CALM Ambassadors have come together to mark World Mental Health Day.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) ambassadors Chesney Hawkes, Chris Hughes, Joe Marler, Leon McKenzie, Rosie Jones, RKZ, Shareefa J, and Tal Booker have joined forces for World Mental Health Day to take a stand ‘Against Living Miserably’, launching the charity’s new slogan t-shirt.
‘Against Living Miserably’ is about taking a stand, starting with a wearable statement that invites solidarity and encourages conversation around mental health and wellbeing.
It comes as the latest Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) revealed that more people than ever are living miserably, with 1 in 4 people in the UK have had suicidal thoughts*, up from 1 in 5 in 2014.
The t-shirt is available from shop.thecalmzone.net, with each purchase supporting CALM’s life-saving work.
Campaign assets can be downloaded here.
London, October 10th 2025 — Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) ambassadors Chesney Hawkes, Chris Hughes, Joe Marler, Leon McKenzie, Rosie Jones, RKZ, Shareefa J, and Tal Booker have come together to mark World Mental Health Day.
Bringing their own experiences with mental health and suicide prevention, each ambassador has previously worked to promote CALM’s life-saving work. They’ve now joined forces for the first time to take a stand ‘Against Living Miserably’, launching the charity’s new slogan t-shirt - a wearable statement that invites solidarity and encourages conversation around mental health and wellbeing that raises vital funds for suicide prevention.
When the world’s feeling like a bin fire, this is about finding the joy in the everyday - it’s about celebrating what gets you through.
The campaign follows the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS), which revealed that more people than ever are living miserably - 1 in 4 people in the UK will have suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, up from 1 in 5 in 2014*.
Chris Hughes, who joined CALM as an ambassador in 2017 for the viral campaign stunt ‘L'Eau de Chris’, said: “You never know what someone’s going through. The fact that 1 in 4 people will have suicidal thoughts in their lifetime is a really shocking thing to hear. It just shows how important CALM’s work is right now, and why we all need to show up to help those who are struggling. It can feel like there’s a lot of hate and negativity in the world, so taking the time to champion the things that make you happy is an act of defiance. We need to celebrate and encourage joy. A bit of kindness and compassion can go a long way.”
Rosie Jones has been a CALM Ambassador since 2024, and the Rosie Jones Foundation has been working with CALM and Disability Plus during that time to support accessibility within its helpline provision. She said: “My job is to make people laugh, so I’m privileged to share in their joy. But I also see first-hand how tough life is for so many people. Today isn’t about pretending that isn’t the case, it’s about showing solidarity and saying it’s not okay to not be okay. We’re against living miserably, and we’re in it together. We’ve all been there - now we can all get the t-shirt (and raise money for a charity that’s incredibly close to my heart at the same time).”
Starting with the ambassadors involved, the campaign wants people to share the things that make life worth living on World Mental Health Day - what they do against living miserably - to encourage conversations about joy and hope, and survivorship.
Evidence shows that amplifying these stories can encourage people who may be struggling to seek help**. This is referred to as the “Papageno Effect”.
Sales from the t-shirt will also help fund CALM’s services, including our life-saving helpline. Staffed by trained professionals, CALM’s helpline is a unique interventionist service that helps people in suicidal crisis. It costs the charity £12.20 to fund each phone call, which is free to access for anyone who needs it.
The t-shirt is available to buy now from shop.thecalmzone.net for £25, with free delivery for a limited time.
Need help? Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) hosts a life-saving suicide prevention helpline and provides vital online mental health resources for anyone who needs them. Visit www.thecalmzone.net.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
*Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2023/2024
**B. Till, F. Arendt, S. Scherr, T. Niederkrotenthaler, Effect of educative suicide prevention news articles featuring experts with vs. without personal experience of suicidal ideation: a randomised controlled trial of the Papageno effect
About Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM):
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a suicide prevention charity fighting to reduce the devastating impact of suicide in the UK. They run a life-saving helpline for anyone affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. It’s free, anonymous and open from 5 pm to midnight every day.
Their website has loads of tools and resources packed with practical, non-clinical advice to make talking and managing mental health easier.
CALM also run vital campaigns to increase awareness, smash stereotypes, and change the culture around mental health and suicide.
