After 18 months touring the country and gathering face-to-face survey responses for our mental health report, Causeway officially launched a significant lobbying campaign to encourage companies to pledge greater support for mental health in November last year. The campaign advocates for mental health provision to be included in health and safety and social value procurement conditions in construction contracts.
One supporter of this is scaffolder Matt Hartill, who is doing his bit to share his inspirational story and support others in the construction industry with their mental health.
After hitting rock bottom, Matt had decided he wanted to end his own life. Fortunately, he was stopped from doing so by a phone call from a colleague who had been told by others close to him that they had noticed he might not be feeling well mentally.
"If my friends weren't looking out for me, I wouldn't be here."
The reason Matt is still here today is all because someone from his workplace checked in on him and gave him the opportunity to share how he was really feeling.
Since that momentous day, Matt has rebuilt his life with the support of his employer, Lyndon SGB, part of BrandSafway. The company put him forward for counselling and allowed him to take the necessary time off and gradually return to work. He worked his way back up through the ranks to eventually become a supervisor.
Alongside this, he trained to become a mental health first aid instructor and now delivers workshops to people working in the construction industry as well as youngsters. He also conducts ‘behind the bike shed’ talks to share his story while signposting people to help and initiatives that provide support and drive change.
When it became difficult to juggle this alongside his day job, Lyndon SGB redefined Matt’s role so that he could continue doing both.
This is a real-world example of the part construction firms can play in reversing the taboo surrounding mental health.
Causeway’s campaign will now go on the road to lobby businesses and government representatives all over the country. The aim is to have over 150 people in industry sign our pledge, before returning to London next year to report on progress and take our message to parliament.
For more information on our mental health campaign, click here.
