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Travis Perkins has announced a new two-year partnership with Lighthouse, the construction charity which provides free 24/7 emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support for construction workers and their families.
This partnership will help the group shine a spotlight on the importance of prioritising mental health, both internally and externally, to help drive meaningful change across the business and the wider industry.
The partnership will initially focus on upskilling the group’s own workforce, through a mixture of Lighthouse-facilitated "lunch and learn" sessions, more formalised training for up-to-1,000 managers, and refresher training for the group’s 100+ mental health first aiders.
The group’s Specialist Merchants Managing Director and wellbeing sponsor, Catherine Gibson, explained: “The mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues is important to all of us at Travis Perkins Group, we will be focusing on upskilling our managers to equip them with tools and knowledge so they are better able to support their own and their teams’ wellbeing.
"It is our aspiration to help leaders have great conversations, and to enable them to use tools such as swapping stories, offering a listening ear or strengthening colleague connections in other ways, so we can be at our best at work and at home.”
Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse Charity, added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Travis Perkins to ensure their teams are accessing the support and training they need to facilitate a positive mental health culture.
"Encouraging frank conversations within the industry will help reduce the stigma of sharing concerns surrounding poor wellbeing, including mental health. Amplifying the message of support across every level of our industry is critical and working collaboratively with organisations such as Travis Perkins helps us achieve that.”
Over time, this partnership programme will become more external facing, with the group’s businesses using their position in the industry to strengthen connections with customers and suppliers by promoting the importance of good mental health and wellbeing.
For those working in construction who are struggling, the Lighthouse is available 24/7 for free and confidential support:
