World Mental Health Day 2023

Posted by Jo Whelan

October 10^th marks World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is ‘Mental Health is a universal human right’ which has been set by the World Health Organization. Some individuals encounter more significant obstacles than others when it comes to good mental health. WHO believes that everyone should have the right to available, accessible and acceptable good quality care. This day is a crucial reminder to raise awareness about mental health problems. Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is partnering with CITB, to support the World’s Biggest Construction Mental Health Check-In.

Mental Health Foundation is encouraging individuals to reach out about mental health issues. Here are some of their tips to encourage you to speak about your mental health:

1. Choose someone who you trust to talk to.

This can be a friend, family member, colleague or anyone who you feel comfortable talking to. Otherwise, you may find it easier to talk to someone who you don’t know such as a support helpline worker.

2. Think about the best place to talk.

Choosing a place where you feel comfortable enough to open up is important. You might also want to choose somewhere private where you’re less likely to be disturbed.

3. Prepare yourself for their reaction.

Hopefully, you will have a good experience when you open up to someone. But there’s a chance that they may not react in the way you hope. This may be for different reasons, they may be worried or not fully understand at first. If that’s the case, try to give them time to process what you’ve told them. It might help to give them information to read to help them understand. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself and practise self-care.

Natta’s Lighthouse Club Make It Visible Event and Natta Wellness Week.

What is Natta doing to help?

We understand that construction can sometimes be a challenging industry to work in. Within the workplace, stress can significantly impact an individual’s mental health. Lighthouse Club reports that every working day, 2 construction workers in the UK take their own lives. Creating a supportive working environment is essential.

In 2022, Natta signed up to The Mental Health Charter. We are a supporter of Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, our mental health charity partner. Natta’s dedicated Mental Health Hub provides our staff with easy access to valuable information and resources. The Construction Industry Helpline App on our staff’s mobile devices ensures that should they require a confidential conversation or immediate assistance, the necessary support is right at their fingertips. We have implemented a Wellbeing and Mental Health policy for our business as well.

In September, we held our annual Natta Wellness Week. Our employees had the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities relating to physical and mental health and wellbeing, providing an opportunity to step away from their desks, re-energise and take part in team-building exercises throughout the week.

Mental Health Courses:

As a business, we are rolling out the Lighthouse Wellbeing Masterclass as well as a number of mental health courses. CISTC our training provider also run Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses. These first aid courses include an in-depth understanding of mental health and what factors can affect well-being in a workplace. The course also includes practical skills to recognise the triggers and signs of mental health

Make It Visible Events:

This year, we have welcomed the Lighthouse ‘Make It Visible’ team to our sites in North Horsham and Legoland Windsor. As part of the charity’s ‘Help Inside The Hardhat’ campaign, they visit construction sites across the UK and Ireland to present and discuss the importance of looking after your mental health. The visits held an informal but informative mental health awareness ‘Toolbox Talk’. All site operatives could engage in one one-on-one chats, with the team safely and confidentially.