A PASSIONATE mum has started a campaign to provide support for people suffering with mental health issues in Andover.

Kieley Tully, from Cricketers Way,has launched her “My Plan” scheme in the hope of providing a support service for suffers of conditions such as depression and schizophrenia.

The mum-of-two is hoping to set up regular meeting groups as well as lead school workshops.

She would ultimately like to provide a mobile unit support service for those suffering with alcohol and drug related issues.

Miss Tully is hoping to achieve this off the back of the “Semi- Colon Project” - a viral internet movement were people have a semi-colon tattooed on their body. The teaching support assistant at Vigo Junior School is hoping to get people around the town to get their own tattoos of the symbol to show their support for the campaign, which has the tagline “your story isn’t over yet.”

Miss Tully was prompted into action following a number of suicides in the area, including three in the last eight months.

Official figures show there were 120 suicides in Test Valley between 2002 and 2013 - something she is desperate to address.

Holding back tears, she said: “These young kids are killing themselves and it’s got to stop.

“It’s heartbreaking, I’ve been there myself. For that one day you think you have got to end this, you don’t think about anyone else. But then you might wake up the next day and you might feel completely different.

“The key thing is having the support there - having that person to speak to because I believe that will stop people from going through with it.”

However for Miss Tully, the issue isn’t just a goodwill crusade.

The 39-year-old suffers from mental illness herself and was previously addicted to drugs - something she says made it worse.

She said: “I was very young when I first took drugs. It was part of the rave scene and it was fun in the beginning but it wasn’t fun for long and some of us couldn’t get away from it.

“Some of us, including me, carried on using drugs and other people went further and moved on to heroin before eventually losing their lives. My best friend was on of them and part of this is in memory of him.”

Miss Tully has admitted taking a cocktail of drugs in her past including marijuana, speed and ecstasy but has now been clean some time and says she is regretful about what she did to herself.

The mum, who is currently taking sickness from her job due to her condition, has received support from friends Neil Tough, Melanie Hall and her niece Chelsea Tully, and is hoping to get more people involved.

She has already organised the use of the ‘snug’ at the Lunar Hare to hold weekly support meetings and is in talks with a major Andover charity in ways they can work together.