How Northampton author’s positive quotes are helping with mental health all around the world

A mental health awareness project run by a Northampton author and poet has reached far and wide across the globe.

James McInerney, who lives in Abington, writes positive quotes which are positioned in spaces where members of the public can appreciate them.

The project called ‘The Poetry Project’ was created in 2018 when the 43-year-old, who has written five books in the last ten years, decided he wanted to do more to help communities with their mental health.

So far, the free project has reached as far as America and Australia with the aim to bring communities together with messages of hope and positivity.

Now the public messages of hope are breaking new ground as 24 of James’ quotes are currently displayed on boards surrounding a construction site close to Moorgate train station in London, rather than adverts for the construction company.

The quotes are expected to remain in place until summer 2022 and intend to brighten the days of the people who read the messages.

James said: “I started putting these quotes from my books outdoors as a social experiment and I contacted the London Underground about them, but I wasn’t sure anything would happen from it.

“But then in 2018 the underground started putting them at different stations everyday and now we’re at train stations and airports across the UK too.

“We expanded to universities, gyms, offices and more in 2019 and now we have people taking pictures of the boards and sending them to us from all over the world.

“Last year we were meant to be at Glastonbury and Notting Hill Carnival - they didn’t go ahead, but we also wanted to do something community based so this construction campaign is a great opportunity.”

Due to the impact of the pandemic on the nation’s mental health, James has a year full of campaigns planned - including with Network Rail - as big businesses embrace mental health awareness more than ever.

James believes something as simple as reading a positive quote can really help passersby to improve their mental health.

He added: “Emotional quotes on walls is something you don’t normally see and they’re often in places you don’t expect to see them, but people love them.

“Mental health awareness was important before Covid, but it is even more so now.

“I personally would love to see one as I walk down a street - that would make my day and I’d rather see a quote than an advert for trainers that I will probably never buy.

“We need to be putting the right things out into society and these quotes can really help people. We really want to make a difference.”

Follow James on his social media platforms by searching @millsmc07 and @poetryproject08.

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