Innes Smith

Springfield Properties, as well as Dawn Homes, Walker and Glassgreen, which are part of the wider Springfield Group, will work with Lighthouse to establish clear lines for staff, subcontractors and their families to the charity.

Those who wish to use the service will have free access to trained professionals who can support on subjects ranging from financial to mental health and wellbeing.

The partnership, which will run for the next 12 months, has been announced in tandem with World Mental Health Day, Sunday (10 October).

As part of the new partnership, Springfield will support the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity’s ‘Help Inside the Hard Hat’ campaign, to ensure messages of support and contact information are on hand at all construction sites across the company.

On top of this, the Group plans to offer a further 40 employees the opportunity to complete a Mental Health First Aid course and a Suicide Prevention qualification while continuing to actively encourage all staff to complete mental health awareness.

Innes Smith, CEO of Springfield, said: “Male suicides are at their highest – especially in the construction industry. Between 2011 and 2017, 20% of suicide victims in Scotland worked in construction industry. Following these alarming statistics, we decided to take action to show there is support available for those who need it and ensure there are tools readily available for them to seek help.

“The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is an invaluable source of support for those who work in the construction sector – not just for direct employees, but their families and our subcontractors too.

“In particular, the ‘Help Inside the Hard Hat’ campaign which raises awareness of the importance of our mental wellbeing and aims to break down the stigma that is associated with asking for help, particularly within our industry. I look forward to continuing to work with our charity partners over the next year to provide support for our colleagues and partners throughout Scotland.”

Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, added: “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the Springfield Group for becoming one of our valued Company Supporters and providing an annual donation which means that we have a predictable and sustainable income so that we continue to increase our pro-active support to the construction community.”