New Chesterfield sportswear brand hosts football match to raise money for mental health charity - with Spireites’ legend set to play

Business partners Carl Cappellano, 40 and Ashley Warren, 27 set up Courage Sportswear four months ago while the pair were both on furlough from their part-time roles at Chesterfield Football Club Community Trust (CFCCT) during lockdown.

The brand, which is based in an office at the Technique Stadium, specialises in t-shirts, hoodies, caps and bags with a ‘difference’ as many items sport their slogan ‘strength in the face of pain’ aiming to give people suffering with their mental health a sense of courage.

It comes after the 40-year-old has lost two friends to suicide, while Ashley has had his own mental health battles.

Carl said: "Ashley said he wanted to create a clothing brand centred around supporting people in general, starting with mental health.

"So we then came up with a slogan 'strength in the face of pain' and that was our kind of launch hoodie, just basically to encourage people.”

The pair, who played for the ‘Chesterfield For Life’ CFCCT mental health football team, have organised a charity football match in the town on Saturday, July 3 with Spireites’ legend Jamie Hewitt playing in the game.

Family, friends and players will donate to Mind on the day and former Chesterfield FC players Anthony Lormor and Phil Walker will attend to cheer on the team and present them with a medal afterwards.

Carl said: "A lot of the Chesterfield For Life players that have had their own battles are becoming Courage FC for the day and it is literally a reyt friendly mix of players.

"We are hoping to make [the fundraising] a yearly thing as well as ongoing support with people through the brand itself, using the brand itself to make people realise it's ok not to be ok and seek a bit of help.”

The business partners have raised £85 of their £1,000 fundraising target so far for the charity through their donation page.

If the brand exceeds their goal, then Carl and Ashley plan to divide the funds and donate smaller amounts to charities across Chesterfield as well.

Carl and Ashley have also set up a ‘good deeds’ pot in their office, where they put in a portion of the profit they make on their clothing in order to help out those struggling in the community.

"We dropped some shopping off on someone's doorstep, just little gestures like that just to give people a little bit of support”, the 40-year-old added.

"A friend of mine summed it up brilliantly he said 'we all have our dark days and we all have our moments' and it is just something where I think there is support out there but I don't think people quite know how to get that support or quite know how to break the ice.

"Yes we are a fashion brand, we are looking to build a business but it might just help someone start up a conversation and just not feel like they are on their own and take the road that two of my friends took.”

To view their donation page, click here.

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