Rizzle Kicks’ star launches #IAMWHOLE campaign in Brighton

Rizzle Kicks’ frontman Jordan Stephens has launched a campaign, #IAMWHOLE, to destigmatise mental health issues, particularly targeting young people.

It is aimed to encourage people to be more understanding about mental health and be more open about it.

Stephens launched it on the 10th of October, which is globally recognised as World Mental Health Day.

The artist, who grew up in Brighton and Hove, is working with the local NHS, the youth charity YMCA and Brighton and Hove City Council on the campaign.

The star released a song about this called “Whole,” and claims that the song is about tackling mental health issues.

He says: “My mum is a trained therapist so I’ve seen how important it is for people to get the right support and not to feel isolated.

“I’ve also had friends and people close to me seriously affected by mental health issues. I wrote ‘Whole’ to express how I was feeling at the bottom of a situation.

“When the NHS suggested it could be used to give other people a way of feeling less alone, man that felt really good.”

The campaign hopes to challenge harmful language and connotations around mental health and to incite young people suffering from mental health to seek support and help.

To support this campaign people have been seen posting selfies with a circle on their palm to bring about a sense of unity online by using the hashtag #IAMWHOLE.

The media campaign has been backed by several celebrities including Liam Gallagher, James Corden, James Arthur and Dermot O’Leary.

Recent YMCA research shows that more than one in three 11 to 24-year-olds experiencing mental health issues say they experience a stigma around it.

The new song was first performed in the 163m British Airways i360 along with the #IAMWHOLE campaign in front of an audience of university and college students.