Blog

As countries worldwide introduce measures to protect and fight against COVID-19, our daily lives have morphed into something far from the normality we are used to. This is something that has taken its toll on us all. You may have fallen ill with the disease yourself or know someone who has struggled with the long-term effects, and with over two million deaths worldwide, many of us are dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. Many are also finding it difficult to cope with restrictions and changes to their day-to-day routine, like working from home, social isolation or the challenges of home schooling.

Stress, worry and fear are normal reactions in times of uncertainty, but it is now clear that these changes have had a profound and long-term impact on mental health.

This unprecedented time has cultivated widespread uncertainty over employment, housing and the economic situation. In the UK, there has been a huge increase in the number of redundancies in the face of the pandemic, and despite the Government support for employees under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the fear of losing jobs has been a huge cause of mental health problems across the country.

For those working in the construction industry across the globe, it has been a time of great uncertainty, with many sites closing, suspended operations and projects being put on hold. Many firms have struggled financially and most workers across the supply chain have been impacted on some level in the last 12 months.
During this difficult time, we are working with our partners, Anxiety UK, to support our members and their dependent families. Anxiety UK has been working for the last 50 years to help those struggling with anxiety disorders, stress and anxiety-based depression. They provide a variety of wellbeing support services, including personalised treatment plans and psychological therapy.

This service is free to all members, regardless of membership duration, and every beneficiary who reaches out for support through this partnership will receive a year’s Anxiety UK membership, which will include complementary access to further, wider support if required.

If you think you would benefit from this service, reach out today. All information you provide will remain strictly confidential. Contact the CIOB Benevolent Fund team on 01344 630877 from the UK or 0044 1344 630877 internationally. You can also find out more about these services by visiting the CIOB Benevolent Fund website.

The Fund is also always available if you need advice about finances, housing or employment, or if you just need somebody to talk to. If you’re facing concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

For support, contact Fund Secretary, Frank MacDonald, on 01344 630780 or via email – fmacdonald@ciob.org.uk