Guitarist Aziz Ibrahim was in Preston to support a free public music gig at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) as part of event to celebrate mental health wellbeing.

The musician, who has played with the Stone Roses, Ian Brown, Paul Weller and Simply Red to name a few, was a special guest at UCLan’s diversity fringe event which preceded the annual University Diversity Conference on the Friday.

The fringe event, organised by the UCLan Creative Communities Group (CCG), is free and open to the public.

It brings together musicians, artists and representatives from health organisations, business and the local community with a common theme of promoting and supporting positive health and wellbeing.

Aziz said, “I was delighted when Russell Hogarth asked if I could support the UCLan Creative Communities Group at the diversity fringe event.

“Mental health awareness and promoting mental health wellbeing is very close to my heart as we have sadly lost a number of talented people in the music business as a result of mental health disorders.”

Co-founder and Chair of the UCLan CCG and University Honorary Fellow Russell Hogarth said: “Aziz is a fellow member of the UCLan Creative Communities Group network and we are delighted that he is giving his time freely to support mental health awareness along with a number of local contributors; their much appreciated support will certainly help to make this event a success."

“The UCLan Creative Communities Group places a great emphasis on being inclusive and supportive to all members of the community; not just internally here at the University, but on a wider scale."

Russell continued: “According to the World Health Organisation one in four adults are likely to be affected by a mental health disorder at some time in their lives and it’s important that we create an environment that encourages people to talk about mental health openly and removes any associated stigma and discrimination.

“The UCLan Creative Communities Group places a great emphasis on being inclusive and supportive to all members of the community; not just internally here at the University, but on a wider scale."