Fatboy Slim supports new initiative in Littlehampton to combat 'mental health crisis'

Sons of Anxiety’s clothing brand will launch during a party at the The Beach café in Littlehampton on September 1.

The Littlehampton-based group has been founded by a collective of friends ‘who have all experienced mental health’. The group is being led by founders Jonathan Barber, 51, and Gavin McCoy, 42.

The group is also known for bringing Andy’s Man Club – a talking group and suicide-prevention charity – to the West Sussex town.

One of the pioneers, James Stafford, 41, – who lost his best friend to suicide – said: “This is a separate initiative which doesn't particularly deal with one thing or another – just common mental health conditions.

“Certainly in the UK, lockdown was hard and we are facing a mental health crisis.

"One in four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind in England.

"One in six people report experiencing a common mental health condition like anxiety or depression.

"The idea of this is to raise visibility of that and to forge a sense of togetherness by wearing T-shirts that we've produced.”

James said the first designs all reference activities that improve our mental health, like boxing, meditation and yoga.

"That was picked up by Fatboy Slim,” James said. “The support we received off that was huge.

“Within a matter of weeks, we've got one of the biggest DJs in the world wearing our stuff.

"Fatboy Slim was our first customer who is very active with Sussex mental health and other celebrities are endorsing the message wearing our shirts, with some really big names planned.

"We are picking up traction, with a website set up to provide a platform to share individual stories. The podcast will be set up soon.

"We will have a wealth of resources all linked to improving mental health.”

James said the launch party is open to anyone, adding: “The idea is to build a tribe of people at the moment.

"All our profits go to community initiatives. The launch is in support of Safe in Sussex – a domestic violence awareness charity, based over in Brighton.

"We are choosing local charities to work with over the course of the year and profits from the T-shirts support that.

"We encourage people to come along, from 7pm until 9pm on the top deck of the café."

James said he hopes the scheme can ‘make a massive difference’, adding: “Our purpose is to build a sense of community between people who want to own their mental health issues, as this affects an awful lot of people nationally.

"Whilst it's high on the national agenda at the moment, there aren't really any kind of practical means for clinical help.

"Everybody involved has experienced mental health themselves. We are coming at it from a very personal angle.”

The group can be found on Instagram: @sonsofanxietyuk and Facebook.

Have you read?: Angmering Amble: Free 5k for all around Angmering supports MenWalkTalk

A27 collision: Five taken to hospital after serious incident near Arundel

Dan Walker's one word sums up public opinion after raw sewage is pumped into Sussex seas

For the latest breaking news where you live in Sussex, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.