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A construction charity has seen a 105.5% increase in messages to its text helpline after the launch of an initiative to take the mental health message to construction sites and estates teams across the UK.
Hays, the construction recruitment specialist, joined forces with the charity Band of Builders (BoB) in October, taking the lead on visiting sites and reaching out to both bosses and operatives to discuss tackling the industry’s mental health crisis and signposting support that is readily available, free and easy to access.
BoB CEO, Gavin Crane, said: “Hays is uniquely placed to take the mental health message to sites, and the fact that the number of messages to our text service has more than doubled in the last three months highlights the impact they are having in signposting members of the construction community to that all-important first step in asking for help.
“It’s vital to keep signposting where construction worker can get help if they are struggling with their mental health: they can text BOB to 85258.”
The latest figures from the helpline show that texts about depression, financial difficulties or relationship issues accounted for 52.9% of messages. Thankfully, the number of cries for help from construction workers considering taking their own lives has decreased from 30.4% to 13.1% in the last three months.
Gaelle Blake, director of the construction and property division at Hays, commented: “We’ve been really impressed with the brilliant work Band of Builders are doing to raise awareness of the mental health challenges that exist amongst construction workers, and we’re pleased to be able to support them to help ensure this message gets through to the temporary workers we place on sites across the country,” she said.
“Providing signposting and support for construction workers who might be struggling is essential to ensure that mental health is openly spoken about within the construction industry and that workers receive the support they need.”
