Leah McCourt (Professional MMA fighter, No.1 ranked Bellator featherweight) and Leah McFall (Singer/songwriter, runner-up on BBC’s The Voice) have joined forces to promote a campaign from AWARE NI that seeks to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness through a clothing line called ‘COURAGE, DEAR HEART.’
The line is inspired by Northern Ireland’s treasure, C.S.Lewis in his book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,
“The darkness did not grow any less, but she began to feel a little – a very, very little-better…Courage, dear heart.“.
AWARE NI is the depression charity for Northern Ireland that works hard to support those living with mental illness and to educate our communities on how to look after their mental health. They have released a statement surrounding this campaign, saying,
“At AWARE NI, we believe that it is not the absence of mental illness that makes someone ‘strong’; instead, it takes incredible strength to live with mental illness, seek support and embark on a road to recovery. We recognise that the journey can feel slow, and the darkness you are experiencing can sometimes feel overwhelming and discouraging.
But you are not alone.
We run a network of free-to-attend peer support groups where you can meet with people on the same journey as yourself, be understood, and discuss ways to move forward. We recognise that walking through the front door of one of these groups for the first time can feel overwhelming; however, we often hear their life-changing impact on our attendees. And so, we say to you now in your darkness, ‘Courage, Dear Heart,’ and take the first step.” (To find a support group near you, visit www.aware-ni.org/lets-talk)
Having only been released in October this year, the clothing line is quickly gaining local celebrity endorsement and has been promoted on both of the Leahs’ verified social platforms. (McFall 49k followers and McCourt 118K)
It has been seen on Northern Ireland’s Olympian and world champion gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan’s Instagram, who encouraged his 80k followers to buy a product from the line to ‘support a great cause.’ of ‘bringing awareness to mental illness.’
“The highs and lows of the music industry can take a huge hit on your mental health. For me personally, I have loved ones who face mental health challenges every day. If we are being honest, there still is a belief within our society that mental illness is a weakness. I absolutely love the message behind this campaign that directly combats that belief by saying you (those facing mental health challenges) overcome in your daily lives in massive ways. You are the strongest, most courageous people we know. I want my loved ones to know I view them this way.” Explains Leah (McFall – this could get confusing!)
Leah (McCourt) said, ‘As MMA fighters, we have to prioritise our mental health. There are times during fight camps when our moods get so low, and we feel like we can’t get up, we can’t fight, we can’t cope. When I first heard the line’ Courage, Dear Heart, ‘ it really resonated with me. We have to be courageous, and we have to be kind to ourselves. Sometimes it only takes a few words to change our mindsets, and I want you to know that no matter what mental battle you are going through, you can overcome this! We need to seek support and reach out to family and friends. We need to keep talking because bottling it up can get the best of you.”
McFall urges those considering seeking mental health support to consider attending an AWARE NI support group where you would be ‘so welcome’. She says, “Tap into the strength we know and believe you to have and have Courage, Dear Heart. Take the first step. And as for the rest of us? Buy a T-shirt, jumper, tote bag– whatever you like – and stand with us in this campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. And to help us raise vital funds to keep these services free and available!”
The clothing line has been on a pop up tour visiting popular eateries around Belfast including Established coffee shop (33k followers on Instagram) and Flout pizza shop (38k followers) and is appearing at Banana Block (20k) this Sunday, 3rd December.
To shop or to look up a support group near you, visit www.aware-ni.org
*All profits support those facing mental health challenges in Northern Ireland.*
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