Build & Thrive

From Reactive to Proactive: Transforming Wellbeing in Construction with Davy Daly

What does it really take to create a wellbeing culture that works across thousands of workers, hundreds of projects, and an extensive supply chain? In this episode of Build and Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong sits down with Davy Daly to explore how GRAHAM Group is transforming wellbeing across its workforce and why the industry needs to move beyond reactive support towards proactive, personalised wellbeing strategies. Drawing on his own lived experience from a military career and recovery from complex PTSD, Davy shares how that journey shaped his passion for wellbeing leadership and helped drive the development of GRAHAM’s award-winning wellbeing approach. The conversation explores: * How the “Renew You” programme delivers personalised wellbeing support across construction projects * Why engagement, follow-up and flexibility are critical for successful wellbeing programmes * The importance of leadership buy-in and embedding wellbeing from project mobilisation onwards * Supporting line managers to create psychologically safe workplaces * Why the construction industry still needs to do more around mental health and suicide prevention * Using data, dashboards and live insights to shape wellbeing campaigns and interventions * The growing role of technology, digital wellbeing tools and AI in workforce wellbeing * Why supporting the supply chain is essential for meaningful industry-wide change Listen now and follow Build and Thrive for more conversations focused on improving the health, wellbeing and happiness of the construction industry 🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164] (or search your podcast app) 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B]  🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction. Plan, Do, Check, Act - Assess your systematic approach to Psychosocial Hazard Management with 12 quick questions:  https://psychsafety.scoreapp.com Episode Links: Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/] Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ [https://constructionhealth.co.uk/]  Davy Daly: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-davy-daly-aa8278156/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-davy-daly-aa8278156/] GRAHAM Group: * Website: https://www.graham.co.uk/ [https://www.graham.co.uk/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GRAHAMGroupUK/ [https://www.facebook.com/GRAHAMGroupUK/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grahamgroup_uk/ [https://www.instagram.com/grahamgroup_uk/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/graham-group-uk/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/graham-group-uk/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0IdUuVUSipbtroCb29aSA [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0IdUuVUSipbtroCb29aSA] * X: https://x.com/GRAHAMGroupUK [https://x.com/GRAHAMGroupUK] GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ [https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/]  Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Want a free 30 minute strategy call to ensure you're on the right path.  Email support@constructionhealth.co.uk

Inside Sizewell C: Building a People-First Construction Culture with Keith Prince

In this episode of the Build and Thrive Podcast, host Stuart Mace is joined by Keith Prince, Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing for Sizewell C Site Delivery, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of health, safety and wellbeing in construction. Together, Stuart and Keith explore the evolving role of health and safety professionals - moving away from the stereotype of “clipboard warriors” towards what Keith describes as “risk Jedi”: professionals who enable work to happen safely through practical, engineered solutions. The conversation dives into some of the biggest challenges facing the industry today, including: * Why wellbeing is not a bolt-on to safety - it’s fundamental to it * The role leadership plays in creating healthier, safer workplaces * How major projects like Sizewell C are rethinking welfare, culture and workforce engagement * Why construction still has a long way to go in addressing occupational health risks * The importance of genuinely involving the workforce in how work is planned and delivered If you care about the future of construction health, safety and wellbeing, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. 🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164] (or search your podcast app) 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B]  🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction. Plan, Do, Check, Act - Assess your systematic approach to Psychosocial Hazard Management with 12 quick questions:  https://psychsafety.scoreapp.com Episode Links: Stuart Mace: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartmace/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartmace/] Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ [https://constructionhealth.co.uk/]  Keith Prince: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-prince-b862621/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-prince-b862621/] Sizewell C: * Website: https://www.sizewellc.com/ [https://www.sizewellc.com/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sizewellc [https://www.facebook.com/sizewellc] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sizewellc/ [https://www.instagram.com/sizewellc/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sizewellc/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sizewellc/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sizewellc [https://www.youtube.com/@sizewellc] * X: https://x.com/sizewellc [https://x.com/sizewellc] GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ [https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/]  Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Want a free 30 minute strategy call to ensure you're on the right path.  Email support@constructionhealth.co.uk

A Real-Life Approach to Tackling Silica in Construction with Martin Wilshire

In this episode of Build and Thrive, Jennie Armstrong is joined by Martin Wilshire, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Director at Multiplex, for a practical and honest conversation about one of construction’s biggest health risks: dust. This episode goes beyond awareness and looks at what real action can look like in practice. Martin shares his career journey from the Royal Air Force into construction, how his understanding of occupational health developed over time, and why Multiplex decided to take a strong position on silica risk through its Silica 25 campaign. Together, Jennie and Martin explore the realities of managing dust exposure on site, the challenges around respiratory protection and health surveillance, and why the way the industry is structured still makes long-term health protection harder than it should be. They also touch on psychosocial risk, what the UK can learn from Australia, and why leadership commitment is essential if we want to create healthier, safer places to work. In this episode, we cover: Why occupational health can no longer be seen as secondary to safety * The realities of silica exposure and why Multiplex launched Silica 25 * The dangers of accelerated silicosis and why this issue needs urgent attention * The importance of using the right respiratory protective equipment * Why close-fitting masks and facial hair remain such a common issue on site * Why leadership data and health intervention tours are helping identify the biggest risks * How innovation, robotics and new technology could help reduce future health risks This is a really valuable episode for anyone who wants to move from talking about occupational health to actually doing something about it. 🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164] (or search your podcast app) 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B]  🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction. Plan, Do, Check, Act - Assess your systematic approach to Psychosocial Hazard Management with 12 quick questions:  https://psychsafety.scoreapp.com Episode Links: Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/]  Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ [https://constructionhealth.co.uk/]  Martin Wilshire: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-wilshire-5b120254/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-wilshire-5b120254/] Multiplex: * Website: https://www.multiplex.global/ [https://www.multiplex.global/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/multiplexconstruction__au/ [https://www.instagram.com/multiplexconstruction__au/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/multiplex/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/multiplex/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Multiplexconstruction [https://www.youtube.com/c/Multiplexconstruction] GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ [https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/]  Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Want a free 30 minute strategy call to ensure you're on the right path.  Email support@constructionhealth.co.uk

Why Sport Works: Community as a Mental Health Intervention with Steve Kerslake

In this powerful episode of Build & Thrive, Jennie Armstrong sits down with Steve Kerslake, founder of Construction Sport and long-time construction worker turned mental health campaigner. Recorded inside the Construction Sport studio, this is an honest, unfiltered conversation about trauma, pressure, suicide, sport, leadership and why the industry must go beyond awareness and into accountability. Steve shares his deeply personal journey - from surviving a violent attack early in his career, to navigating serious health challenges, to founding a charity that’s now influencing national conversations around mental health and workplace legislation. But this isn’t just about raising awareness. It’s about asking harder questions. In this episode, we cover: * How a charity walk across Crossrail sparked the birth of Construction Sport * Why community - not just sport - is the real intervention * The hidden cost of long hours, pressure and financial instability in construction * Why many mental health initiatives fail on site * The case for making suicide reportable under RIDDOR * What accountability could mean for the future of workplace mental health * How trauma shows up physically and why “the body keeps the score” * What real success looks like for the next five years If you work in construction - whether on site, in leadership, in safety, HR, or policy - this conversation matters. 🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164] (or search your podcast app) 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B]  🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction. Plan, Do, Check, Act - Assess your systematic approach to Psychosocial Hazard Management with 12 quick questions:  https://psychsafety.scoreapp.com Episode Links: Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/]  Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ [https://constructionhealth.co.uk/]  Steve Kerslake: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-kerslake-650183174/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-kerslake-650183174/] Construction Sport Contracts Ltd: * Website: https://www.constructionsport.com/ [https://www.constructionsport.com/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/constructionsport [https://www.facebook.com/constructionsport] * Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/constructionsport/ [http://www.instagram.com/constructionsport/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constructionsportcontracts/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/constructionsportcontracts/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConSpoTV [https://www.youtube.com/@ConSpoTV] GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ [https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/]  Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Want a free 30 minute strategy call to ensure you're on the right path.  Email support@constructionhealth.co.uk

Psychosocial Risk in Construction: Tackling the Real Causes of Stress at Work with Stuart Mace

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong introduces a very special guest and a new voice you’ll be hearing a lot more from - Stuart Mace, the newest team member at Construction Health & Wellbeing. The conversation challenges the idea that organisations are responsible for “managing” employees’ mental health. Instead, it reframes the responsibility: managing the work environment, reducing avoidable stressors, and acting on data before issues escalate. Stuart explains that good wellbeing practice is not about eliminating all stress. It’s about managing risk - just as construction already does so effectively in physical safety. This episode covers: * Why most organisations are still stuck at “awareness” * The misunderstandings around stress and psychosocial risk * Why stress risk assessments feel daunting but don’t need to be * The real opportunity behind ISO 45003 * The evolving role of Mental Health First Aiders * Why listening to your workforce is the most powerful intervention you have If you’re a senior leader, health and safety professional, HR lead or project manager wondering what “good” really looks like in workplace wellbeing, this episode provides a grounded and realistic starting point. 🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164] (or search your podcast app) 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B]  🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction. Plan, Do, Check, Act - Assess your systematic approach to Psychosocial Hazard Management with 12 quick questions:  https://psychsafety.scoreapp.com Episode Links: Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/]  Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/ [https://constructionhealth.co.uk/]  Stuart Mace: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartmace/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartmace/] GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/ [https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/]  Are you investing in a healthier and happier workforce? Want a free 30 minute strategy call to ensure you're on the right path.  Email support@constructionhealth.co.uk