Swindon Man Steven Carr Wins British Citizen Award for Healthcare

Steven Carr received a British Citizen Award and was one of twenty-six people honored. The Palace of Westminster hosted the event. This award celebrates outstanding contributions to society.

Carr was given the BCA Medal of Honour for Service to Healthcare (BCAh). He earned this medal for his work, which focuses on mental health and suicide prevention.

Carr founded Mindcanyon, an organization that provides mental health training and suicide prevention education. Mindcanyon offers mental health first aid, suicide first aid training, and workplace wellbeing programs. These programs help identify mental health problems early and teach suicide prevention actions.

Carr’s own experiences inspired him, as he had a severe mental health crisis that left him homeless after a work issue. He walked the length of Great Britain to raise awareness of mental health. Seeing a lack of support, he created his own programs focused on mental health, suicide education, and wellbeing.

Since 2016, Carr has run over 200 courses teaching mental health first aid and suicide first aid. He often speaks at events and conferences, sharing his story and empowering others towards better health.

Steve Ashton, an officer at Places for People, presented Carr with the medal. Ashton said all nominations were inspiring and he felt privileged to represent them.

Matt Allwright, a TV presenter, hosted the presentation. Dame Mary Perkins, the founder of Specsavers, also attended. Sponsors at the event included One Stop, Specsavers, Places for People, Wates, and Novus Solutions. Lord Dholakia also served as a host, and medallists enjoyed an open-top bus tour provided by Big Bus London afterwards.