Dizzee Rascal backing East Lancashire young men's charity (From Preston and Leyland Citizen)

Dizzee Rascal backing East Lancashire young men's charity

1:37pm Wednesday 3rd February 2010

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WORLD-renowned rap star Dizzee Rascal has urged young people in East Lancashire to talk about their problems instead of bottling them up.

The urban superstar has supported East Lancashire charity CALM for a number of years after a school friend, Dean Munroe, took his own life in 2004.

In an interview for the East Lancashire CALMzine magazine, he said youngsters should talk about their problems.

CALM’s campaign aims to get young men to open up and talk.

It was set up in 2006 to support men aged 15 to 35 and was backed by local regeneration champion the late Anthony Wilson, who was a founding Trustee.

The charity established itself as the place to turn to for young men in East Lancashire to talk about any kind of problems they have and work alongside Retro, Burnley FC, Nelson and Colne College and Accrington Stanley.

Dizzee said: “What a lot of young men don’t realise is that if you’ve been through a lot of things you need to talk.

“The more you bottle up, the more it’ll beat you up. When mates are feeling down I listen and try to get it out of them.

“I don’t dismiss what’s wrong with them and try to show them the good points of living life.

“When mates are feeling low, we’d go for a drive, get out of the area and try to put some space between them and their problems.”

Dizzee released the single ‘Dean’ on video in May 2008 with all profits going to CALM.

The charity’s helpline is 0800 585858 and is open on Saturdays to Tuesdays from 5am to midnight.

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