While he is a familiar face around our head office, colleagues on site may not be as well acquainted with assistant accountant Tom Mitchell.

Tom started his career with Howard Civil Engineering two and a half years ago, just before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic which he feels has been an important catalyst for the conversation surrounding mental health.

Why you became a Mental Health First Aider:

While I’m comfortable talking about my own struggles with poor mental health now, there was a time I didn’t talk to anyone. I bottled it up and eventually I just couldn’t help but get it out. Now, if someone approached me, I’ll talk openly about it and hope that my experiences can help them navigate their own struggles.

People find it uncomfortable to talk but as soon as you realise how common it is, it isn’t as daunting. I’ve found that as soon as one person starts talking about it, it’s like a domino effect, whether it’s an ‘oh yeah, I had something similar’ or ‘my daughter’s going through the same thing’.

I think it’s so important to help people find a safe space for them to talk about the realities of mental illness. The statistic that one in two people have problems with poor mental health isn’t a scare factor statistic, it’s a sad reality – if I can open up, maybe I can help someone else to open up too. Being an ear for someone to talk to and pointing them in the right direction to get proper help isn’t going to solve all their problems, but it’s an important first step and it helps them feel like they’re not alone.

Why it’s so important to break down the stigma of poor mental health in construction:

I’ve had friends who have killed themselves because they felt they didn’t have anyone to talk to for fear of being judged, which is why I think companies introducing mental health first aiders is so important.

I found that once you get over that first barrier of talking to someone and having non-judgemental people that you can talk about it with, you can talk freely about it. Men in particular struggle with this statistically, and construction is still a male-dominated industry. I think the Covid-19 pandemic really set the wheels in motion on mental health awareness in general, but there is still a stigma in construction.

I do think there should be more MHFAs on sites, but it’s great that companies such as Howard Civil Engineering are taking positive steps to raise awareness of how to recognise symptoms of poor mental health and offer support for those who are struggling.

How you look after your own mental health:

I’m really into sports – if I’m not playing, I’m watching it! I’m part of the five-a-side team we have at work, and I’m into golf as well.

I like taking part in the charity fundraising activities we do across the company, such as Tough Mudder and the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and I always try and do my bit where I can as it makes me feel good.

When I need to properly relax, I do like to sit down and watch a good tv show – I’m currently rewatching Game of Thrones in preparation for the new House of the Dragon series!