News for Tool Hire, Equipment Hire & Plant Hire and Rental Professionals

Unite for mental strength

17 February 2022

Unite for mental strength

The Hire Association Europe/Event Hire Association is today launching a worthy initiative to promote mental health awareness in the hire industry. 

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenges faced by employers and employees around mental health have increased significantly. Some organisations were early adopters of support programmes and strategies, while others lacked resources and guidance. 

Paul Gaze, HAE/EHA chief executive officer, says the association has already provided training in this area, having participated in Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day last year. 

When the association recently discussed projects for its Strategic Plan 2022-2023, Board Member Asif Latief, managing director of Boels Rental UK, put forward an initiative derived from his experience in developing people’s skills and competencies. 

This is not only to create a better skilled, engaged and more productive workforce, but also to explore how mental health is being addressed in the hire sector. Asif says he will utilise his networks to help develop an industry-wide approach to tackle this challenge. 

This has resulted in the United for Mental Strength initiative being launched today. Asif will be appointed as Mental Strength Ambassador for the project which will include sharing information and assisting organisations in reviewing their approach, and potential options to upskill their workforce. 

It will assist colleagues by focusing on indicators of poor mental health, such as looking out for tell-tale signs like loss of appetite, overindulgence, self-harm and social withdrawal. It will also help people focus on keeping on top of things to prevent mental health deteriorating. 

Asif says that the initiative aims to view ‘Mental Health as Mental Strength’, adding that we all have mental health and, at any one time, one in four of us may be suffering as a result of poor mental health.

As a not-for-profit organisation, HAE/EHA will independently facilitate and promote the issue. During 2022, the association proposes to bring together organisations to share what they are doing across their businesses.

Organisations will present how they are addressing this challenge in order to build up skills and mental strength, and businesses that traditionally might be competitors will openly share their approach, look to learn from others and embrace best practice for the good of the industry and wider society. 

The planned date and location for the first event is 6 April at Boels Rental’s Stoke-on-Trent depot.

Hosting the launch event at this time will allow organisations to prepare for Mental Health Awareness Week taking place from 9 to 15 May. 

The proposal is to host the follow-up event later in the year to allow members to review their progress in line with World Mental Health Day on 10 October.  

● Helpful resources can be found at: 

https://www.mind.org.uk/ 

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day 

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/how-to-support-mental-health-at-work.pdf 

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/how-to-manage-and-reduce-stress.Pdf  

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/How%20to...exercise.pdf 


Subscribe

I am constantly adding new content. If you subscribe FREE using the form below, I'll send you my weekly bulletin summarising the latest hire industry stories - and I'll also send you a PDF of 10 fascinating interviews with national and independent hirers, giving their views about business and their secrets of success!