Founded in October 2018 by St Albans anxiety specialist Stacey Turner, who has been the driving force behind its many achievements, the charity has been dedicated in honour of her father who took his own life when she was just 13.

She said: “As the campaign progressed, I was simply blown away by the support of the community, organisations and businesses. People were emailing on a Saturday night asking for help and sharing their stories.

“My initial business plan was written on my couch pulling together every aspect of my personal and professional experiences with a passion and will to help people. I am a people person and I want to help where I can because I believe I am equipped with the grit and determination my mother once termed defiant.

“There is a fire that burns within and that is to ensure we lead the way in terms of mental health.That defiance comes from sitting there at 13 after putting 13 red roses on my father’s coffin and absorbing the devastation of it within and around me, thinking: this can’t be it! It won’t be it!”

The road to achieving charity status was not an easy one, but it marks the next step in the development of It’s OK To Say.

Stacey said: “Becoming a charity means so much, it means we can apply for funding to consolidate plans and further help the public in lots of different ways. I have an incredible team of dedicated professionals and together I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Read more here: https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/charity-status-for-it-s-ok-to-say-1-6607127