The Lighthouse Charity has published its 2025 Impact Report, showing the demand it faced to deliver "unprecedented and vital emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support in what has been another challenging year for the industry".
The report lists a number of key achievements by the charity in 2025, which includes increasing the charitable and leveraged support delivered to £6.3 million, supporting 6,712 families, responding to 94 critical incidents (a 42% increase compared to 2024), and funding 8,714 counselling sessions (a 51% increase on the previous year).
The charity says this has been delivered against a backdrop of external pressures across the construction sector, with ongoing increased material costs and labour shortages, which in turn have a direct impact on the industry's workforce.
Demand for all of the charity's services has grown, and in particular, there has been an unprecedented 42% increase in the number of calls seeking support from the charity's critical incident team. This service responds to serious incidents and fatalities both on and off site and ensures that those who have witnessed or been affected by the incident receive expert and specialist support.
Remarking on the report's findings and the charity's proactive and reactive support strategy, Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse Charity, said: "Last year we continued with our strategy of increasing awareness of our services and building and supporting our communities. This has been incredibly successful, and we have been able to connect with more people than ever before. As well as supporting 17% more families than in the previous year, we also reached more people through our #MakeItVisible initiative and our Critical Incident Response Service."
She also commended the charity's resilience and ability to respond to the increase in demand for services: "it's imperative that we have the resources to be able to respond to those that need our help, so we now have a team of 12 front line call handers and caseworkers.
"They are the critical touch point for those reaching out for support through our 24/7 helpline and we have also enhanced our live web chat service so that this too is available 24/7. This ensures that we have the resources and expertise to meet the diverse needs of our community whilst proactively seeking new sources of funding."
The report includes a feature detailing the role of the charity's caseworkers and highlights the £2.7 million of support gleaned from external sources, including funding from other charities and through ensuring people are accessing their statutory benefits before the charity releases its own funds.
The charity says it has also demonstrated its ability to maintain the continuity of its services and deliver sustainable financial support to the industry by drawing on its reserves to fund the support the industry so desperately needs.
Bolton continued: "Our number one priority is the community we serve and these strategic decisions have allowed us to continue to deliver our vital support. We will maintain our focus on our core services whilst ensuring lean working practices and continuous process improvement."
Demonstrating the charity's impact on wellbeing, communities, and society, the report also reveals that for every £1 of charitable spend, the Lighthouse Charity generated £16.96 of social value, evidencing an exceptional return on investment.
Bolton added: "Our team are so proud of the meaningful impact our work delivers, but we can only do what we do with the continued support of our industry, so I would like to extend a special thank you to everyone who contributes to our cause and helps us change and save lives."
2026 marks a significant year in the Lighthouse Charity's history as it celebrates 70 years of delivering charitable support to the construction community. This milestone will be celebrated throughout the year with a number of key events across the UK and Ireland.
