AN EMPLOYEE at a Bournemouth charity who had previously suffered from schizophrenia and depression has set up her own clothing line.

Ses 535 Clothing, set up by Ses Harley, a former delivery driver and now part time worker at Cherry Tree Nursery, aims to spread positivity and support those with mental health issues.

Ses Harley was diagnosed back in 1991 but after attended sessions at Cherry Tree Nursery, a horticulture-based charity set on providing meaningful occupation to those with mental illness, she soon began to seen the difference in her development.

She said: “When I was in the mental health care system, you are given a diagnosis but it also feels as though you have been labelled. When I came here, I became a person again, I was treated like everyone else.

“The staff here are so supportive and take the time to ask how you are. We are like a big family.

“Having been given that support and changing from a volunteer to a part time worker, I feel that I am ready to support others”

Ses began writing poems and painting, as a suggestion from her former boss Jess Davies, as a way of expressing herself and her mental state. She began painting a range of paintings called “colours beneath the light”, showing that there can be positives even from the most negative situations.

Having suffered a go karting accident in which she cracked three ribs and suffered severe internal bruising, Ses was off work for nine weeks.

Ses added: “The project was set up during my recovery from my go karting injury.

“During that time, I went back to my dark place because I wasn’t going out and meeting people and I spent a lot of time by myself.

“To make myself feel more positive, I started be creative and drawing designs on phone and it’s kind of kicked on from there.”

Customers can order from a range of designs with positive messages about staying positive and showing your colours to be printed on vests, t-shirts, hoodies and shopping bags.

Since setting up her online clothing store “ses535”, Ses is now able to give a percentage of her profits back to Cherry Tree to the volunteer’s welfare fund.

Cherry tree is a self-funded non-profitable charity organisation and is always in need of funding.

Ses said: “The fund allows the volunteers to enjoy things like shopping trips and days out, all the things that usually get missed, so that they can have fun together.”