Mental health app launched by Stratford entrepreneur and backed by goalkeeper Chris Kirkland - The Stratford Observer

Mental health app launched by Stratford entrepreneur and backed by goalkeeper Chris Kirkland

Stratford Editorial 11th Jan, 2019   0

A SOCIAL media app with a difference has been launched by a Stratford entrepreneur.

Jack Knowles is the founder of dating app Temptr, which is worth £1billion and is used in more than 60 countries.

And the former Stratford School pupil has put his skills to good use and has created a new app which he hopes could be potentially life-saving.

Yapa – which stands for You Are Perfect Always – sees users send out ‘yaps’ to communicate their feelings and open up about issues, while also helping others who may be going through a difficult time.




Unlike other social media apps, it has no photos, no likes and does not show the number of people who follow each page.

Jack told the Observer: “Pretty much all of us at some point are going to suffer with a mental health condition, however minor or severe it may be. We will all struggle.


“People shouldn’t be shy to talk about it, now it’s time to speak out and that’s why we’re launching an app to deal with this.

“We want the app’s popularity to be up there with the likes of Facebook and Snapchat, and we believe we can achieve this.”

Yapa has been backed by Liverpool, England and former Coventry City goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

Chris, who has a long-documented struggle with mental health including depression and anxiety, said: “Everything is blown out of proportion because you’re not thinking rationally.

“I just wanted to be in the house and shut the door. I wanted to shut myself off.

“I couldn’t wait to fall asleep at night just to have a clear mind, but then when I woke up again in the morning it just started again, it was a vicious circle.

“The biggest thing I want people to know is that you’ve just got to talk. That’s why Yapa is going to be so great.”

The free app is now available to download on iOS and Android.

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