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Nadia Breen

Bangor mum and daughter create gym wear brand to raise funds for mental health charities

A Co Down mother and daughter have launched a not-for-profit fitness brand to encourage people to use exercise as a mental health recovery.

Jayne Quigg, along with her daughter Sarah are launching an online shop, Frequency Fitness, as six people in their local area took their own lives this summer.

The Bangor pair have both experienced people close to them suffering with mental health, and they want to make a difference.

A very close friend of Sarah's, Johnny O'Dwyer , who she met while she was travelling in Australia, took his own life last month.

Jayne's father also suffered from mental health issues her whole life and was diagnosed with 'manic depression', now known as bipolar disorder, when she was 13 years old.

Sarah, 23, told Belfast Live why they feel so passionate about the cause.

She said: "We want to stress the benefits physical exercise has on your mental health.

"The increasing suicide rates across the UK are alarming and we believe this would be part of the solution, for everyone to find a form of exercise that they enjoy and channel their negative energy though that.

"The initial money from the crowdfunder will be used to pay for the rewards and balance on our first stock order. We are very conscious about making our clothing affordable as well as high quality.

"There is a huge issue in Bangor at the moment. I know of a few people who have taken their own lives but when one of my very good friends Johnny took his own life six weeks ago, that's whenever it really hit home and we decided to run as a not-for-profit."

Sarah said the best way for everyone to help each other is to be open about mental health.

The fitness lover added: "Check on your friends and family and just have open conversations about how everyone is doing mentally. Sometimes the biggest of smiles can hide the most pain.

"No one at such a young age should have to get prepared for another friends funeral, it's devastating.

"The idea behind frequency family is to create an online community where we can help and support one another."

Jayne opened up to Be about her dad, George Howson's battle with mental health. When she was just a teenager, she already recognised that everyone felt uncomfortable talking about the problem.

George passed away seven years ago, and Jayne has shared his story as it is something that the family always discussed.

The former chef said: "He also had physical problems, including having to have open heart surgeries, but for me it was just another illness - the world didn't see it that way.

"They did everything including shock therapy but because of the tablets he had to take for his physical health problems, they found it difficult to get the right medication for his mental health and couldn't really balance that. I took an interest from then on in 1983 when I was 13.

"There has always been a stigma to it, if you talked about mental health problems people just didn't want to know, they cringed or rolled their eyes - including some of dad's friends which made him even more isolated.

"It's a chemical imbalance in your brain, it's no different to physical illnesses - it's not that people don't care but they do find it awkward. Nearly 40 years on you would like to think it has got an awful lot easier. People are trying to break through but a lot of young people seem to think it is a sign of weakness.

"Lockdown has caused a lot of problems which I certainly didn't forsee in young people, but I should have as they are so social and it was suddenly all taken away from them."

The five charities Frequency Fitness will be fundraising for are S.P.O.R.T.S. (Suicide Prevention Offering Recovery Through Sports) in Northern Ireland, YAMS in Scotland, Mind in Wales, Sport in Mind, England and The Samaritans.

To preorder, visit www.frequencyfitness.co.uk and to donate go to crowdfunder.co.uk/frequency-fitness.

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