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Football fan sets up mental health voice note site

Rob Butler,BBC News, Norfolkand
Andrew Turner,BBC News, Norfolk
News imageRob Butler/BBC On the left, Danny Tanti, who has short black hair combed forward, and a black beard and moustache. Jonny Human, on the right, has short dark hair combed up on top and cropped short on the sides. He has a light brown full beard and moustache. They are both wearing a Say It Lad branded T- shirt, and are standing inside the BBC Look East studio, with their logo and an image of Jonny on the tower screen.Rob Butler/BBC
Founder Jonny Human (right), pictured with his colleague Danny Tanti, said voicing troubles and hearing others could reduce a sense of feeling alone

A football fan from Norfolk has set up a support network for people struggling with mental ill health.

Say It Lad allows people to share voice notes anonymously which are curated and posted on to a website.

The idea is to help people externalise their thoughts and to take inspiration from others who are either experiencing difficulties or who have overcome their troubles.

Founder Jonny Human told BBC Radio Norfolk's The Scrimmage: "They can just hear other voices; other experiences and just know that they're not alone."

News imageGetty Images Leon McKenzie is dressed in a white shirt, grey tie, grey waistcoat and dark blue jacket. He has a shaved head and a trimmed beard and moustache. He is standing in front of Premier League branded hoarding, with other imagery including a statement that reads: "Football's Black List".Getty Images
Former Premier League footballer and boxer Leon McKenzie, an ambassador of Say It Lad, says the voice note sharing site is "very powerful"

Former Premier League footballer and boxer Leon McKenzie is an ambassador of Say It Lad.

Having served a prison sentence in 2012 for sending bogus letters to police in an attempt to avoid a driving ban, he has struggled with his own mental health.

In a voice note on the Say It Lad website, he said: "It's all about trying to be together, because every one of us has gone, and is going through, some kind of something.

"To be an ambassador is very powerful and I'm looking forward to listening to people, and collectively making something very powerful and inspiring, helping others who are truly struggling."

News imageRob Butler/BBC Jonny Human has short dark hair combed up on top and cropped short on the sides. He has a light brown full beard and moustache. He is wearing a Say It Lad branded tee shirt, and is standing in front of a BBC Radio Norfolk branded wall.Rob Butler/BBC
Jonny Human told BBC Radio Norfolk he set up Say It Lad after experiencing suicidal thoughts which affected him two years ago

Mr Human, 47, who works for a software company based in the Norwich, has been a life-long Canaries fan.

He has self-funded Say It Lad - which he came up with after a downturn in his own mental health - and is in the process of applying for community interest company status for the website.

"I had some crazy breakdown; it came out of nowhere," he said.

"It was like one morning I woke up and someone flicked a switch. I was having suicidal thoughts. From being completely normal to having those feelings scared the life out of me."

He found that cognitive behavioural therapy via the NHS was not for him: "All these people say 'talk to me', but you feel so alone at that point.

"With Say It Lad, I just wanted people to leave voice notes that I can put on a site and they can listen and relate... and feel 'I'm not alone'."

News imageRob Butler/BBC Danny Tanti has short black hair combed forward, and a black beard and moustache. He is wearing a Say It Lad branded tee shirt, and is standing in front of a BBC Radio Norfolk branded wall.Rob Butler/BBC
Danny Tanti (pictured) said he had always been able to speak about mental health issues with his friend and Say It Lad founder Jonny Human

Mr Human's colleague Danny Tanti turned to the service following the death of his mother.

"There was a massive cloud over me. One day I was all right, the next I wasn't," he explained.

"I've been to wellbeing services but this just felt different; like a massive release like I was being listened to, even though it was a voice note. It was a weight off my shoulders.

"The power of the voice note is so much different to texting, leaving details [and] motivational quotes."

  • If you have been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via BBC Action Line.

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