and recovering from mental health"

– Caron Kirkham, Changing Minds Coordinator and Enjoying Derby Project Manager at Derbyshire Mind

"Sharon Bull is a regular speaker at our Derby Women's Centre Coffee Mornings. She is always very well organised and prepared. Her bubbly personality and warm manner is contagious, putting the service users instantly at ease. Sharon has the ability to communicate and form an effective rapport in both a one to one and group conversation.Sharon treats service users, volunteers and staff with respect and raises everyone’s confidence and self-esteem by sending them away with a huge smile on their faces, as she promises to do at the beginning of her talk. Sharon has everyone singing and dancing. Always an excellent, invigorating and enjoyable morning. Thank you!"

– Elaine, Service Coordinator at Derby Women’s Centre