The North East based mental health tech organisation Discova has today confirmed that Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah, ex-Premier League footballer Clarke Carlisle, Scottish artist Alexander Millar and the pop singer Beth Macari will all take part in the launch of its first-ever mental health conference. 

Taking place at Northumbria University Students' Union on the newly revised date of Thursday 1st April – which was originally set for February 4th, but rescheduled due to Covid-19 restrictions – Discova X Con will invite guests for an afternoon of exploration into the mental health landscape today.  

Powered by mental health company Discova (formerly known as Myndr) - the conference will welcome a panel of celebrities, business figureheads and mental health thought leaders to share their personal stories and insight in a bid to inspire its audience, after what has been a testing year for the region following the outbreak of Covid-19. 

As well as revealing its new app technology during the afternoon, Discova describes itself as a platform that helps people overcome problems which are affecting their mental health and wellbeing.  

Speaking ahead of today's announcement, Discova co-founder and event organiser Lizzy Hodcroft, said: “ Discova X Con will be one of a kind and a game changer for the discussion around mental health here in the North East. We aim to host a conference that will offer support and solidarity with people who have had a difficult time of late and will it act as a platform to help facilitate wellness and positive action going forward. 

“We wanted this to happen in February, but we're thrilled to come back with a new date as well as announcing the first guests to our panel. 

“We know the wonderful Chi Onwurah takes mental health seriously and to have her support and her thoughts about how we can improve the landscape is truly appreciated. Clarke Carlisle is nothing short of an inspiration and to have with us someone who has overcome so many demons to be the person he is today we hope will resonate massively with our audience. 

“Alexander Millar is an artist we all love here in the North East who had to battle mental trauma in his early days before having the strength to establish himself on a global scale. Beth Macari is a strong and fantastically talented singer and musical artist. We're lucky to haver her and we'll be hearing about her struggles with anxiety and identity issues. She'll also be performing during the afternoon and we can't wait to hear one of the best voices in the business right now.”

Clarke Carlisle is a former professional football and television presenter who is a keynote speaker on mental health, having suffered from complex depressive disorder throughout his career. 

Preston-born Carlisle – who played for the likes of Leeds United, QPR and Burnley -  has recurrent depressive disorder and has had multiple suicide attempts. He will be joined by his wife Carrie to share his life story.  

He said: “I'm happy to help move the mental health conversation forward to incorporate competence and confidence in ourselves and the services around us.  

“I was a professional footballer for 17 years, and I played the last 13 of those whilst suffering with Complex Depressive Disorder. I encountered many social and personal difficulties during this time. The combination of an undiagnosed illness and being emotionally illiterate meant I developed coping strategies that were totally destructive and compounded my depression.” 

The conference, hosted by local icon, comedian, actor and presenter Alfie Joey, follows a busy year for Discova, having been recently awarded a £300,000 grant from the highly competitive Innovate UK Fund. 

The funding will allow for the development of the application with the help of Tyneside software and app development company, Komodo, which it will be revealing at Discova X Con in April 2021. 

For more information about the line-up and the running order visit: https://discovahealth.com/lineup/

To buy tickets for the event, priced at £5 for general admission and £8 for VIP tickets (which includes an after-event drinks reception) visit this link: https://bit.ly/3f3YIQF

For more information about conference and Discova head to https://discovahealth.com/