Van-driver mental health campaign wins award

Van Excellence’s initiative with the charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) which aims to increase awareness of and conversations about mental health among van drivers has won the Innovation Award at the Company Van Today Awards.
 
The award was presented in recognition of the Van Excellence team’s dedication to breaking down the stigma around mental health and raising awareness of the resources available for van drivers who may be struggling with their own health issues.
 
Mark Cartwright, Head of Vans and Light Commercial Vehicles at FTA, which administers the Van Excellence scheme, explains why the campaign is so powerful: “When we first heard that one in five van drivers describes their mental health as poor or very poor, we were inspired to take action. Despite its prevalence, mental health problems remain undiscussed, with drivers who suffer remaining silent for fear of stigma or an unawareness of the resources available. That’s why we launched the CALM Van scheme; it is high time mental health and the solutions for the problems it creates are brought out of the shadows and into the spotlight.”
 
Under the CALM Van scheme, vehicle hire and leasing companies are encouraged to provide support packs and information to all customers. Crafted by Van Excellence, in association with the charity’s key advisers, the packs promote CALM’s support services and are available to all those leasing through member organisations including Arval, Activa, Reflex Vans, Arnold Clark and Venson Automotive Solutions.