Daily Echo Camera Club member gets letter from King

A Daily Echo Camera Club member dedicated to raising awareness of the mental health benefits of nature has received a letter from the King.

Trevor Parsons, 56, had two mental breakdowns in his life, one in the 90s and another in 2013, which he says have forever shaped him.

The keen photographer realised the healing power of being in nature which helped him to overcome the dark times in his life.

This helped him to recover and since then, Trevor from Verwood, Dorset has been giving talks on how wildlife impacts our well-being.

He even wrote to the King but never expected to hear back. But recently he received a response thanking him for taking the time to let the King know about his life experience.

"It was really touching. It was unbelievable I still can't believe it", Trevor told the Echo.

He spoke about the time he went into his first mental breakdown.

"I wasn't sleeping. I broke down crying and couldn't stop," the 56-year-old said, "I spiralled down into depression and anxiety. I ended up having no idea what to do."

At one point Trevor stayed at St Anne's Hospital in Poole for treatment. He was discharged following a month but developed Agoraphobia, a fear of leaving his own house.

It was during this time that he began to realise the impact wildlife had on him.

He said: "You never feel like you're getting better at the time, but I started realising it was doing me good. It's nature and we were made to be outside so no wonder it does us so well."

This helped him to recover and since then, Trevor from Verwood, Dorset has been giving talks on how wildlife impacts our well-being.

He has given six talks at the Natural History Museum - including at David Attenborough Studio - and recently has received a letter from the King after writing to him about his life story.

Letter from the King to Trevor Parsons (Image: Trevor Parsons)

The letter, from the Head of Royal Correspondence, read: "The King greatly appreciates that you should taken the trouble to write to him as you did as he was touched that you should share such a meaningful story about the peace that focuses on nature through your camera."

Speaking to the Echo after he received the letter, Trevor said: "It was really touching. It was unbelievable I still can't believe it.

"I gave a talk at the David Attenborough Studio on Tuesday and got the letter on Friday."

Looking back the 56-year-old, a regular member of the Echo's Camera Club said: "I never thought about my mental health before I had my breakdown. It's when something dramatic in your life happens that you realise the importance of looking after yourself."