Mental health in the spotlight as construction firm hosts Make it Visible tour

Wynne Construction partnered with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity to help raise awareness of the mental health challenges faced by the sector as part of the charity’s ‘Make it Visible’ campaign.

A tour visited seven Wynne sites across the regions, including the major development of the new Ysgol Cedewain in Newtown.

Workers on site were invited to an open discussion about mental health and how to best address the stigmas and challenges in construction, as well as understand the wide network of support available to them should it be required.

The campaign aims to reduce the rising numbers of mental health-related illnesses and suicides within the sector.

The charity has highlighted that construction is the top sector for suicides and occupational-related cancer cases, with one-fifth of all work-related illnesses stemming from stress, anxiety, or depression.

Staff also had the chance to engage with the Make It Visible team on site to answer specific questions about wellbeing 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.

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.”

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, and free wellbeing training.