Latest figures from Ford’s Make it Visible (MiV) mental health campaign, in partnership with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, demonstrate its vital role in improving mental health and wellbeing within the industry.
Two construction workers are lost to suicide every day*. The UK’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer of 58 years collaborated with the Lighthouse Charity to raise awareness of resources and support available to the construction industry, to help workers with their mental health and wellbeing.
Make it Visible provides on site Mental Health First Aiders. Image: Ford
MiV’s Ford Transit Custom vans, driven by the charity’s Make it Visible team have visited 600 sites in the last 18 months, engaged with over 37,000 workers, and provided critical intervention support to 284 at-risk individuals.
The Ford vans have ensured that the charity is able to reach more sites to deliver wellbeing advice and signpost construction workers to the wealth of support available. “The MiV graphics on the van grab people’s attention and by sharing our own experiences we can open a conversation. It all starts from there,” says Andy Bishop, a member of the MiV team alongside Robert Muldoon and Lee Anderson who talk about the team’s work in this accompanying video. “Without the MiV on site initiative we wouldn’t have been able to impact so many lives.”
“Wellbeing is at the crux of all the progress we intend to make as a company and Make it Visible is our pledge to make a tangible difference where it counts the most,” said Mandy Dean, Commercial Vehicles director, Ford of Britain and Ireland, “Witnessing our vans evolve into symbols of hope and support and hitting milestones, fills us with a deep sense of pride and greater responsibility. This campaign reflects our collective commitment to positive social impact and shaping a better future for the communities we serve.”
Lighthouse Charity is exploring more ways to deliver the MiV message, including a dedicated vehicle for construction-related trade shows and exhibitions.
Make it Visible was crowned the Best Campaign in the Automotive Category by Campaign Magazine, applauding the automobile brand’s focus on mobilising resources for impactful initiatives that extend beyond the roads.
- *Source: Office of National Statistics, Suicides in the UK and Ireland 2011-2020.
- For more information on the campaign, please visit Ford Motor Companyand MiV info.
