To mark Mental Health Awareness Week we are delighted to be partnering with Checkatrade, the UK’s leading home improvement platform, to launch a powerful new initiative supporting the mental wellbeing of its trade members across the UK.
The initiative will see Lighthouse delivering Mental Health First Aid training to the Checkatrade Support Team. The training will ensure that Checkatrade’s frontline employees, who speak daily with trades across the country, are equipped with the skills and confidence to identify when someone is in distress, offer immediate support, and signpost to specialist help where needed.
Supporting tradespeople starts with listening and Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade, emphasised the training as an essential part of frontline and customer service roles. “The tradespeople we serve are the backbone of our communities, but they’re not immune to the pressures of modern life. By equipping our staff with the tools to recognise and respond to mental health challenges, we’re investing not just in skills, but in care and compassion for our community of tradespeople. We’re also calling on other trade sector leaders to prioritise Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) training as an essential part of frontline and customer service roles.”
Sarah Bolton, CEO of Lighthouse, added, “We are delighted to be partnering with Checkatrade to ensure the message of support reaches our frontline trades. As one of our valued ‘company supporters’, Checkatrade’s team will be able to access free MHFA England accredited training. This will equip them with the skills and knowledge to identify when someone may need additional wellbeing support and signpost them to expert support and guidance when needed. We want to encourage open conversations to help reduce the stigma around mental wellbeing and initiatives such as this are critical in ensuring that everyone in our industry feels supported.”
The training programme, which will roll out over the coming weeks, underscores a shared commitment to tackling mental health challenges head-on.
