Soul songstress Joss Stone has recalled happy memories of Deal seafront from when she lived in the town as a child.

The now American based performer who also attended school in Dover, recorded herself singing John Sebastian's I Had a Dream as part of an online discussion about mental health, prompted by the Music with Meaning social media campaign.

Miss Stone, 33, said: "I got the request to talk about a song that I'd written with meaning and how I felt when I wrote it and I understand that this project is to really highlight mental health and I suppose to talk about our brains and how we feel.

"I was thinking of some really good songs that have meaning and certain songs that I have sung have touched me, some times a lot more than some of the songs I have written myself.

"It's a song that my mum used to sing with her best friend walking along the Deal seafront singing at the top of their lungs and I get that image in my head every time I hear it.

"It's very hopeful and something that I suppose young minds would dream of - and then when you get older and you realise, maybe that's not how it is everyday."

"There's a lot of hope and a lot of hope and a lot of sadness in it. "

After giving a mesmerising a capella rendition, she said: "That's the song. I like it. I guess I'll keep that close and I guess I'll keep trying to have those dreams."

When talking about mental health the star says: "We're not rocks, we're not impenetrable.

"We use music and song and lyrics as a bit of an outlet. People do it in many different ways. I do think artistic things help me. Maybe some people might like to go boxing to get everything out."

She admits she went through a stage where she would smash things as a catharsis "which was fun" and "a bit of a bad clean up situation."

She adds: "It made me laugh and it got out a bit of anger and frustration."

On the social media post, in which Miss Stone tagged Music with Meaning, she wrote wrote: "I'm really happy to join the brilliant Music with Meaning campaign in support of mental health awareness.

"I'm sharing a song that reminds me of my home town, Deal and I would like to nominate my dear friend Paul @reflextv and Jack @jacksavoretti to carry the mental health baton and share a song that has meaning for them too.

"Sending you all loads of love and thank you @_musicformentalwealth_ for creating this initiative and connecting us all through the power of music. xxx"

Music with Meaning was started by Laura Westcott, a former resident of Finglesham between Deal and Sandwich.

Ms Westcott, who was a pupil Sir Roger Manwood's School in Sandwich in the 1990s and a student at Canterbury Christ Church University, founded the Music For Mental Wealth charity, from which the social media campaign was born.

She said: "I created the Music with Meaning campaign last year to open conversations around mental health through the power of music.

"The premise of Music with Meaning is to share the personal meaning behind a piece of music song they perform.

"Joss Stone, KT Tunstall, James Walsh (Starsailor), Tom McCrae, Pixie Lott are all involved.

"Our aim is to empower musicians to share their stories, encourage open conversations around mental health, build communities, connect people through music and give up-and-coming musicians an opportunity to be heard.

"We hosted nine live concerts last year in London in support of Music for Mental Wealth and were the charity partner for the Royal Marines Mountbatten Festival at the Royal Albert Hall - the last UK event attended by Prince Harry and Meghan.

"This Royal Marines partnership came about thanks to the Marines principal trumpet player, Mark Upton - who I played trumpet with at Northbourne Park School.

"Their principal conductor Lt Col Jon Ridley (who has just stepped down due to a back injury) is also from Deal and was at the Barracks during the bombing and is a huge advocate for mental health.

"It was his idea for the band to perform Sound of Silence, and encourage people to speak up about their mental health."

Music for Mental Wealth focuses on preventative measures for artists, performers and those around them in the music industry.

For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time.

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