Wiltshire lorry driver gets mental health note on trucks

Mark Byers hopes people will see it and be encouraged to talk to someone

A lorry driver has helped add mental health posters to a fleet of trucks to encourage others to seek help.

Mark Byers from Westbury, Wiltshire, drives for Civils & Lintels and went to the managing director with the idea after facing his own challenges.

He explained there is still a stigma: "You're embarrassed about it, you're ashamed. I don't feel that anymore."

The posters point people towards Mates in Mind, which the company has also helped with fundraising.

Mr Byers believes that if the stigma was not there, he would not "have suffered for years and years without telling anybody".

"My wife knew. My children knew, but nobody else did," he explained.

"This stigma has got to go away. The guys at work used to ask if I was alright.

"Then my wife told them all. Once it came out, I felt a lot better in myself, because the guys understood."

Lorry drivers spend a lot of time alone, so it is hoped seeing these signs can help them get in touch with the charity

The lorries from the company travel all over the UK, so it is hoped it will be seen at nationwide depots and by the customers they visit.

Mates in Mind is known for helping people in the construction, transport, manufacturing and logistics industries.

"Being a lorry driver, you're on your own a lot of time. If you're suffering and you have something on your mind it goes over and over," Mr Byers explained.

"Someone could look at the back of lorry and think they need to talk to somebody, especially the guys away all week. They can just text and go from there" he added.

Managing director, Allan Wright at Civils & Lintel, decided to join the charity's board and said the idea "made perfect sense".

Mr Byers said "If it helps just one person, that's all it needs to do. That's the biggest achievement, just to talk. Don't let it all bottle up, just talk."