Who am I?
Hi, my name is Callum Glanville, and I am 16 years old from Chigwell, Essex. I have always been the child who filmed videos, whether that was on a camera or on my mums old Samsung phone, I just loved recording everything. I started making YouTube videos at just 7 years old, doing football skills outside. It was tragic really, but looking back, I remember how happy I was if a video hit 10 views.
I am now an owner of an event which is set to be one of the biggest things on YouTube this year. It’s crazy how times have changed.
The thought of being able to relive certain moments through a video has always fascinated me, hence why, still to this day I try to capture as many moments as possible. I also think that is incredible that in 20+ years time or whenever I have my own children, I can sit them down and show them my childhood through a screen.
But what is it I really do on a day-to-day basis online?
Over the last few years, I have taken a big interest in trying to support people with their mental health. I really feel that mental health isn’t spoken about enough, as many people think that they are weak if they are open about their problems. Although I am 16, I have been through enough to understand what it feels like to be at your lowest. In September 2020, my Dad suddenly passed away due to a heart attack. He was my role model and my best friend, so losing him really affected me mentally. In some way, I think losing my Dad has motivated me to make videos online regarding mental health. I look back to how I was back when I lost him, I lost myself and fell into a dark place. However, I told myself that I was going to make my Dad proud and help others who are feeling the way I felt back then.
Of course, I still have my days where I am down, however being able to help others with my platform really puts a smile on my face. I love making a difference, whether that is to 5 people or a million! On TikTok, I currently have 36,000 followers, where I give advice to those who need it. I have learnt a lot from making these videos, and the true extent of how many people that are struggling, especially during the current UK lockdown.
Statistics show that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England. According to the World Health Organisation, close to 800,000 people die to suicide every year. That is one person every 40 seconds. Whilst you have been reading this, around 4 people would have taken their own life according to the statistic shown in the previous line. For someone like myself who has fought battles with my mental health, I really try to support others who feel like they want to give up. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how hard life will get.
School was always a struggle, I left with only 3 GCSEs. However, less than a year after leaving, I am working harder than ever to chase after my dreams. I always knew that making content online was what I wanted to do. As a kid, I would get home from school and watch YouTube for hours. I was so inspired by what these creators were doing, and I knew that I wanted to be like them when I was older. A few years later, which brings us to now and I am the owner of one of the biggest YouTube events set to happen in 2021. Some of the creators that I watched when I was younger are now part of an event that I started. My dreams are slowly coming true, and I know with hard work I can get there one day. My event is called Clash of Creators. It is a football tournament set to happen in April, with 4 teams battling it out to win the trophy. A few creators that will be participating are Wroetoshaw, Morgz, ImAlexx, Jaackmate and many more.
I hope this event shows people that even if you do struggle with mental health like myself, there is always a way to achieve your dreams. That is why we are using Clash of Creators to raise money for MIND.
Already, Clash of Creators has raised over £3000 for MIND and I know that this event will raise much more as the months go on. Personally, I have also raised £800 for MIND. On Christmas Day, I did a 24-hour live stream where I provided fun content to those who needed it through this difficult battle of Coronavirus. I did many challenges to entertain people, some included wax strips and makeup!
I hope you enjoyed this article. Please remember that you are never alone and that there are many people out there to support you. 2021 is going to a better year and we will all get through this together.