Steven Carr, a Swindon resident, has been awarded the British Citizen Award (BCA) at a ceremony held at the Palace of Westminster in recognition of his outstanding contributions to healthcare.
Carr, one of 26 individuals honoured at the event, received the BCA Medal of Honour for Service to Healthcare (BCAh) for his work in mental health and suicide prevention. He is the founder of Mindcanyon, an organisation dedicated to providing mental health and suicide prevention training.
Mindcanyon offers a range of programmes, including mental health first aid, suicide first aid, and workplace wellbeing initiatives. The aim is to help both individuals and organisations identify early signs of mental health challenges and take proactive steps to prevent suicides.
Carr’s work in mental health was deeply influenced by his own experiences. After enduring a severe mental health crisis at work that left him homeless, he embarked on a walk across Great Britain to raise awareness about mental health issues. This journey helped him recognise the significant lack of support available, prompting him to create his own mental health and suicide prevention training courses.
Since founding Mindcanyon in 2016, Carr has delivered over 200 mental health and suicide first aid courses and has become a prominent speaker at conferences and events. He continues to share his personal story and work to empower others to prioritise mental health and wellbeing.
Steve Ashton, Chief Partnership Officer at Places for People, presented Carr with the BCA Medal of Honour. Ashton expressed his admiration for the nominees, stating, “All nominations were totally inspiring and humbling. It was an absolute privilege and honour to represent Places for People as founding sponsors.”
The presentation was hosted by TV presenter Matt Allwright and attended by BCA patrons, including Dame Mary Perkins, founder of Specsavers. Other supporters, including sponsors One Stop, Specsavers, Places for People, Wates, and Novus Solutions, as well as peer host The Rt Hon Lord Dholakia, were also present.
Following the ceremony, the award recipients enjoyed a celebratory open-top lap of honour tour, provided by Big Bus London.
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