North Wales construction firm, Wynne Construction, has partnered with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity to raise awareness of mental health challenges in the construction sector
Wynne Construction has partnered with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity to host a series of site visits across Wales as part of Lighthouse’s ‘Make it Visible’ campaign.
The tour visited seven Wynne sites across the regions, including the construction of an engineering centre of excellence at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Rhyl campus and the development of a new Ysgol Cedewain in Newtown.
An open discussion about how to address mental health stigmas was held
Workers were invited to discuss mental health stigmas in the construction industry. The workers were also shown the wide network of support available to them should it be required.
The ‘Make it Visible’ campaign aims to reduce the rising numbers of mental health-related illnesses and suicides within the sector. Lighthouse has highlighted that the construction industry is the most impacted industry for suicides and occupational-related cancer cases, with one-fifth of all work-related illnesses stemming from stress, anxiety, or depression.
Staff also engaged with the Make It Visible team on site to answer specific questions about well-being and mental health, which they may have had and the opportunity to enter a draw to win a prize sponsored by Wynne as part of the campaign.
‘Ensuring staff can feel comfortable and supported in their roles’
Alison Hourihane, social value coordinator at Wynne Construction, said: “Construction is a challenging and demanding sector, but that does not mean workers have to sacrifice their mental health in the process.
“As a company, we are constantly looking for ways in which we can support the health and wellbeing of our employees, and that is why we were passionate about having the Lighthouse charity speak to our staff about the tools and resources available.
“Supporting the development of an understanding workplace culture through programmes such as Make it Visible is vital to ensuring all staff can feel comfortable and supported in their roles.”
Addressing the barriers within the sector through an informal approach
Sarah Bolton, director of charitable services for the Lighthouse Charity, said: “It is so important to visit sites like Wynne’s so that we can reach the boots of the ground workforce and ensure that we get our message of support to those who may otherwise not know how or where to reach out for support.
“Key to this process of addressing the barriers within the sector is through an informal approach, letting people know that they are not alone in dealing with these challenges and sharing experiences in a more relaxed manner to reduce the stigma.
“We’ve had terrific feedback from the team visiting Wynne’s sites in North and Mid Wales as part of the campaign and we would like to thank Wynne for its support during the tour.”
The Lighthouse Charity has a range of proactive free, and confidential support available for anyone in construction or their families, including:
- A 24/7 helpline and text service
- A free self-support app
- Lighthouse Beacon support groups
- Free well-being training
Wynne Construction operates throughout Wales and the North West of England is on the North Wales Construction Partnership (NWCP), Pagabo’s Medium Works Framework, the South-East and mid-Wales Collaborative Construction Framework (SEWSCAP3) and the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SSWRCF).
Contact Lighthouse on:
- UK 0345 609 1956
- ROI 1800 939 122
