The construction industry is losing one person a week to suicide on average, and a local charitable trust, Building Wellness Taranaki, has been established to help address this.
Part of the trust’s initiatives is offering a platform for knowledge sharing and to learn about mental health. The first Quarterly Tools to Talk session on the 13th of April featuring David Downs and Dr Andy Walmsley, had an impressive turnout of 128 attendees.
“It was great to see the community come together to support the cause and be open to change,” said Christina Lorth, Coordinator of Building Wellness Taranaki.
“The session offered powerful insights and some practical tips of what we can do better to support ourselves, and each other. It is clear when we hear the stories and see the statistics, we have a long way to go”.
“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, suggesting that what we are doing is a step in the right direction,” adds Christina.
Building Wellness has the vision to improve the culture and the well-being outcomes of the sector, but the trust cannot do this alone. The Trust is encouraging more businesses to get on board, become a member, and join them on this journey.
A key benefit of membership opens up the opportunity for businesses to have free Wellness Buddy training for their teams. Training equips staff with the knowledge and skills to look after themselves and each other and is a key enabler for normalising conversations around mental health.
To utilise free Buddy training for your teams and to become a member, email help@buildingwellness.co.nz or visit: Membership – Building Wellness.