BARING ALL FOR MENTAL HEALTH

A group of Cheshire women have come together to help raise funds for a local mental health charity.

The women, led by Good Morning Britain journalist and presenter Katy Rickitt, have bared their hearts, souls and everything in between to create a naked calendar in a bid to raise awareness and funds to battle anxiety.

All proceeds will go to the charity Stable Minds in Knutsford which provides a safe space for women, men and children to come and access support. It’s a charity which works tirelessly in the area but is critically low on funds.

Katy who runs Dexter and Jones bar and bottle shop in Knutsford, with husband actor and singer Adam Rickitt, said:

“It's taken us three years to create this Calendar, and that's down to me. Back in 2023 I organised a brave bunch of men to bare all for men's cancers raising £4062 for The Christie, and the plan was to follow it with the women. Except the following year I had a mental health "blip" and just couldn't face putting myself out there.”

“I’d made some changes with work and just turned 40, suddenly I felt lost and completely unsure who I was. I gained weight for no reason, had panic attacks and often just felt inexplicably low. I was terrified that people would see that I just wasn't really that interesting. I don't know if it's linked to menopause or "The Midlife Epiphany" as I now call it, but it took me some time to rediscover who I was.”

“While battling this, I was shocked to see how many others were going through similar and we began sharing our stories. Realising we were not alone was monumental, but there is still a huge stigma surrounding mental health”.

Millie Peel is the founder of Stable Minds:

“Every penny raised by this calendar will help Stable Minds support women living with anxiety or going through the menopause, giving them access to group sessions and one to one therapy that can make a huge difference to their lives. In the current climate, funding is harder than ever to secure and, with our entire management team now made up of volunteers, this support goes a long way towards keeping our doors open.”

Katy added:

‘We are incredibly lucky to have a charity like Stable Minds in our area but for those reading this who aren’t local the awareness side is just as important. Working in television and in the community, I never thought I’d be able to lay myself bare like this, but I want everyone who sees it to know that they CAN do things that take them out of their comfort zones and hopefully we can help ensure that a mental health blip is just that a “blip” and pave the road beyond.

The pictures were taken by local photographer Vickie Cummings of Free Spirit photography who heard about the plight from one of the women involved who’s wedding she was covering.

She went to Katy an offered her time entirely for free:

"It’s been a real Delight to photograph a project that combines a little mischief with such an important cause. Working with these lovely, brave ladies and seeing how much this cheeky calendar means to each of them has been a real privilege. If we can raise awareness of mental health, make a difference and put a few smiles on faces along the way, then we've captured something truly special."

The group would like to extend a huge thank you to Chris Stuart of Design Print create who has donated his skills and time to create and print the Calendars.

They will be available from 4pm Saturday 7^th November at a special launch event at Dexter and Jones or instore or online thereafter.  

Calendars can be shipped anywhere within the UK using the following link:

https://www.dexterandjones.co.uk/collections/gifts

To listen to Cheshire's Silk Radio wherever you are just click on this link:

https://www.silk1069.com/radioplayer/