Morris Homes had a visit from the Lighthouse Charity’s #MakeItVisible On Site team to support industry workers across the Midlands with their mental wellbeing.
The Lighthouse Charity provides 24/7 holistic support to the UK and Ireland construction community on all aspects of emotional, physical and financial wellbeing.
And with 83% of workers in the sector experiencing anxiety and 60% experiencing depression, the charity’s vital services have never been more important. [i]
Morris Homes employees, subcontractors, and their families will be given full access to Lighthouse’s services.
These include its free and confidential 24/7 helpline, live web chat service and text facility which provides a range of information, guidance and support on a huge variety of wellbeing issues.
These services are complemented by Lighthouse’s free self-support app, along with their Lighthouse Beacons who provide a safe space for people to share concerns. The charity’s Wellbeing Academy will also offer a variety of free soft skills and leadership training.
To launch the partnership, Morris Homes organised two site visits to raise awareness around the support available via Lighthouse.
Held at its Hunsbury Grange development in Northampton earlier this month, the sessions kickstarted conversations around mental health in construction, while also reinforcing the importance of staying safe on site through accident prevention and PPE awareness.
Charity ambassadors from the #MakeItVisible team, Justin Manely and Rob Muldoon, led the event, sharing their expertise of dealing with mental health issues, as well as promoting workplace safety.
In an engaging discussion, Justin shared his experience following a life-threatening work accident, which caused physical and emotional distress. He now advocates for greater mental health support across the construction sector.
Translations were also provided for Romanian and Russian workers, while food and refreshments encouraged open dialogue in a relaxed atmosphere.
The move demonstrates Morris Homes’ commitment to creating safe, supportive working environments, ensuring nationwide teams have access to resources and skilled professionals, if needed.
Morris Homes has plans to roll out similar events across other sites in the North and Central England, encouraging employees to speak up and seek support, if needed.
Joanne McGarvey, Sales Director at Morris Homes, said: “At Morris Homes, our focus goes far beyond building homes. We aim to build communities within our developments, and this approach extends to our project teams too.
“The wellbeing of people working on our sites is crucial and, by partnering with Lighthouse, we’re helping to ensure support is available to our teams and their families should they need it. This partnership is a significant milestone in our missions to create safer, healthier workplaces across the UK’s construction sector.”
Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse Charity added, “We’re delighted to be partnering with Morris Homes to raise awareness of the support available to their teams. A crucial part of our work is offering preventative measures, so their proactive approach will help break down stigma, encourage conversations, and genuinely support those in need.”
