TWO of the biggest brands in the trade and construction industry joined forces this year to help tackle the mental health challenges facing workers in the sector.
Travis Perkins and Tarmac Blue Circle entered a partnership to stage a nationwide tour of the Band of Builders’ Big Brew initiative.
More than 30 Travis Perkins branches hosted Big Brew events in 2025. The initiative was designed to provide a safe space for construction workers and tradespeople to take a break, talk openly about any mental health challenges they face and encourage conversation.
A recent survey showed 73% of construction workers are affected by mental illness, with 7,000 having committed suicide over the last 10 years.
Richard Lavin, managing director of Travis Perkins and who attended the Northampton Big Brew branch event, said: “We are proud to have partnered with Tarmac to host this vital tour this year. The statistics around the mental health challenges facing construction workers and tradespeople are stark and we have a duty of care to ensure our customers — and indeed our colleagues — are equipped with the information to assist them and their families as and when they need it.
“Band of Builders does a fantastic job in general, and specifically with the Big Brew, so we are thrilled to have been able to amplify their crucial message to even more construction workers this year. I know a lot of conversations have taken place at Big Brew events at Travis Perkins branches and if just one person has benefited from a discussion they have had, all the activity we have done has been more than worthwhile.”
Garry Gregory, packed products director at Tarmac, said: “We have been supporters of Band of Builders for ten years now and we wanted to utilise that relationship to provide additional support to the Big Brew.
“Extending our already strong partnership with Travis Perkins has been extremely rewarding and the feedback and impact we have had has been fantastic.”
Tony Steel, operations director for Band of Builders, said: “The Big Brew is a relatively simple concept but the message behind it and the impact it has on many construction workers and tradespeople couldn’t be stronger. We are looking to expand the reach of the campaign year-on-year and we couldn’t be more grateful to Travis Perkins and Tarmac Blue Circle for bringing their Big Brew partnership to life via the tour this year.
“From Penzance to Scotland, the engagement we have had from Travis Perkins customers and colleagues has been exceptional.”
See page 6 of our December 2025/January 2026 issue on our Back Issues page.
