-
Unlocking Action for Mental Health Support
Why don’t we support mental health as we do physical health?
Tuesday 8th April 2025, 1800 for 1830 start
-
AluK Design Studio, 5-11 Worship Street, London, EC2A 2BH
Join us for an enlightening evening understanding the mental health challenge in our industry and some practical actions to improve it.
The appalling statistics of incidence of death by suicide in construction and prevalence of cases of high stress and anxiety has been known for decades. Research into the causes of poor mental health has revealed the conditions that contribute to this unacceptable state of affairs. However, the industry has not grasped the practical actions required to make the necessary changes. First steps would be to establish rules to put mental health support on a par to those in place for physical health, and establish simple good practice to help create a create a culture for permanent change. Why then are we stuck in a talking circle instead of taking action?
Our Speaker
Marc Preston BA (Hons) Dip Adj MRICS MCIOB MBACP
Director, Construction Dispute Experts Ltd
Phillip Marc Preston has over 40 years’ experience in the built environment sector, which includes working at Director level in tier‑1 contracting firms on complex major projects and, as a developer, delivering large-scale housing projects.
As CEO of Vertice Development Management and a Director of Construction Dispute Experts Ltd, Marc has gathered an experience and understanding of the particular challenges faced by SME operations. Recently, Marc has been appointed to the RICS Consumer Home Improvements Adjudication panel. Marc is also a non‑exec director of the Statom Group.
In 2012, Marc qualified as a psychotherapist/registered counsellor and gained extensive practice hours in an alcohol addiction agency. Then, based upon his experience in the built environment sector, he established New Foundation Counselling, an employee-assistance programme service, to provide focussed psychotherapeutic counselling aimed at all people working in our sector.
Marc’s key achievements include:
- Author: Standard Form of Agreement for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
- Contributor: BACP Good Practice in Action guide (GPiA No 55):
Making the agreement in the counselling professions.
- Contributor: Be Collaborative Contract 2003: risk management.
- Campaigner: for mental health support provision to be included in JCT contracts.
W: verticedevelopmentmanagement.co.uk
W: constructiondisputeexperts.co.uk
W: newfoundationcounselling.com
References
Catch background information at:
Construction News: Rules are the only option to stop the suicides, 31 January 2024:
constructionnews.co.uk//long-reads/rules-are-the-only-option-to-stop-the-suicides
CIOB Research: Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment:
ciob.org/industry/research/Understanding-Mental-Health-Built-Environment
HSE Network: The Silent Struggle of Mental Health in Construction:
hse-network.com/the-silent-struggle-of-mental-health-in-construction
The Lighthouse Club (the construction charity): Mental Health:
lighthouseclub.org/mental-health
Social Media
Please post about the event using: #lcecMH #lcecEvents
X/T: @LondonCEClub
LI: @london-constructing-excellence-club
IG: @londonconstructingexcellence
LCEC members and non-members are all welcome
