Mates in Mind is a leading Charity, enabling UK organisations, of any size, to improve and take proactive steps to raising mental health awareness and understanding across their teams. They bring industry insight, expertise, and a preventative approach around reducing the stigma and starting conversations about mental health across hundreds of workplaces. Importantly, their proactive approach enables individuals to understand how, when and where they can get support before they reach crisis point.
To date they have supported over 750 businesses and reached almost 700,000 employees directly.
If the alarming statistic that you are almost 4 times more likely to take your own life if you are a male working in the construction industry isn’t enough, here are a few more stats for you to share:
At Mates in Mind we advocate for creating positive mental health in and through work, by building a culture of prevention. Organisations have a key role to play in this, not least because they have a legal duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees. We believe that implementing a continuous and comprehensive approach can help reduce the likelihood of individuals reaching a crisis point, as supporting positive mental health in and through work becomes an integral part of everyone’s role.
Welcome to a special video series brought to you by fischer fixings UK, in partnership with the mental health charity Mates in Mind. This 5-part series takes a deep dive into some of the most critical mental health challenges faced by workers in the construction industry. We are proud to partner with Mates in Mind and encourage you to explore their website to learn more about their valuable work at www.matesinmind.org. To support their mission of breaking down mental health stigma in our industry.
Through open conversations, this series aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health in construction and offer guidance for those who may be struggling or know someone who is. Remember, it’s okay not to be okay, and help is always available. We’ll discuss important topics such as mental health awareness, the impact of stress and anxiety in the workplace, and practical ways to foster a more supportive environment for everyone working in construction.
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Some videos in this series may discuss sensitive topics, including thoughts of suicide and severe mental health issues. Viewer discretion is advised.
Please follow the fischer UK Youtube channel for our Mini series: fischer x Mates in Mind. Where we discuss openly our guests experiences with Mental health whilst working in construction. Here we try to tackle the stigma around our own Mental health from many different aspects. Including from the Trady, the support, the office employee and what the employer themselves can action change.
Mates in Mind have lots of materials they can provide to help you with both awareness and fundraising activities, and Chris’s story https://youtu.be/ZDg14zNIF-w is one that can add important context about why we must continue reaching out to people. Please be aware it will has a trigger warning that it mentions suicide if you are planning to share it and it isn’t an easy watch.
Also, Mates in Mind recognise the need to increased support for those struggling with substance use and so they are working with a specialist provider charity to develop interventions tailored to those working in construction. Stay tuned and find out more directly on their website www.matesinmind.org
We are all going through tough times right now and the old saying “every penny counts” is even more apt in today's current climate. However, at fischer we are trying to support Mates in Mind the best way possible. Fundraising helps the business continue and allows them to support more and more people every single year. If you haven’t spotted us fundraising at events and would like to contribute, please use the link below or scan the QR code. All of these proceeds go directly to Mates in Mind and can make a huge difference!
How your fundraising can help:
Also, Mated in Mind recognise the need to increased support for those struggling with substance use and so are working with a specialist provider charity to develop interventions tailored to those working in construction. It is this type of development work that we fundraise for, so we can get support to those that need it in ways that we understand will work within the sector.
To Donate scan the QR Code or Follow the link below
Further information:
There is lots of information on who Mates in Mind are on their website, and of course you can view any of their pages directly:
Information and Resources | Mates in Mind