FOCUSING ON emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing support, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity delivered £3,927,992 of charitable support and helped 4,435 families in need in 2023 – a 30% increase on the previous year.

This is according to the charity’s 2023 Impact Report which details the support it has delivered to the UK and Ireland construction community.

Against a challenging backdrop of continued cost of living increases, material price rises, unpredictable workloads and labour shortages, the report reflects a year of resilience, growth, and impactful initiatives, says the charity. For every £1 of charitable spend, the charity created £10.06 of social value.

Demand for Support

The report outlines some of the collaborations that have facilitated sustainable futures for people in the industry and to support a new generation of workers.

The charity’s caseworkers supported 2,435 cases and secured £1,675,309 of funding through collaborative working with other charities and ensuring that people were accessing their statutory entitlements.

There was a 20% increase in the number of people accessing counselling services, with 42% of the charity’s grant expenditure being invested in fast access to both virtual and face to face counselling.

Charity Impact

One of the charity’s most impactful campaigns has been the #MakeItVisible onsite initiative. In 2023 the team visited 390 sites, reaching almost 26,000 site operatives, contractors, and allied trades, some of the industry’s most vulnerable workers. The charity’s onsite team share their own struggles in a relatable way, encouraging others to speak openly. Last year the onsite team had a life-saving impact with 139 workers who were experiencing suicidal thoughts.

In 2023 the charity’s Critical Incident Support team was called to 49 locations and supported 850 people affected by a serious or fatal onsite incident. The specialist team provides immediate support offering a ‘safe space’ for people to share their concerns and signpost to specialist trauma counsellors if necessary.

Wellbeing Academy

Aimed at equipping workers with the soft skills they need to navigate today’s challenges, the charity also extended its portfolio of training within their Wellbeing Academy which saw the introduction of self-paced eLearning.

These on demand modules respond to the diverse needs of a transient workforce with demanding work and home time commitments, says the charity. In 2023, the Wellbeing Academy delivered 436 courses and trained 3,606 individuals.

Sarah Bolton, CEO of the Lighthouse Charity said, “We are constantly looking for new ways to amplify our message of support and ensuring that we reach those who may not know how or where to ask for help. Our #MakeItVisible on site team do a fantastic job of reaching out to the sites and meeting some of our most vulnerable workers. We’re also increasing the number of collaborative  partnerships with other providers to offer specialist support to meet the diverse needs of our construction community.

“Our Impact Report is an annual opportunity to highlight our successes and reflect on what has worked well. It’s also an opportunity to identify and understand how we can be better and how we can support our industry’s wellbeing in every way.

“Our key message remains constant; no matter how small or large the problem may seem, we will always be able to help, and if we can’t be able to signpost to someone that can.”

Download the full 2023 Impact Report here.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, reach out for free and confidential support now.

24/7 Construction Industry Helplines:
0345 605 1956 (UK) | 1800 939 122 (ROI)

Live chat:
lighthouseclub.org | constructionindustryhelpline.com | makeitvisible.info

Text HARDHAT to 85258 (UK) | 50808 (ROI)

>> Read more about the Lighthouse charity in the news

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