Sean Fletcher

About Sean When Sean Fletcher's son Reuben spoke up in an interview about his OCD, it moved Sean to do the same.

“Seeing Reuben so driven to tell his peers that they don’t have to suffer in silence made me realise I could do the same for parents of children with mental health issues.”

Now, the journalist, radio and TV presenter is an ambassador for YoungMinds, and regularly shares his experiences of mental health, being a parent, and OCD.

We spoke to Sean about his values and why he wants to be involved with our mission at YoungMinds.

Why have you chosen to support YoungMinds?

"I know first hand how invaluable YoungMinds is to young people and their families.

When my son was first spiralling with OCD about 10 years ago, I called the charity out of desperation. YoungMinds was an incredible help at a time when it felt like mental illness was ripping my family apart. And it feels like now more than ever, young people need that kind of support."

What do you do to switch off and take care of your mental health?

"Run, walk, spend time with my family, produce music."

What advice would you give to your younger self?

"Don't worry, there's always a way out."

Which of our values do you relate to most and why? "The value I relate to most is: We're not afraid to speak up for what's right."

"In 2018 I made a BBC Panorama looking at the state of CAMHS, and while I discovered that the mental health services for young people are unbelievably overstretched and underfunded, I also learnt that there aren't nearly as many people and organisations lobbying government for better services for young people as other sectors and groups in society. Added to that, as a large portion of young people can't vote, it's down to charities like YoungMinds to give them a voice."