Home Sponsorship LOOK AFTER YOUR MATES

June 2021

LOOK AFTER YOUR MATES

27 May 2021, Sponsorship

An ambition to combat the enormous toll of suicides in the building and construction industry has motivated the PlaceMakers Foundation to get behind MATES in Construction, in a partnership that will see their critical work extended nationwide

The PlaceMakers Foundation supports initiatives that make a lasting difference and, with a core pillar of community wellness at its heart, the partnership provides a platform to prevent suicides through workplace-focused programmes found to be effective interventions.

Last year 654 people died by suicide. There has also been an increase in the number of Maori and Pasifika people working in the industry, and sadly this demographic in heavily represented in the number of suicides.

Thanks to a substantial grant from the Foundation, along with in-store fundraising in September – aligned with World Suicide Prevention Month – MATES can extend its work beyond major centres. Meanwhile, in-person support, information and training will be rolled out in PlaceMakers stores and Frame and Truss plants nationwide.

Victoria McArthur, CEO at MATES in Construction, says the chance to enhance and expand its work through the partnership will have a huge impact in reaching more people who desperately need support.

“The construction industry continues to have the highest number of suicides across all industries in this country, so it’s vital that we have a partner like PlaceMakers who share our dedication to wellbeing in the workplace, making it ok to ask for help, and creating communities of people who can support each other,” said McArthur.

“The opportunity to scale up thanks to this generous partnership will truly have a lifechanging effect for the thousands more tradies we can now connect with.”

Bruce McEwen, NZ Distribution Chief Executive and PlaceMakers Foundation Chair, says getting as many people as possible behind MATES will create a force for change.

“Suicide has become all too common in our industry, and the devastating ripple effect it can cause has driven us to get engaged,” said Mr McEwen.

“We interact with thousands of people every day, so by getting our teams and customers behind MATES in Construction, we’re looking to drive increased awareness and make long-lasting positive change.”

From informational signage in stores, to informative Trade Breakfast presentations, to building capability among branch staff to recognise people who need help, PlaceMakers will be launching initiatives alongside MATES in Construction to help improve mental health and prevent suicide in the industry.

 


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