Home / Insights / Blog / Our partnership with Mates in Mind Our partnership with Mates in Mind SEPTEMBER 2025 Basingstoke, UK Sensitive topic disclaimer: This article contains descriptions of a sensitive nature, with themes of suicide and mental illness Tackling mental health in construction: Once For All’s partnership with Mates in Mind Construction workers are among the most vulnerable professionals to mental health challenges, with suicide rates nearly four times higher than the national average. 97% of construction workers have felt stressed, 87% have experienced anxiety and 70% have experienced depression over the past year. (Source: CIOB report) Our partnership: Why we are partnering with Mates in Mind We’re delighted to share our partnership with Mates in Mind, a leading UK charity which provides the skills, clarity and confidence to businesses on how to raise awareness, improve understanding, implement effective interventions and address the stigma of mental ill-health1. At Once For All, we’re fortunate to have mental health first aiders to support our team, however this unfortunately isn’t the same story for some workers. Together, we hope to elevate mental health awareness in the construction industry and improve mental wellbeing, from procurement through to on-site. Chris’s story “If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.” Chris worked in construction for 30 years. In 2019, he experienced a mental health crisis brought on by severe work-related stress, which developed at rapid speed and had catastrophic consequences. Chris died by suicide. His family want this very personal video shared, so that people, “Reach out before it becomes too late, because my family’s experienced it [suicide] and it’s the worst thing anyone can experience.” Chris’s family also want to highlight that “You’re not a weak person” if you reach out for support when you need it. Reach out before it’s too late. It’s Mates in Mind’s mission to support organisations in higher risk sectors to create environments and cultures that promote positive mental health and work to prevent stories like this from happening to other families. At Once For All, we want to help the industry do better, by preventing stories like this from happening in the first place. <br /> Why Mates in Mind According to St John’s Ambulance, 82% revealed they’ve experienced mental health issues in the construction industry at some point in their career trade, whilst a third described their current status as ‘struggling’, ‘overwhelmed’ or ‘suicidal’2. Meanwhile, Sky News reported that construction workers are almost four times more likely to die by suicide, with 7,000 lives lost in the last decade to mental illness3. This is further stressed by Mental Health UK’s numbers that 1 in 5 workers feel lonely at work4. The Mates in Mind charity helps raise awareness and works with organisations to build positive mental health in and through construction workplaces to reduce shocking statistics like this. The charity works in partnership with organisations, empowering them to identify and mitigate workplace stress, and to prioritise mental health and wellbeing for their employees. Mates in Mind also provides a text service to support those experiencing mental ill-health. What we plan to do Content and training Keep an eye out for blogs and webinars in collaboration with Mates in Mind, where we’ll touch on topics like Stress Awareness for Employers and Having the right mental health policies in place to protect your workers. Mates in Mind will also be providing FREE training webinars for organisations looking to enhance mental health awareness in their daily business. Follow Once For All, Constructionline and Mates in Mind on LinkedIn to stay up to date! Need help It’s okay to ask for help. Mates in Mind recommends a wide range of confidential services which are available to support you; no matter how big or small your concern, there’s someone available to help. You’re not alone. There is always someone to support you. Looking to get started on mental health training? Not sure where to start? Find out more about Mates in Mind Explore their website here Blog Buyers, Mental Health, Supplier
