5 minute read
Help Inside the Hard Hat campaign launched to support construction workforce
from ECN June 2021
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has launched its hard hitting and poignant ‘Help Inside the Hard Hat’ campaign which aims to raise awareness of mental wellbeing issues in the industry and, more importantly, how the workforce can reach out for help.
This is a campaign to get construction talking and it addresses the perception that construction workers are often seen as being ‘hard’ on the outside; always ready with a quip or keeping up with the alpha male image on site or at work. But research shows that simply isn’t true and the charity deals first-hand with the results of not addressing issues ‘inside the hard hat’. The vibrant posters and hoardings deliver four thought provoking quotes;
All of the campaign resources are available to download free of charge from the charity’s website so that everyone can get involved with helping inside the hard hat. There are a variety of poster sizes to choose from and companies can add their logo to show they are proudly supporting the campaign.
For those companies that want to ‘go large’ with their support, artwork suitable for hoardings and site buildings can also be provided free of charge.
The Help Inside the Hard Hat campaign was created by London agency And Rising which stepped forward to support the charity after hearing about mental health issues in the industry. Darius Rodrigues, Creative at And Rising says, “We were staggered by the statistic that every single working day, a construction worker takes their own life and this really pulled at the team’s heart strings. We wanted to do everything that we could, to not only help the Lighthouse Club raise awareness and address the enormity of the issue, but also to showcase all the fantastic work that is being done by the charity to support construction workers in crisis.”
The campaign is also being supported by the Considerate Constructor’s Scheme which is despatching free posters to all registered sites and also including free posters with all of the charity’s Construction Industry Helpline Packs.
Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, says, “We want to deliver a message of hope and reassure our construction community that ‘we’ve got their back’ and that we are working tirelessly to ensure that no construction worker or their family is alone in a crisis. We really want the industry to get behind this campaign so that our workforce knows about all of the resources we have available to help inside the hard hat. If construction workers don’t know we are here then we can’t help them. This is all about removing the stigma of talking openly about emotional wellbeing and encouraging people to start a conversation by checking that their work mates are OK. This one simple action could make all the difference to someone and could even save a life.”
Bill adds, “For the first time ever we’re also encouraging the industry to share our messaging, not just within the boundaries of a site but on external hoardings too. COVID-19 has brought the mental health agenda to the fore and so the timing is right to share our important message with a wider audience and create a sense of community with the general public; the same public that uses the schools, hospitals, roads etc, that our construction workforce work hard to deliver in often very difficult circumstances.”
The charity provides a 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline which provides a range of free and confidential wellbeing support services and this is complemented by its free Construction Industry Helpline App which offers expert guidance on a huge variety of wellbeing issues. It also offers a variety of free construction focussed training ranging from hour long interactive wellbeing sessions through to the MHFA England approved Mental Health First Aider course.
Companies can get involved by downloading their free posters and displaying them both within their sites and offices and also on site hoarding to make a really big impact. The charity is then urging everyone to take photos of their posters in situ and post them on social media to raise as much awareness as possible.
Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, lighthouseclub.org
He was our big mouth - he’d always have an answer for everything, except for why he should still be here.
He was the last off-site everyday, then one night, he left us way too early.
He was the joker. The one who made everyone on-site cry with laughter and then one morning, we just cried. He was such a polite lad, it didn’t make sense when he left without saying goodbye.
Our industry can be physically and mentally tough. Together with our partners and donors, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity are working night and day to ensure no worker or family feels alone in a crisis. So if you or a workmate need support, we are always here to help. Our industry can be physically and mentally tough. Together with our partners and donors, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity are working night and day to ensure no worker or family feels alone in a crisis. So if you or a workmate need support, we are always here to help. Our industry can be physically and mentally tough. Together with our partners and donors, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity are working night and day to ensure no worker or family feels alone in a crisis. So if you or a workmate need support, we are always here to help.
Registered Charity No. UK 1149488 | Registered Charity No. ROI 20200334. Company No. 08244118 | Copyright Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity 2021. Our industry can be physically and mentally tough. Together with our partners and donors, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity are working night and day to ensure no worker or family feels alone in a crisis. So if you or a workmate need support, we are always here to help.
