CALM is campaigning for a new emoji to encourage people to open up about mental health.
The Campaign Against Living Miserably charity has teamed up with comedian and actress Rosie Jones for the new 'Unhappy Pile of Poo' emoji, which has been submitted to the Unicode Consortium for inclusion so people can send it to their friends and family when they "#feelikecrap".
In a statement, Rosie said: "I am proud to be the CALM ambassador for this emoji campaign.
"It's been a tough year for everyone and I have certainly had times when I have been low, and felt isolated from my friends and family.
"This emoji is a great way to tell loved ones that things aren’t great. It's an easy and simple way to reach out for help and start the conversation.”
In the first week of the UK's lockdown this time last year, the charity saw a 40% increase in demand for their helpline services compared to pre-Covid-19 levels.
Since then,they have answered 123,075 calls and web chats, and with the country nearing the easing of lockdown, CALM wants a new emoji to communicate feeling "crap, low, overwhelmed or broken".
According to CALM’s head of helpline: “Callers to the CALM helpline often begin with ‘I'm not sure what to say’.
"Starting a conversation about struggling with your mental wellbeing or going through a tough time is not easy and many of us don't have the tools to have this kind of chat.
"A bit like staring at a blank page when you go to write an essay, people struggle to kick off the conversation.
"Once they start talking it becomes easier but having those first few words to begin with is a hurdle.”
To find out more about CALM and its services, including using webchat and how to donate, please visit thecalmzone.net.