BEHIND CLOSED DOORS - HOW LFS AND happihub ARE MAKING MENTAL HEALTH PART OF THE CONVERSATION

Pressure is part of the job in the construction and fire protection sectors. Long hours, shifting regulations, and the weight of responsibility that comes with life-critical work are all seen as standard. But what’s often left unsaid is the toll that this pressure can take on mental health, particularly in an industry that still carries a strong ‘man up and get on with it’ mindset.

That silence has serious consequences. Construction workers are statistically far more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts than the general population. In fact, men working in construction are three times more likely to take their own lives than those in other industries.

This is not a new issue. But for too long, the industry has struggled to talk about it, let alone tackle it in a meaningful, lasting way. That’s where happihub comes in. And that’s why London Fire Solutions (LFS) decided to join them in taking action.

LFS is a family-run business operating in the passive fire protection, specialising in fire door manufacture and compartmentation installation, surveying and compliance. But its commitment doesn’t stop there. For LFS, protection is about people too, keeping them safe on site and well supported off it.

In 2024, LFS became the first ever corporate partner of happihub, a non-profit mental health organisation built specifically for people who can’t access  - or don’t feel comfortable with - traditional therapy. Founded by Steve Anderson, a former construction worker with lived experience of trauma and recovery, happihub understands the emotional landscape of the industry from the inside out.

Frustrated by the limitations of one-size-fits-all counselling and the unrealistic expectations placed on already stretched workers, Steve assembled a team of mental health professionals to do things differently. The result is a hybrid, flexible model of support that combines group sessions and one-to-one check-ins, designed to work around real lives and real work. No therapy-speak, no tick-box exercises. Just relatable, straight-talking sessions that build trust, self-awareness, and long-term resilience.

At the heart of what happihub does is a unique digital support tool, Happicare, that helps people track their well-being in a no-pressure, judgment-free way. Happicare is a unified, all-in-one support system that offers one-on-one help for LFS employees with a unique ‘pay it forward’ feature. For every LFS team member that uses Happicare, happihub will provide the system to a member of the wider community, spreading the support wider than just the LFS family. Happicare offers 24/7 365 access to all of the happihub support systems, including access to a team of experts for guided 1-2-1 support. It has been designed to tackle the stigma of mental health and offer meaningful support, whether for mental health problems, financial concerns, physical wellbeing, sleep, or everyday stress.

When the LFS team took part in their first happihub session, Managing Director Jim Hannon didn’t quite know what to expect. The team, like many in the sector, included a mix of personalities, many of whom were used to keeping things to themselves. But what happened next made a lasting impression.

“The very first happihub session blew my mind about the benefit it gave all the guys,” Jim recalls. “They came in with very ‘just man up’ attitudes, but they were still talking about it a week later.”

And it wasn’t just one good session. The momentum has continued. People who’d previously struggled in silence started opening up. Colleagues supported each other more actively. The language around mental health changed from avoidance to openness. The Happicare app keeps on working with the LFS team around the clock, even when they are not at work.

In one particularly poignant example, a team member who had recently lost a child shared how the sessions helped them communicate more honestly, not only at work but also with their family at home. It’s a powerful reminder that none of us truly knows what burden someone else is carrying and that sometimes, just having permission and the tools to speak can make a world of difference.

What sets happihub apart is its realism. As Steve says, the aim isn’t to replace clinical therapy or pretend mental health can be “fixed” in a day but to catch people before they fall through the cracks.

“This isn’t therapy. It’s an intervention to stop things getting that far,” Steve says. “We meet people where they’re at and give them tools to make small, manageable changes. That’s where real transformation starts.”

The happihub model is especially effective in male-dominated environments like construction and fire safety, where there’s often a fear of looking weak or “over-sharing.” The team builds trust using humour, lived experience, and practical tools.

And for businesses, the payoff is huge. According to a report by Deloitte[1], poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion a year through lost productivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, and staff turnover. But there’s good news too: investing in mental well-being delivers, on average, a £5 return for every £1 spent.

At LFS, the results have already been tangible. Team members report feeling more motivated, better equipped to handle pressure, and more connected to their colleagues. Communication has improved across the board, and difficult conversations are no longer off-limits.

It’s also helped reinforce what makes LFS different: a commitment to doing things properly and looking after people, not just in emergencies but in daily situations.

“Steve and the team have become a massive support to our staff,” says Jim. “That gets them in a good place, which in turn helps LFS to be a supportive, happy place to work.”

A Model for the Industry

The success of the LFS-happihub partnership sends a clear message to the industry: it’s time to stop treating mental health as an add-on and start making it part of how we operate.  Because mental well-being isn’t a luxury, it’s not HR fluff. And it’s not someone else’s problem. It’s part of building safe workplaces. It’s part of delivering consistent, high-quality work. And it’s a key factor in recruitment, retention, and long-term success. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do.

[1] Deloitte Mental Health and Employers Report (January 2022). Mental health and employers: The case for investment - pandemic and beyond.