Orbit Homes hosts mental health in construction events

Orbit Homes have hosted mental health awareness days for construction colleagues at our developments in the Midlands, East and South of England.

The wellness events took place at our flagship Daventry development, Micklewell Park, The Hedgerows in Hellingly and Mill View in Dereham.  

The wellbeing sessions included free health checks and information packs provided by wellness company Bluecrest, as well as insightful talks from health and safety consultants R G Wilbrey and The Black Country Blokes, a men’s mental health podcast that discusses issues related to being a man in today’s society.

The sessions ended with a buffet lunch for colleagues to socialise and talk openly with each other about their mental wellbeing. Attendees were also given emergency telephone numbers for people in distress, information about healthy eating and advice on workplace mental health.

Helen Moore, Group Director of Orbit Homes, said: “We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our colleagues. Mental health, particularly within the construction industry, still has a significant stigma surrounding it, so we want to create an environment where people feel comfortable talking about their health and wellbeing.

“The wellness events at Micklewell Park, The Hedgerows and Mill View have given not only our own teams, but also those of our contractors, plenty of information and guidance on managing their mental health and encouraged everyone to seek the help they need if they are struggling, and not to suffer in silence.”

James Flaherty, Training Manger at R G Wilbrey, who was a guest speaker at the events, added: “I think it is great that organisations such as Orbit Homes are carving out time to bring people together and talk about mental health considering the current climate with such demanding programmes.

“Mental health is a gauge of how an individual thinks, feels and acts. It should be managed at the same rigidity as all occupational health in construction. Mental Health First Aid is just one piece of a jigsaw, and we should as an industry spend time developing resilience in individuals and teams to be prepared for ups and downs of work and life at home.”

Gustave Godden, Customer Care Operative at Orbit Homes who attended The Hedgerows event, commented: “I want to thank Orbit Homes for hosting such a useful mental health session at The Hedgerows. It was great to listen to The Black Country Blokes talk about their experiences of mental health, and they communicated it in a way which all of the builders could relate to. The health check was excellent, and I feel like I gained a lot from attending the event. A good chat was had by all!”.

Orbit Homes is also a supporter of mental health charity Mates in Mind which provides a framework to raise awareness and address the stigma of poor mental health. The charity provides clear information to UK employers, especially within the construction industry, on available support and guidance on mental health, as well as how they can address and improve this across their organisations.

For information about Orbit Homes and its current developments, visit: www.orbithomes.org.uk/