Duo set to launch not-for-profit fitness brand, Frequency Fitness

The duo have created a not-for-profit fitness brand to encourage people to use exercise and personal wellbeing as a passage to mental health recovery.

Jayne Quigg and daughter Sarah, are launching an online shop, Frequency Fitness, with the profits going to charities that support mental health.

The Bangor pair have both experienced people close to them suffering with mental health issues and were aware that six people in their local area took their own lives this summer.

Jayne’s father suffered from mental health issues and was diagnosed with ‘manic depression’ in the 1980s.

And a close friend of Sarah’s, Johnny O’Dwyer, whom she met while she was travelling in Australia, took his own life in August.

As well as an online shop, they aim to cultivate personal wellbeing and develop an all-embracing community, a safe place for all comers.

“We’d looked at starting this at the beginning of lockdown,” explained Jayne. “We were just going to run it as a socially conscious enterprise, offering support and helping local charities.

“But after Johnny’s death at the age of 27, we decided to create a completely not-for-profit business with all monies going to five charities across the UK, including the Samaritans.”

While the origins of Frequency Fitness are unspeakably sad, its ethos is upbeat.

Sarah, 23, says “We’re taking a positive approach. Through our social media pages it’s going to be all positive, with tips for ways to do things and emphasising the benefits of exercise for mental health. Our logo is a Beta wave which is a high frequency of the brain which occurs after exercise.”

The Frequency Fitness clothing range will have something for everyone, from gym wear to hoodies and leggings.

Jayne continued: “Frequency Fitness will offer a small range of fitness wear and accessories with 20% of every sale going directly to one of the charities; the other 80% will cover the costs involved so there will be no profit made whatsoever.

“We also want to create a community – the Frequency Fitness Family. Whether people buy our goods or not we want them to come on to our Facebook page and feel that they belong somewhere and that they fit.

“Even if they just want to go on and have a chat, there will be somebody there, another member of the community that they can bond with.

“I think Covid has really shown the loss of community and an awful lot of people are feeling its devastating effects. We want to be there for them and support them and show them that they’re not really alone.”

The business utilises both mother and daughter’s skill-sets with Sarah, who’s currently qualifying as a personal trainer, having a background in digital marketing and nutrition. Jayne is a chef and businesswoman and is currently doing a PhD.

They recently launched a Crowdfunding page to help fund the launch of the site and Ulster Bank has pledged to match their first £5k, if they get 100 sponsors.

However rather than appealing for donations, they are using reward gifting so people can pre-order some of the range of clothing.

Sarah added: “The whole point of this was due to the rate of suicide over the course of the pandemic. It’s hard to understand the depths of mental health if no one feels they can speak up about it. Our plan is to create a sense of community for people to feel comfortable with talking about mental health.”

The five charities Frequency Fitness will be fundraising for are S.P.O.R.T.S. (Suicide Prevention Offering Recovery Through Sports) in Northern Ireland, YAMS (You Are My Sunshine) in Scotland, Mind in Wales, Sport in Mind, England and Samaritans.

Visit www.frequencyfitness.co.uk and to donate go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/frequency-fitness.

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