Meet our Head of Happy
A Q&A with our Head of Happy
How did the Chirpy partnership come about and what is your role?
Chirpy is a new youth mental wellbeing food supplement brand. The Chirpy partnership came about when Chirpy was discussing being at Happy Place Festival and shared the brand story with one of my team.
Co-founder Emma had listened to Naturopath Lucinda Miller on one of our Happy Place episodes and it led her to explore natural supplement solutions to support a family member's mental wellbeing, which was the catalyst behind launching Chirpy.
It’s amazing to see the ripple effect that one podcast episode had, which has always been my intention behind the conversations we have and the guests that we have on. I just had to get involved and am now a shareholder in the business.
Your title is ‘Head of Happy’ . What are your roles and responsibilities?
I will be helping the brand spread the word of More Good Mood Days for Young Minds and you will see me supporting some impactful youth mental wellbeing advocacy & mood boosting campaigns moving forward. Chirpy will also be collaborating with Happy Place and will be at our festivals in July & September and available online via our Happy Place Market.
Why do you think youth mental wellbeing is so in decline?
Our kids are growing up in a very different world to the one we grew up in.
A screen based, smartphone generation with fewer third spaces, unsettling headlines, less play, social media, UPFs, AI, an education system under immense pressure to meet everyone’s needs. It's not just one thing - and I have learnt that all these daily micro-pressures can actually impact brain health, disrupting healthy neurotransmitter function, oxidative stress and inflammation - all of which impact how our kids feel, but which can be supported with lifestyle habits and natural food supplements.
How do supplements help?
The team joke that Chirpy shouldn’t have to exist - but modern life is messing with mood, so Chirpy food supplements & lifestyle habits can help support the foundations of mental wellbeing (healthy neurotransmitter function, inflammation & oxidative stress) which can be disrupted by the onslaught of mood hoovers in 2026.
Formulated by Sarah, a Pharmacist and Chirpy co-founder, The Mood One is Saffron based; Saffron has amazing evidence for supporting mood, emotional balance and focus. The Zen One is to support wired, busy brains to rest and relax. They contain no added sugar and no nasties. There are also lots more products in the pipeline all with the same mission of supporting youth mental wellbeing.
How else do you make sure you protect your own kids' wellbeing with the mood hoovers of life?
As a working parent, it’s not always easy, but it’s always an intention. It’s really all about balance isn’t it? Trying hard to make sure that the screens, the junk food, the school demands are not taking over exercise and time in nature and real life connection and sleep. Chirpy calls them Mood M.E.N.D.S - balancing the mood hoovers with Mindfulness, Exercise, Nature, Diet and Sleep. There are lots of free mental health resources on the Chirpy website to help, including meditations & yoga flows.
What do you think are the biggest pressures on parents today when supporting their kids' mental wellbeing?
Personally I find the online world scary when it comes to my kids. Even with parental restrictions in place to negate your kids seeing things they shouldn't, it’s still the wild west. The bombardment of information they have access to is overwhelming, yet to completely take them away shuts them off from their mates to an extent so getting the balance right is tough. It’s an ongoing learning curve for all parents.
The biggest barrier to youth mental wellbeing can be that kids love what’s not always good for them, how do you balance this as a mum?
I think keeping the conversation flowing. Always checking in with what they are looking at and how it has made them feel. Letting them know that they can always come to me if they have seen something that worries them.
Have your kids tried the product? What did they think?
Both my kids take both food supplements. The Zen One for my daughter has been especially helpful as she has the tendency to get a bit anxious before bed.
What else have you got coming up?
The Happy Place festivals are on the way. I start filming Celebrity Gogglebox and also Landscape Artist of the Year for Sky Arts. The podcast continues weekly as does my radio 2 show and we have some exciting things coming up for the market. So lots coming up.
Where can we find out more about Chirpy?
The best place is here on the Chirpy website where there is information about the products, and a range of free resources from leading experts including psychologists, nutritionists, paediatricians and more. You can also find us on social media @chirpymoodscience.
