Lighthouse & Knauf champion wellbeing support in construction

*Trigger warning – this article contains references to suicide.

We are extremely proud to support Lighthouse – the Construction Charity, a fantastic organisation that provides free physical, mental and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families throughout the UK and Ireland.

In the UK, the leading cause of death in men under 50 is suicide and the Samaritans report that men working within construction have triple the risk of suicide, compared to the male national average. As 85% of the UK construction industry is male, charities like the Lighthouse Charity, are crucial in providing easily accessible intervention support.

The Lighthouse Charity #MakeItVisible team travel all around the UK and Ireland, visiting sites, builder’s merchants and construction companies so everyone working within the construction industry knows where to access support in times of crisis.

The #MakeItVisible van comes to Sittingbourne

On Tuesday 24th June, we welcomed a visit from two members of the #MakeItVisible team, Andy Bishop and Sam Wilson, who arrived at our Sittingbourne site in their bright neon yellow, orange and green van – their colourful vehicle reinforcing their campaign message and making them entirely visible.

All Knauf employees, from the factory to the office blocks, were invited to a thought-provoking talk by Andy and Sam as they shared their deeply personal and moving experiences around their own mental health challenges.

After the session, Andy and Sam were available for a chat with anyone finding life difficult and needing a little extra help – providing a safe space, with zero judgment.

The Lighthouse Charity provides vital support

The Lighthouse Charity bases their support on 3 pillars:

Mental Health
Whether it’s dealing with loss and bereavement, trauma support, bullying or general mental health, the Lighthouse Charity can support you.

Physical Wellbeing
If you need advice on diet, nutrition and exercise, addiction or sleep issues, the Lighthouse Charity are there for you.

Financial Wellbeing
Many people are struggling in a cost-of-living crisis so if you need any advice on debt management, redundancy, budgeting or financial support, the Lighthouse Charity are at the end of the phone, waiting for your call.

They can also talk you through how to get your CSCS card, as well as other training opportunities to help you improve your employability prospects as a labourer.

Read more about the full support services provided by the Lighthouse Charity.

Help and support is always available

If you are working in the construction industry and need support, contact the Lighthouse Charity for confidential, free 24/7 support on:
UK – 0345 605 1956 / ROI – 1800 939 122

Can’t talk on the phone? That’s fine, too.  Just text HARDHAT to:
UK – 85258 / ROI - 50808

You can check out the various other ways to contact the Lighthouse Charity.

It’s ok to not be ok. We all need a little extra help at times but there is always help and support available. These services will not cost you anything but could literally save a life - and life is priceless.