Mental health is playing a key role at this year’s Glazing Summit (9 October, Coventry Building Society Arena), with an interactive session designed to get delegates out of their seats and talking by playing a series of interactive games in a dedicated ‘Build and Bond’ area.
The session, which is being led by Andy Stevens, founder and CEO of The Build Network UK, will see participants pull a card from a hard hat, each featuring a question to provoke discussion. Prizes will be on offer for the competition winners.
Workers across the UK construction industry are more prone to suffering with poor mental health than most others. According to a 2020 CIOB report, 97% of construction workers said they have felt stressed at work, while one-in-four have had suicidal thoughts. ONS statistics from 2024 suggest that UK construction workers are four times more likely to take their own lives than those in other sectors.
“The stats don’t lie: the fenestration and wider construction industry is undergoing a mental health crisis,” says Chris Beck, editor of GGP Magazine and conference chair of the Glazing Summit. “Often, people in this sector feel they cannot talk to their colleagues and friends about their struggles – and at the Glazing Summit we want to change that. Andy’s session will give people the chance to get out of their seats and interacting with each other, bringing a fun element to what is a serious topic that affects everyone in some way.”
“After a lot of hard work across the industry in recent years, the awareness of mental health has been raised significantly,” says Andy Stevens. “It is time to move this on. Feeling comfortable talking to colleagues and associates is crucial. Playing games in a relaxed environment and being encouraged to answer questions drawn from a hard hat will enable people to do this. I am very excited that GS25 will be the first event to implement this.
“Mental Health doesn’t have to be negative and downbeat. There’s only a certain number of negative stories people can hear. We want to make mental health fun and show people by being positive and enjoying themselves; this doesn’t have to be a taboo subject.”
The 2025 Glazing Summit is taking place on 9 October, at its new home of the Coventry Building Society Arena. The day features a packed conference schedule, with industry-leading names providing insight on topics ranging from the economy and business growth to energy-efficiency and the rise of Artificial Intelligence.
For the full agenda, and to book your place, visit www.glazingsummit.co.uk
