September 10th officially marks World Suicide Prevention day. While this should always been an open topic of discussion, having a dedicated day where we can band together and truly acknowledge it is crucial.

As a construction business, we feel especially obligated to recognise the drastically higher rates of suicide among our industry. The Office for National Statistics reports that workers in construction are four times more likely to take their own lives, and as such we place a much larger responsibility on ourselves to ensure we promote mental health awareness.

This Wednesday (11th) at 10am, members of the Andy’s Man Club will be paying a visit to our head office in Leeds to deliver a presentation; they’ll discuss in more detail the work they do, how they can help, as well as more generally promote an environment where people can be open about their struggles. Despite their name, this talk open to all members of our team, and we encourage any and all of our staff to attend if they can.

We also have our own Mental Health First Aider team members: staff who are equipped with the necessary training to provide that initial support, and point you in the right direction – all with the guarantee of complete confidentiality.

Finally, we would be remiss to not mention the Lighthouse Construction Charity: a group dedicated to providing support to members of this industry. To get in touch with their helpline, simply call 0345 605 1956, or text HARDHAT to 85258.