Men’s mental health group volunteer highly commended in BBC awards

The lead volunteer of a local men’s mental health group has been ‘highly commended’ in the BBC Make a Difference Awards, in the volunteer category. 

Chris Smith, who is the area manager of Man Down Wiltshire, attended the awards ceremony at Bowood Hotel on Sunday 14th September, where he enjoyed an afternoon tea with his wife, sister, and local woman Sian Perkins who nominated him.

“I was deeply touched, honoured and somewhat humbled to have been nominated alongside all the other nominees. We are all winners in my mind,” said Chris.

Chris launched Melksham’s Man Down group last year after experiencing anxiety and depression. The group is a peer-support group providing a friendly and welcoming space for men to talk about issues affecting their mental health. The movement originally started in Cornwall and locally there are now six Man Down groups.

Along with group meetings, Man Down also offers an app with a chat function, allowing men to reach out for help at any time of the day.

Chris said, “In our first year we had 300 individuals through the door plus 900 repeat visits. We recently opened our sixth group in Westbury and will open our seventh in Marlborough on the 3rd November, less than a year since we opened the Melksham group on 5th November 2024.”

The Melksham group meets at Bowerhill Village Hall fortnightly on Tuesdays at 7pm and was the second Man Down group to launch after Trowbridge. The name Man Down is the opposite of ‘Man Up’—a phrase often used to tell someone to deal with something bravely.

The BBC Make a Difference Awards are an annual event that gives people the chance to say thank you and recognise those who improve lives where they live.