Balfour Beatty has teamed up with Ford to support the launch of a new suicide prevention campaign delivered in partnership with The Lighthouse Club – a charity which provides emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families.
Following Mental Health Awareness Week in May, ‘Make it Visible’ aims to combat construction worker suicide.
The initiative sets out to provide counsellors and mental health first aiders with a means to get to construction sites that do not currently have a mental health provision in place, with branded vehicles and onsite posters directing workers to a safe place to talk, enabling people to access mental health support more easily.
Suicide prevention awareness
Heather Bryant, Health, Safety and Environment director at Balfour Beatty, said: “For too long, the construction and infrastructure industry has treated mental health as the poor cousin of physical health. We must change this incredibly outdated perception – and at Balfour Beatty, we are continuing to lead the way.
“The ‘Make it Visible’ campaign compliments the work we have done with the charity Mates in Mind, by specifically helping to reach those, including smaller companies and supply chain partners, who may not be aware of the support available to them whilst also providing a dedicated, safe space to talk.”
Mandy Dean, director, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Britain and Ireland, commented: “This campaign is hugely important to Ford and highlights the importance of mental wellbeing alongside physical wellbeing on the construction site.
“As the UK’s best-selling commercial vehicle brand, it is likely the majority of construction workers are also Ford customers and operators, so we feel we have a duty to support them, through this partnership with the Lighthouse Club and Balfour Beatty, raising awareness and getting support to those in need of it.”
Bill Hill, CEO of The Lighthouse Club, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Ford to deliver the “Make it Visible” campaign.
“These highly distinguishable vans will be visiting sites across the country to deliver visible support to the boots on the ground workforce.
“The vehicles are manned by the Lighthouse Club’s on-site team who are all Mental Health First Aiders with relatable experiences in the construction industry.
“I am convinced that this initiative will have a positive impact on workforce wellbeing and ultimately save lives.”
Image: Bill Hill, CEO of The Lighthouse Club standing next to one of Ford’s branded vehicles (credit: Ford)
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