Salisbury man to represent charity at CarFest 2023

My Black Dog is a charity that offers peer-to-peer support for people who are struggling with their mental health. All of their volunteers are people who have lived experiences of their own mental health battles and understand what you are going through.

He is one of nine who are the ‘Faces’ of this year's Do More Good Campaign, each representing one of the eight charity partners who receive direct and life-changing funding from the festival.

CarFest, the family festival created by Chris Evans, continues in its mission to Do More Good by spreading the word about how the money raised from ticket sales to CarFest directly supports eight incredible charities, notably helping young people in the UK.

Launched in 2012, the weekend-long family festival was created to raise funds for UK children’s charities. Since its inception, the festival has raised over £24 million for its charity partners.

Neil, 43 from Salisbury, is the face of My Black Dog. He has had a Depression and Anxiety Disorder for his entire life, with three suicide attempts. Neil is an ambassador for the mental health charity which saved his life and now learns from his experiences and passes the lessons on to others, through My Black Dog as a peer-to-peer support volunteer. For that, he thanks them every single day. His daughter Ivy, 11, remains one of his closest supporters and is a staunch CarFest fan with high hopes to meet McFly!

The money that CarFest raises for My Black Dog will help them to keep their services running and help those people who are struggling through very dark days. They currently help over 6,000 people a year.

Chris Evans said: “CarFest has always been about helping those in need, and the fact that thousands of people also get to enjoy one of the best weekends ever whilst doing so much good for so many others, is a double win-win.”

Neil stated: “I am now pleased to be the person I am. I do not dwell on my past or low times; I now learn from my experiences and pass these lessons on to others, through My Black Dog as a peer-to-peer support volunteer. For that I thank them every single day.

"My wife Carla, Ivy and I have a great connection, through my low periods they have been my light. Car Fest is an opportunity for us as a family to celebrate and let loose. We look forward to the event every year, while they enjoy the many attractions I am busy helping others at the My Black Dog stand, supporting those who need help with their challenges. (And also sneaking off to enjoy the event too).”

Held over the bank holiday weekend of 25th-27th August at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire, cinch presents CarFest 2023 will again host a whopping seven magical festivals in one: AdventureFest, FoodFest, KidsFest, RetroFest, StarFest, SpaFest and of course, CarFest!

Tickets are available to purchase here: www.carfest.org