The amount of aid provided to construction workers from an industry mental health charity rocketed by 75% in 2018 to £1.25 million.

The 24 hour Construction Industry Helpline from the Lighthouse Charity received calls from 1,662 families last year, with 662 seeking emergency financial support, an increase of 40% on the previous year.

Of the 1662 cases presented to the helpline, 1033 of these were given advice and support on issues ranging from mental wellbeing issues through to legal, debt management and taxation advice. The charity has also seen a huge increase for requests of their helpline packs and now have over 350,000 helpline cards in circulation within the construction workforce.

Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said: “On the positive side, the 2018 figures show that we are reaching out to more construction workers and their families, but it also means that too many of them find themselves in desperate situations.

“The significant escalation in families needing our support has taken us by surprise and has put pressure on our finances.

“But the only way that we can plan ahead is with predictable income. That’s why we launched our Company Supporters initiative and our ‘Save a Life’ campaign.”

The campaign urges companies to pledge a regular annual donation. If you would like your business to get involved, click here

With the support of construction software firm ‘COINS’, the charity has also recently launched their helpline app. The app helps people find out more information about how they can help themselves or take the next step in seeking professional help.

It is a preventative tool and provides support at the early stages of a situation so that the problem does not reach a life critical stage. It provides information, advice and guidance on many wellbeing topics including stress, anxiety, depression, anger and suicidal thoughts.