A CONSTRUCTION giant is marking a year of mental health initiatives launched in memory of an employee who took his own life.

Jordan Bibby was 25 years old when he died in 2017 and Bolton-based company Seddon started to host Jordan’s Conversation last year in commemoration.

The firm is taking a particularly strong stance on mental health concerns after research from charity Mind found that one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime and, for those in construction, figures are higher.

In a 2017 survey of construction workers by Randstad, 34 percent said they had experienced a mental health condition in the last 12 months.

In response to the tragic death of Mr Bibby, and the issues raised around mental health concerns in the construction industry, Seddon and charity Mates in Mind launched Jordan’s Conversation.

The scheme aims to improve mental health awareness and, as part of this initiative, Seddon organises a “toolbox talk” for staff, a session that is designed to raise awareness of mental health across the company.

The company has also formed a team of mental health first aiders, trained to recognise the signs that colleagues may be struggling and need help.

Nicola Hodkinson, director of business services at Seddon, said: “Jordan was a well-loved friend and colleague, and as a company we wanted to do whatever we could to prevent such a tragedy happening again.

“So far we have delivered Jordan’s Conversation toolbox sessions to more than 300 employees, helping to ingrain discussions around mental health awareness at the heart of our company culture.

“By investing time, care and attention in our people, we’re giving them the best chance of succeeding both personally and professionally.

“We are immensely proud of where we have taken this initiative so far, and look forward to continuing to make progress as the years go on.”

As part of the scheme, on Tuesday May 14, Seddon hosted a ‘Big Hug’ at its Plodder Lane headquarters – a heart-warming event which saw more than 130 staff, as well as Jordan’s mum Melanie and family, take part.

This involved passing a hug around the grounds, meant as a symbol encourage staff and associates to share what’s going on in their lives more openly with colleagues.

Then, Wednesday May 15, marked a year since the launch of Jordan’s Conversation.

To celebrate the rollout of the initiative, Seddon encouraged its employees, clients and partners to take part in #Take10at10, a campaign encouraging colleagues to have a proper chat over a cup of coffee and get to know each other better.