Story
Enough construction workers to build a city have died by suicide in the last decade.
There is a city that will never be built.
Because the 7,000 construction workers it would take to build it have died by suicide in the last decade.
The construction industry has a suicide rate four times the national average.
It's a crisis, but one that's relatively unknown outside the industry.
By visualising exactly what they could have built, The Lost City addresses this crisis, showing the true scale of construction suicides.
This is the city that could exist if the construction suicide crisis didn’t.
To launch the campaign 7,000 hard hats will be placed across the UK in ten key cities, each representing a life lost to suicide within the construction industry.
London, Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh will see reimagined construction signs, serving as poignant reminders of the workers who could have built our homes, schools, and hospitals but were lost to mental health struggles.
The objective is to raise £2.5 Million for therapy sessions to save the next 7000.
150,000 forever homes. Gone forever.
200 Apartment blocks.
78 Schools.
30 Small offices.
1 Large hospital.
4 Supermarkets.
4 Retail units.
This is the scale of suicide in construction.
The therapy sessions will be provided through leading industry charities Band of Builders and Construction Sport, supported by On The Tools, the largest community of tradespeople in the UK.
Suicide in the industry affects every one of us.
That’s why different companies in the trade have come together to make this project possible, coordinated by On The Tools, the largest online construction community in the UK.
Bostik, CT1, SIG Roofing, Crown Paints, Speedy Hire, Toolstation, Jewson, Trade Direct Insurance, Paintwell Ltd, Howdens, The IPG, CEF, Wienerberger, LG Harris are all part of the TradeBrain Membership that supports the On The Tools Mission of connecting construction to improve the lives of all tradespeople in the UK.
The therapy sessions and mental health support will be facilitated by construction charities Band of Builders and Construction Sport.
Find out more at www.thelostcity.org.
About Band of Builders:
Band of Builders (BoB) is the National Construction Charity providing practical, financial, and wellbeing support for members of the UK construction industry and their families who face adversity due to illness, injury or life-changing circumstances.
About Construction Sport:
Construction Sport provides opportunities for UK construction workers to engage in sports, offering a positive outlet to relieve stress and improve mental wellbeing. Through team-building and community, Construction Sport encourages workers to enjoy time away from daily pressures while promoting both physical and mental health.
About On The Tools:
Connecting construction to improve the lives of UK tradespeople; On The Tools is the largest and most engaged online community for tradespeople in the UK with over 7.5 million members.
#TheLostCity