At Gratte Brothers, We Champion Mental Health Support All Year Round!
While World Mental Health Day shines an important spotlight on wellbeing each October, we’re proud to say that mental health is a year-round priority across the Group.
Our network of trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) plays a crucial role in supporting colleagues, promoting open conversations, and helping to break the stigma surrounding mental health. These volunteers balance their day-to-day roles with providing a listening ear, checking in with others, and signposting professional support when needed. Thanks to a number of new volunteers, our team of MHFAs is now the biggest its ever been, covering more locations and making sure that this vital resource is accessible to more people than ever before.
In the lead-up to World Mental Health Day, our teams across the UK came together to celebrate and strengthen this commitment through a week of “Meet Your MHFA” events. These sessions gave employees the opportunity to find out who their local MHFAs are, and connect in an informal setting while learning more about the support available. Highlights included:
🍳 The Big Breakfast at King’s Cross
🍕 Pizza lunches at our Slough sites
☕ Coffee & nibbles at Warrington and Worthing (with Dave’s famous travelling mental health workshop!)
🍰 Tea & cake at our Stevenage office
Our Mental Health Lead, Dave Hall, commented that “It’s been inspiring to see how open our teams have become when talking about mental health. We want everyone to know that it’s okay to speak up, and that help is always nearby – whether that’s through a Mental Health First Aider, the EAP, or simply over a cuppa with a colleague.”
These gatherings not only gave teams the opportunity to take a refreshment break, but also encouraged open, honest conversations about mental health – an essential step in an industry still tackling a silent crisis. Research shows that nearly one in four construction workers experience daily stress, and rates of suicidal thoughts remain higher than the national average.
As a family-owned company, our people have always been at the heart of what we do. We’re proud of the close-knit community we’ve built, where it’s clear that everyone is a name, not a number. Across our sites and offices, our trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) are there to listen, support, and lend a hand. They’ve undertaken their training alongside their day jobs, so they’re not outsiders – they’re familiar faces who understand how Gratte Brothers works and what daily life looks like here. We hope that this makes it easier for anyone to reach out for a chat, knowing they’ll be met with warmth, understanding, and genuine care.
Any colleague who is struggling (or looking for advice on how to support a team member or loved one who is) is encouraged to reach out to their local MHFA for support, use the confidential EAP service or contact Samaritans UK on 116 123 for free, confidential help at any time. For any Gratte Brothers staff reading this, search ‘Mental Health’ on the intranet to find out more, or talk to one of our MHFAs.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who organised, attended, and supported this year’s activities!
