Personal trainer Kelly's mental health message of hope given added poignancy by murder of her cousin

And for Kelly Malcolmson, who runs KM Fitness, the campaign has been given even more poignancy after the murder of her cousin Karen Cummings in December.

Kelly has teamed up with local charity PIPS Hope & Support for the effort and they will receive 67% from the sale of each hoodie.

The campaign was launched in Solitude Park Banbridge last week attended by family, friends, clients and local politicians, including Lord Mayor Councillor Sarah Duffy, Diane Dodds MLA, Councillor Chris McCartan, Alderman Paul Greenfield, and Padraig Harte, Fundraising, Marketing & Communications Manager with PIPS.

The Happy Hoodies come in three different colours - navy, grey and black, and a choice of five encouraging quotes: One day at a time; You matter always; Just show up; Dark days make brighter days; You’ve got this!

Kelly came up with the hoodie idea last year, recognising that “mental health and fitness go hand in hand”.

“There’s still a big stigma around mental health, and Banbridge has had a lot of its own tragedies through suicide,” she reflected.

“Not everyone will reach out when they are struggling, so my idea is to have as much positivity around as possible.

“You might be feeling a little bit low in yourself, or you might not want to open up to anyone, but if you see that positive message on the back of a hoodie, it could be just what you need.

“Each person has up to 60,000 thoughts per day, so let's encourage happy, positive and hopeful thoughts. Be kind to yourself and others.

“I chose PIPS as it is a charity that is close to everyone’s heart. For every single person mental health is an issue, whether they are having a down day about finances, their work, whether they are grieving, or going through relationship problems…

“Whatever it may be, mental health is always there and there needs to be more acceptance that it’s actually okay not to be happy all the time and to have off days.”

Designing the Happy Hoodies has helped Kelly cope with the immense grief and heartbreak her own family has experienced.

“Three of the quotes are closely connected with the passing of my cousin Karen (Cummings nee McQuaid) and they really resonate with me.

“I became friendly with the undertaker Patricia Heaney who was a massive support. There was a day when I was really struggling, I was on the phone to her and she said something that stuck in my mind - ‘dark days make brighter days’.

“Then, one morning I was running behind schedule for a client. I was so apologetic, and the first thing she said to me was ‘just show up, that’s all that matters’.

“The third quote is ‘one day at a time’ and, in the days after we lost Karen, that's what I kept telling everyone else.

“If one day at a time is too much, take it one hour at a time, step by step, and you will get there.

“For me, the project has been a focus for good out of something bad. And I know Karen is helping us along the way.”

Kelly, who launched KM Fitness in March 2022 and is based at FE3 in Laurencetown, wishes to thank everyone who attended the Happy Hoodies launch and who made the project possible.

“To Jenna Henning, who I work alongside and who has been a massive encourager; Kyle Scott, who is the maker and the backbone of the project, Mooney Media; Ingrid from Simply Banbridge; my team of family and friends; and the four local politicians who attended the launch and have been a great source of support.”

The hoodies are priced £35 and are available in sizes 8-18 (Small to 2XL).

To place an order, follow _kmfitness on Instagram or Facebook.

Kelly would love to raise as much as possible for PIPS, but she added: “It’s not just about the money, it’s about spreading positivity.”