Having reflected on 40 years of DUCFS last year, for our 2024 campaign - Age of Inception - DUCFS are delighted to be partnering with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to support them in taking a stand against suicide and striving to create a better future.

DUCFS 2024 hopes to raise enough to fund 2 extra phone lines on CALM's helpline, which could allow 19,574 more potentially life-saving phone calls annually, as well as an educational campaign in the North East, which has the highest rate of suicides in England. This campaign will seek to educate young people in the region on the risks of suicide and how to seek support.

Our 2024 campaign will also be supporting DUCFS Launchpad. This is our new independent outreach platform that aims to ignite change throughout the North East, through projects focused on the creative arts, music and community.

Hey! It's Louise here, I am super excited to be modelling for DUCFS this year in support of a fantastic charity 'CALM'. Mental Health is something that affects everyone in so many parts of our lives whether that be micro or macro. Personally, my relationship with my mental health has been a rollercoaster for sure. Dealing with anxiety and my newfound ADHD discovery has allowed me to be in touch with myself and finally understand how my brain kinda works. This hasn't always been the case, it's hard to say this and so vulnerable to put myself out there especially being in the limelight of our university. But, I can proudly say that I have dealt with the scary word - 'suicide' myself and can look back with pure light at my older self and be proud of that individual - easier said than done, of course, but things like CBT and talking to people around you do really help. Taking the first step to say you are not ok is HARD, but it does get easier after that :)

So please my friends and family - donate to this cause if you can! I will be doing some gym challenges over the Christmas period, maybe an event in the new term and I will be giving away (1-3) shoots with 'WasianKodak' which is my mini-platform where my creative direction flies (Photo and Video).

Sending love and light to you all.

Love,

Louise x

#THEFUTUREISNOW