The Lighthouse Charity provides 24/7 free and confidential holistic emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to the construction community in the UK and Ireland. During Mental Health Awareness Week, Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse Charity, offers her insight into the challenges of the construction industry, what’s working well and how we can all contribute to a positive mental health culture for the industry.
Setting the scene
Construction can be tough – tight deadlines, long hours, physically demanding jobs and job uncertainty can all take their toll. Pressure, pace and resilience are often seen as strengths within the sector, but these same characteristics can make it harder for people to reach out for support.
But last year, our charity saw a 17% increase in the number of families reaching out for help and we delivered an unprecedented £6.3 million of charitable support. 59% of the support we delivered addressed an element of poor mental health and we funded over 8,700 counselling sessions. Those figures are being eclipsed again in 2026. In the first quarter of this year, we’ve seen a 25% increase in the number of families reaching out for support and a 44% increase in counselling sessions compared to the same time period last year.
A large proportion of our industry’s workforce are self employed and finishing trades. They’re at the end of the line, where the budget and timelines are squeezed, the pressure is on and they don’t have a network of support. Put all of that together and it’s a perfect storm.
You could say that all of this paints a poor picture, but actually, the increase in demand for our support shows that things are changing, people are beginning to feel more confident in seeking help and that we are extending the message of support to those that need it most.
And whilst we’re unable to control many of the external factors impacting our industry, what we can do is equip our workforce with the resources and soft skills to help them manage the challenges of daily life at work and home.
Encouraging people to reach out for support
We need to embody the concept that reaching out for help shows strength, not weakness. Our industry still struggles with this perception, but we’re working hard to change it. We need to normalise conversations around mental wellbeing and give people permission to say, ‘I need some help’. Poor mental health can affect anyone, so just because you’re the site manager, or you get paid a bit more, it doesn’t make you immune.
And encouraging open conversations comes from good leadership, through letting people know there’s no judgement. Leadership comes from every level – whether you’re a site labourer, the person on the gate, or a manager, positive mental health is everyone’s responsibility.
Making it visible
One of the ways that Lighthouse supports this ethos is through the delivery of our #MakeItVisible initiative. Last year, our team visited 677 sites across the UK and Ireland. The success of this initiative is the strength behind our team sharing their own lived experiences. Without fail, their personal stories encourage others to step forward for support. It’s about being authentic – it makes all the difference when someone who’s been in their shoes says, ‘I’ve been where you are, I completely understand and there is help available.’
A psychological safe space
On a recent webinar where I was a panel member discussing positive mental health, someone commented, ‘It’s not just about fruit baskets in the break room’ and that really struck a chord with me. It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel able to share. Where they can see that it’s not just them that’s going through a tough time or experiencing problems- that’s where the real change is going to come from. And this needs to be constant – not just a one-off toolbox talk or site induction. You wouldn’t tell someone it’s okay to take off their high-vis jacket after a few weeks, so why would you stop creating a safe environment for people to talk?
Beyond the default
How many times do we ask someone whether they are okay, but not really listen to the answer? Hi, how are you? Yeah, fine, you?’ It’s just our default response. But if we were all just to ask twice, especially when we think someone might be struggling, whether they’re quieter than usual, or you know they’re going through a difficult time outside of work. It’s such a simple thing to do and no one is expected to have all the answers or to be able to fix the problem. Just listening and signposting someone to support is enough, we’ll do the rest.
Never too early
And that leads me on to the importance of reaching out for help at an early stage. We are always able to help people, but so often they have already reached crisis point before reaching out for support. We want to ensure that they feel able and validated in reaching out to prevent issues escalating, no matter how small the problem is. For example, when they receive that first bill they can’t pay, we want them to contact us so that we can get ahead of the problem, to help reduce the stress and anxiety. We can get the interventions in place and understand what other issues there might be playing in the background. It’s about getting them on a sustainable pathway much earlier. We know that all elements of wellbeing are intrinsically linked, so even though someone might call us about a financial or physical health problem, undoubtedly, this will also be impacting on their emotional wellbeing too.
A solution to fit their journey
Taking that first step in seeking help can be tough and each person’s journey is unique, so we make it as easy as possible for people to reach out for support. We’re real people getting to the heart of the problem and in every aspect of that, there’s no judgement, just someone ready to listen. Whilst some prefer to call us on the phone, others prefer to use our live web chat facility. We also have our self-support app and lighthouse beacons that can offer face to face support with like-minded people. Again, it’s about joining the dots, reducing the stigma, making sure that people can reach out in a variety of ways and then providing holistic and sustainable support that fits their journey.
Changing the narrative
We really need to improve mental health literacy from the earliest opportunity, through school curriculums and on through apprenticeships and into the workplace. It’s imperative that we create a culture where people aren’t afraid to start a conversation about mental wellbeing and know about the support available to them.
I also believe that there’s room for improvement when it comes to managing mental health in our industry. I’d like to see a directive to make mental health first aid training mandatory, just like physical first aid. And it shouldn’t be a tick box exercise – mental health first aiders need to be relatable and approachable individuals who are adept and trained to spot the signs of someone struggling.
Always learning
It’s always so positive to see a concerted effort by so many people and organisations during Mental Health Awareness Week. For us at Lighthouse, this is what we do every day. Every day makes a difference and we are always seeking new avenues and different methods to spread the message of support. Not everything works as you thought it might but I think it’s really important that we did the things that didn’t work too, because they lead us on to the things that do and that’s how we learn, isn’t it?
Some of the things we did in the early days weren’t as polished as they are now, but we’re always looking to improve. That’s the same for improving mental health in our industry. One of our charity’s life coaches recently said to me that real change rarely comes from one big action, it comes from small choices and actions repeated over time. And that’s so right. We all have our part to play by listening beyond the default, asking twice, checking if okay really does mean okay and continuing to contribute to positive change in our amazing industry.
If you or anyone you know is struggling, reach out for 24/7 free and confidential support now;
24/7 helplines; 0345 605 1956, (UK) 1800 939 122 (ROI)
Live chat www.lighthousecharity.org
Text HARDHAT to 85258 (UK) or 50808 (ROI)
Find out more at www.lighthousecharity.org
