Somerville attend The Lighthouse Construction Charity lunch

Lighthouse construction charity Lunch

On Friday, October 25th, Somerville Fit-Out was delighted to attend the Lighthouse Charity Northern Ireland Lunch, held in the prestigious Titanic Exhibition Centre. The Lighthouse Charity organises this annual event to raise money and provide awareness of the mental health and financial struggles construction workers and their families face.

About Lighthouse Charity

The Lighthouse Construction Charity plays a pivotal role in supporting the construction workforce across the UK with their physical health, mental health, and wellbeing, as well as providing financial support. The charity provides a 24/7 helpline that encourages people to reach out and talk with no limitations. They provide mental health trainers with the skills to recognise the early signs and signpost individuals to resources that can help. Lighthouse also provides financial assistance as it is recognised that most mental health issues within the workforce arise through economic hardship. The Lighthouse's mission is to ensure every construction worker is aware of the available resources and help and that they don’t need to face their problems alone. Every single working day in the UK, two construction workers take their own life. This stark statistic spurs the Lighthouse charity to continue in its mission through fundraising and creating new initiatives to help those who need it most.

Event Highlights

Within the Titanic Exhibition Centre in the grand ballroom, we were greeted with a drink reception and had the opportunity to network with others. Local funnyman and blame game host Tim McGarry compared the charity lunch. After some comedy from Tim, we heard from Associate Trainer and Charity Ambassador Andy Bishop. He shared an inspiring story about his struggles with bipolar disorder, his battles with depression and how the Lighthouse Charity helped him see through those challenging times. Alan has now taken up a new position as mental health coordinator of the ‘make it visible’ campaign, aiming to help as many construction workers as possible with their mental health as he travels across building sites throughout the UK.

Tim was joined by a panel of four local sports stars from different disciplines, who self-disclosed their experiences as athletes and discussed how their mental health was affected during this time in sports. Oisin McConville, Dr Michael McKillops MBE, Aiden Walsh and Michaela Walsh all spoke on the practical steps taken to relieve their anxiety and depression and better manage their mental health within their high-pressure sports environment. Each participant discussed the importance of the lighthouse charity and encouraged everyone to act if they were struggling, look out for early signs, and seek help.

A fantastic fundraising raffle was also held to raise money, contribute to the vital services the charity offers, and help sustain the charity for years to come.

Our commitment to the Lighthouse Club

As a manufacturing and fit-out company with staff based on construction sites, workshops, and offices, it is essential to be aware of mental health and the signs that someone may be struggling. The Lighthouse charity has provided us with resources to help manage and value employee wellbeing, introduce mental health first aiders within the company, and visit us on site, aiming to spread awareness of their support to the entire workforce. Somerville was delighted to attend the Lighthouse Charity Lunch and show their support and commitment to the organisation and its essential services.