FORMER England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland is hoping to save lives with the help of a Stratford dating app entrepreneur.
Mobile phone app Yapa stands for You Are Perfect Always and is set to help those suffering from mental health problems by giving them a platform to talk.
The app has been developed by former Stratford College student Jack Knowles, who developed dating app Temptr last year.
It is being backed by former England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, who started his football career at Coventry City and has a long-documented struggle with mental health.
Talking about his struggle with depression and anxiety he said: “Everything is blown out of proportion because you’re not thinking rationally.
“I just wanted to be in the house and shut the door. I wanted to shut myself off.
“I couldn’t wait to fall asleep at night just to have a clear mind, but then when I woke up again in the morning it just started again, it was a vicious circle.”
And Chris hopes the social app will help people suffering with their mental health.
He added: “The biggest thing I want people to know is that you’ve just got to talk. That’s why Yapa is going to be so great. There’s fear, but as soon as you talk, that’s when you’re helping yourself and your family”
And developer Jack was also hoping the app would help make a difference and be as popular as his dating app Temptr, which is now worth more than £1billion and used in 62 countries.
He said: “Pretty much all of us at some point are going to suffer with a mental health condition, however minor or severe it may be, its going to happen, we will all struggle at some point.
“People shouldn’t be shy to talk about it, now its time to speak about it, and that’s why we’re launching an app to deal with this.
“The support has been amazing, from musicians to sportspeople to reality stars, Yapa really is going to be special. There will be verified bluetick profiles for well-known personalities too and we know of a lot that are joining. The app will be cool and very social.”
The app will be available to download later this year.
