The British home enhancement trade has always prided itself on innovation, on developing products and solutions that improve people's lives at home. Now, thanks to the Rainy Day Trust, that spirit of innovation is being applied to something far closer to home, the mental health and wellbeing of the people who power our industry.
Launched during Mental Health Awareness Week (11–17 May 2025), the Rainy Day Trust Employee Ambassador Programme is the most significant sector-specific mental health programme ever launched for the home improvement and enhancement trade and the response has been immediate.
An Industry at Risk
The home enhancement trade sits within a broader construction and trades sector facing a serious and well-documented mental health crisis:
- Suicide rates among workers in our sector are 3–4 times the national average.
- For every fatal workplace accident, approximately 10 workers die by suicide, a statistic that must stop being ignored.
- With a workforce that is around 90% male, our industry carries one of the highest risk profiles of any sector.
- Pressures unique to our trade, seasonal demand, self-employment, physical toll, workforce mobility, all contribute to a heightened risk.
The home enhancement trade has a proud tradition of community. The Ambassador Programme is about building on this community to support one another.
What the Ambassador Programme Delivers
The RDT Employee Ambassador Programme takes a fundamentally different approach to workplace wellbeing. Rather than external interventions or generic awareness campaigns, it trains and supports people from within the industry, people who really understand the pressures of our trade to be a visible, trusted source of support in their own organisations.
Each ambassador completes a full day of interactive training, covering what really is wellbeing, the mental health landscape in our sector, how to recognise when a colleague may be struggling, how to have open, empathetic conversations and crucially, how to connect people to the right support, including the Rainy Day Trust itself. They then become part of an ongoing network who are supported by the Rainy Day Trust team.
BHETA Members Leading change
Two industry businesses with strong ties to the home enhancement sector have set the standard as the programme's first adopters:
IRSAP UK, the premium radiator manufacturer and brand, and Barrettine, specialist wood treatment manufacturer and supplier, have both completed their inaugural ambassador training days, creating a combined network of 11 trained ambassadors across the two businesses.
"As a business, we talk a lot about taking care of our people, but this programme asked us to back that up with action. Investing in our ambassadors is one of the most important decisions we've made. The mental health of our workforce isn't a 'nice to have', it's a leadership responsibility, and we're committed to getting this right."
Andy Philips, Managing Director, IRSAP UK
" Clearly, we live in very challenging times, and often very worrying, both at home and internationally. Not only the stress and worry these issues cause, but also the financial uncertainty, with rising costs almost everywhere. We see this with our own colleagues as well as the Businesses we partner with, and so this is why it matters so much to us at Barrettine. Having trained ambassadors who truly understand that world, and who our colleagues can trust and turn to for help & guidance, could genuinely save lives. We're proud to be one of the first Companies to have trained Ambassadors and our sincere thanks to Anna & Roz."
Steve Bailey, Managing Director, Barrettine
A Growing BHETA-Wide Movement
The momentum behind the programme is significant. More than 50 individuals from across the sector are already booked in for upcoming training, with leading names Toolbank and Stax confirmed as next to begin their ambassador journeys.
Anna Skeat, CEO of the Rainy Day Trust, is determined to see this grow across the full breadth of the home enhancement trade: "The home enhancement sector is full of passionate, committed businesses. We are asking those businesses to extend that commitment to the people who make them what they are. Every ambassador trained is a life potentially changed. Every company that joins this programme is helping to build an industry where no one has to face their worst days alone."
An Invitation to BHETA Members
The Rainy Day Trust is extending a direct invitation to all BHETA member businesses to explore the Employee Ambassador Programme and to consider how their own teams could become part of this growing network of support across our sector.
Contact us: www.rainydaytrust.org.uk
The home enhancement trade improves the spaces where people live. Let's also improve the lives of the people who make that possible.
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