A mother is continuing her late son's legacy by championing male mental health awareness.

Jan Godden, from Romsey, is raising awareness of men's mental health in memory of her son, Joe, who died suddenly in April.

He was found near the Sun Inn with serious injuries, with his beloved Southampton FC paying tribute to him with a minute's applause during the 28th minute of their match against Preston.

Joe was 28 when he died and was "deeply committed" to raising awareness of mental health issues.

Jan says she wants to continue his legacy and is supporting the charity Solent Mind on International Men's Day, which falls on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Saints make touching gesture for fan who died

She said: "Joe was a strong believer in getting help for mental health, especially for men.

"He struggled with his own mental health over the years, and he wanted to highlight how important it is for men his age to talk about what’s going on for them."

Joe was an aspiring musician, played the guitar, and was a great supporter of Solent Mind.

During the Covid pandemic, he performed live online sofa gigs from his home via YouTube.

Viewers could request a song of their choice in exchange for a donation to Solent Mind.

Thanks to that, he raised more than £1,000.

He also ran the Southampton half marathon in 2022 in aid of the charity.

READ MORE: Heartbroken mum of Joe Godden speaks out after son's death

Jan added: "Raising money to support mental health was Joe’s passion, and I want to make that his legacy and continue doing what I can to support what is such an important issue.

"At Joe’s funeral service in April, instead of cards and flowers, we asked our family and friends to donate to Solent Mind.

"We raised more than £2,700.

"Solent Mind are doing great things to support those who need it in Hampshire, and knowing they are helping people who are struggling, just like Joe, is wonderful."

Jan is adamant that more needs to be done to help people at crisis points.

She said: "It’s critical that people know exactly where they can go to access support, and especially men, who don’t always feel comfortable to reach out if they need help.

"I want to do as much as I can to raise awareness on this subject, just as Joe was doing."

  • Call Samaritans on 116 123.