Taking on the World. Music, writing and mental health in harmony.

REP Group Ltd is a Yorkshire based mental wellbeing services company with a particular social objective – to provide a pathway for those who have or are suffering mental health issues to find healing through writing – are releasing a music single as anthem for their 2024 mental health awareness week initiative.

‘Taking on the World’ has been recorded and produced by musicians at Leeds Beckett University under the band name ‘The Perspectives’ and will be released on the 10th May. The track is a reimagining of a song first written and recorded by the Scottish band GUN, but the new version is far from the original’s rock origins, instead having a more Jazz Funk groove.

The record came about following a conversation between Grant Budge (CEO, REP Group) and Mike MacSween (Teacher, Leeds Beckett University). Grant wanted to develop a record that would resonate with young adults, something to become an anthem in support of REP Group’s vision to run an initiative across sixth form colleges and universities nationwide, capturing impactful stories that cut to the heart and expose the reality of mental health challenges that affect >1 in 4 individuals under the age of 24. REP’s aim being to encourage and enable individual’s to use writing to express and explain their journey, and with the output, to publish one or more short story anthologies under the title ‘It’s a Student’s Life’.

The track was recorded and produced inhouse by the students, between January and March this year and is being released as a limited edition CD, alongside a multi-platform digital download offering. The team have also developed a video to help support organisations in promoting the initiative, which will be available to stream via REP’s dedicated “Taking on the World” website page.

25% of all proceeds from physical and digital sales of the record will be going to the UK charity Sane, a leading UK mental health charity improving quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness (www.sane.org.uk).

Under the ‘Taking On The World’ initiative, REP Group are providing free licences to colleges and universities so that the students can take part absent of subscription costs. And to stimulate interest in the initiative further, the company is offering a suit of prizes for the best submissions; from the chance to secure a publishing contract for an original novel, to a collection of the company’s published books or the opportunity to experience a multi-day outdoor adventure (trekking or rafting). So any institutions who feel this could fit into their student support programmes, can reach out to the company in the knowledge that there are no costs and only support for their community on offer.

For those students whose organisations aren’t signed up to the initiative, they can still take part. We are making 5,000 individual licences available to young adults in further education under the age of 24. They simply need to register under the organisation TOTW24 and use the code ‘JotpP954’ to receive their free three month licence.