TAYLOR Wimpey and the Lighthouse Charity are strengthening their partnership in a bid to improve access to mental health and wellbeing support for construction workers.
The housebuilder has donated a new van to the Lighthouse Charity to help its team reach more workers across the UK with mental health awareness talks as part of the #MakeItVisible campaign.
The team visits sites to share their lived experiences, with the aim of helping to reduce the stigma of starting a conversation and creating a safe space for people to talk. So far this year, the charity has visited 506 construction sites across the UK and Ireland and spoken to 27,000 workers to spread awareness of its free and confidential 24/7 holistic support, which covers all aspects of emotional, physical and financial wellbeing.
During these visits, the team has been able to give immediate support to 40 workers who expressed suicidal thoughts, and to encourage others to take the first step to seeking help if they are struggling.
As a signatory to Lighthouse’s Building Mental Health Charter, Taylor Wimpey is already working with the charity to provide mental health training for employees. The donation of a new van builds on this partnership. To mark the donation, the #MakeItVisible team visited Taylor Wimpey’s Bovingdon Grange development in Hertfordshire to deliver its latest talk to the site team.
Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse, said, “We were absolutely delighted to hear the news that Taylor Wimpey wanted to support this vital initiative in such a huge way. Having an additional vehicle to reach out to our front line trades means so much. It will allow us to extend our message of support even further and ensure that our workforce and their families know about the help available, and how to reach out for that support. We know that this initiative continues to make a life changing and a life saving impact and we’re honoured to have Taylor Wimpey on board, thank you to everyone that has helped make this happen.”
Rose Sandell, group communities director and chair of Taylor Wimpey’s charity committee, added, “The health and wellbeing of our employees is vitally important and the Lighthouse Charity is doing fantastic work in raising awareness of the free, confidential support services available to construction workers who may need it. By reducing stigma and encouraging people to talk about their mental health, the charity’s #MakeItVisible campaign is making a real difference, and I hope the donation of a new van will help them to reach even more people who may not know where to turn. A number of our site teams have already benefitted from a #MakeItVisible visit and we look forward to welcoming the charity to more of our developments soon.”
Further information about the Lighthouse Charity and the support available for construction workers and their families can be found at www.lighthousecharity.org
