Friends set up page to 'keep in touch' about mental health
Keep in touch has been set up by Jude Parnell, Connor Amos, Ross Bamber and Billy Wenn to encourage people to reach out and talk about mental health. - Credit: jacoblund/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Keep in touch
A group of four friends are urging people to keep in touch through a new support page aimed at encouraging others to talk about their mental health.
Ross Bamber, Billy Wenn, Jude Parnell and Connor Amos, all from Norwich, became friends through working at a mental health recovery home in the city and at the end of January set up Keep in Touch.
The friends all want to use their knowledge and personal experiences to help others, particularly other men.
Since setting up the page, they have already received 1,000 likes as they try to reach out to people through daily motivational posts.
Jude Parnell, 27, alongside his friends have set up Keep in Touch. - Credit: Keep in Touch
Mr Parnell, 27, said: "Lockdown hit my mental health hard as I need to be busy.
"If I did not have these boys to keep in touch with, hand on heart I do not know where I would be.
"I use stuff like the gym as a bit of a release for my own mental health, I take out my frustration. With lockdown, you're not able to.
"I am a stereotypical type of manly man, I won't speak up about my mental health. We want to get through this stereotype and break it and say it's okay not to be okay, it's okay to speak up."
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Those wishing to talk can message the page, which is monitored by the friends, who will treat the conversation in complete confidence.
Ross Bamber, 25, alongside his friends have set up Keep in Touch. - Credit: Keep in Touch
Mr Bamber, who came up with the idea, said if the page could help one person it would have achieved its objective.
The 25-year-old said: "Mental health is a huge growing issue I hold close to my heart and want to help anyone who needs ‘someone to be there’.
"If we can stop one person from doing something, that's an incredible difference to make."
Connor Amos, 24, alongside his friends have set up Keep in Touch. - Credit: Keep in Touch
Mr Amos, said he had seen friends suffer in silence, adding: "There is always someone to speak to and reach out to and we as a group want to be those people to help and fill that space of loneliness some people are suffering with."
Billy Wenn, 21, alongside his friends have set up Keep in Touch. - Credit: Keep in Touch
Mr Wenn, 21, said he hopes in future the page will be able to fundraise for mental health charities.
The page can be found at Facebook.com/KeepinTouch111
