In October 2024, we officially launched our Under the Hard Hat campaign to help increase mental health awareness in the hard hat industries.
Our charity partner, Andy’s Man Club, and Channel 4’s ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’ star, Ollie Ollerton, joined us at our National Training Centre in Birmingham to support the campaign.
The campaign follows our research which showed that 94% of hard hat workers have struggled with their mental health. Over half of respondents also stated that they have felt uncomfortable or awkward talking about the challenges with their mental health.
Given that hard hat industries are often male dominated, the launch event emphasised the importance of breaking the stigma surrounding men’s mental health whilst providing advice to support mental health awareness on a broader level.
Our Managing Director (MD), Adam Burrows, welcomed attendees and set the tone of the event, providing an overview of the ways Pirtek will be putting the topic into focus as part of its future business plans. He said:
“Pirtek provides services to a wide range of hard hat industries, meaning that we are in a unique position to open up more positive conversations surrounding mental health. We are also providing internal support to our network and now have mental health ambassadors in place to help do this.”
Ollie Ollerton, founder of BreakPoint Academy – a company which provides tools for self-reflection, discovery and personal growth – delivered an inspiring keynote speech at the event, sharing his personal experiences with mental health, alongside the steps he has taken to positively transform his life. He commented:
“I’m passionate about turning my experiences into a force for good by helping people transform their lives, turning mental health into mental wealth. To do this, individuals need to understand the significance of poor mental health, whether they are struggling themselves or not. This starts with spreading awareness and providing a safe space for family, friends, and colleagues to talk. Here is where businesses like Pirtek have the power to make a difference.”
This was followed by a presentation by Lucas Whitehead from Andy’s Man Club, a men’s suicide prevention charity. Lucas told the story of the charity’s origins and how its groups are helping thousands of men across the country. Attendees were also given the opportunity to get involved in an activity themed in the style of an Andy’s Man Club session by sharing their guilty pleasure song and what super power they would love to have.
The day ended with a panel discussion involving Ollerton and Whitehead as well as our QHSE Manager, Martyn Smart, and one of Pirtek’s franchise owners, Stuart Brown. The panel were asked questions focused on ‘coping with stress and anxiety’ and ‘talking about mental health’.
To find your nearest Andy’s Man Club group, please visit: https://andysmanclub.co.uk/find-your-nearest-group/. Groups are free to attend and take place every Monday at 7pm.
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