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The new build organisation have promoted a former apprentice into the position, showcasing the ability to excel your career in the development industry.

Elivia Homes have promoted Peter Hutson to become the new managing director of its Eastern region. He originally joined the development company as an apprentice and then progressed to become part of the central team, where he served as construction director for eight years. Now, Huston will head a team of more than 40, and will have overall responsibility for developments across Kent, East Sussex and Essex.

In addition, Huston will also be responsible for expanding the business, overseeing the company’s land acquisition programme and maintaining the regions performance in customer service.

‘I’m delighted to be taking the helm of our successful eastern business,’ said Peter Hutson. ‘The senior team, and the business as a whole, is very optimistic about our future, and my vision is firmly fixed on driving significant growth in the region, while motivating our fantastic team.’

Chris Chiles, chief executive of Elivia, said: ‘Peter’s promotion aligns with our core values of passion, progress and expertise. His journey from apprentice to managing director exemplifies the ethos of hard work, and the strategic foresight at the core of all our business decisions.

‘As we stand on the cusp of new opportunities and challenges, Peter’s role will be integral in delivering our strategy and guiding our eastern operation with a vision that ensures both resilience and growth.’

Elivia expanded into their newest region last year after the owners bought Millwood Designer Homes.

Image: Blake Wheeler

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Heineken UK is set to reopen 62 pubs and refurbish hundreds of older venues in a bid to attract customers who predominantly work from home.

Over 90 sites are set up for a makeover, which is expected to cost around £200,000, and the majority are located on sites under Star Pubs and Bars arm. The investment will see 62 sites reopen in 2024, meaning that by the end of the year the brewer will have opened the doors to 156 long-term closed pubs since the end of 2023.

The refurbishments will focus on new designs, signage and dividing screens that will help create different areas of the pubs to accommodate people’s reason for visiting. These include areas for watching sport and eating dinner.

Progress on the scheme has already started as the Ashford arms in Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire, has just reopened after it closed its doors during the Covid-19 pandemic. The establishment has a 107-cover restaurant, nine en-suite rooms and 30-cover alfresco area.

In addition to helping local business and providing entertainment for those who are stuck inside their homes all day, Heineken have also said their developments will benefit the environment. The company have announced they will be launching further projects to improve pub insulation and cut energy use by 15% as part of its goal to become net-zero by 2040.

Commenting on the news, Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs, said: ‘People are looking for maximum value from visits to their local. They want great surroundings and food and drink as well as activities that give them an extra reason to go out, such as sports screenings and entertainment.’

‘Pubs have proved their enduring appeal; after all the disruption of recent years, Star is on track to have the lowest number of closed pubs since 2019,’ Lawson said. ‘It’s a tribute to the drive and entrepreneurship of licensees and the importance of continued investment. We’ve spent more than £200m upgrading and maintaining our pubs over the last five years, and we’ll continue to invest to keep them open and thriving.’

News of the pubs reopening has come at a tragic time for watering holes across the UK. Following the pandemic and the continued cost-of-living crisis, a record number of pubs have had to shut their doors. The latest figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) shows over 500 pubs closed across the UK in 2023.

Image: Heineken UK 

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Research shows people who work in construction often suffer worse with their wellbeing, so this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week we’re discussing how they can be best supported.

This week – 13th May to 19th May – is Mental Health Awareness Week, which is an event that was established by the Mental Health Foundation in 2001 with an aim to tackle stigma and help people understand and prioritise their and others’ mental state. To mark the occasion, we will be directing readers’ attention to the construction industry, as research has found people in the sector are more likely to struggle with mental illness than any other workers.

Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has woefully highlighted that workers in construction are four times more likely to die by taking their own life than in any other sector. In addition, two hardware and electrical organisations, otherwise known as IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect have reported that 82% of builders in the UK grapple with work-related mental health problems every year, with an overwhelming 92% admitting to feeling uncomfortable discussing their problems.

Against this backdrop, research from Fix Radio – the UK’s only national radio station dedicated to builders in the trades – has revealed that 38% of tradesmen are now experiencing the worst levels of stress and anxiety in their lifetime.

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Clive Holland, host of The Clive Holland Show – which is aired on Fix Radio – has claimed that there are an unjust number of reasons why the rate of suicide is so high in the construction sector, and these must be addressed now.

‘There are several underlying reasons why the rate of suicide in the construction trades is so high,’ Clive said. ‘Firstly, there is a macho image in the industry and men are not brilliant at ‘opening up’ and discussing their feelings. But I feel that this is changing slowly, but surely.

‘Secondly, there is a lot of stress involved in running a small business – there are long hours, few holidays, slow payers and cash flow issues. In the last two years particularly, spiralling costs of materials and spiking energy prices have squeezed margins even further. Couple that with the growing skills shortage – it ramps up extra pressures on daily site life. The pandemic has magnified many of these problems – tradespeople will tell you that they have never been this busy. Many are fully booked until the end of the year, if not further.’

Clive added: ‘It is also worth remembering that while many of our tradespeople have fantastic skills and deliver outstanding work, the weakest part of their game is dealing with the details of their business. Great tradespeople are not necessarily great business people and it is worth remembering that they often feel intimidated by the admin and financial side of the job.’

Where can help seek help?

The demand for national helplines has displayed the growing desperation among industry professions for support – the Big Brew, a national helpline for mental health – revealed that over a third of texts were from individual construction workers contemplating suicide, with 16% of those relating to depression. These heartbreaking statistics have been published at a challenging time in the sector as individuals have reported struggling with schedules, material shortages, the ongoing pressures of delivering housing targets and new environmental directives.

To try and help ease some of the pressure and combat stereotypes associated with people in this profession seeking help, Fix Radio have also highlighted various helplines that are on hand to offer assistance.

These include:

• The Lighthouse Club: 100% focused on improving the welfare and wellbeing of the construction community in the UK and Ireland. They provide a range of free and proactive services to help companies deliver the best possible support to their employees and their families.
• 24/7 Confidential Helpline:Available to everyone on your site including subcontractors, agency workers and allied trades. Their Construction Industry Helpline covers all aspects of emotional, physical and financial wellbeing, and is available in many different languages through our partnership with translation services
• Self-support app:A downloadable Wellbeing Support App called ‘Construction Industry Helpline’ that covers all the aspects of wellbeing. The app is packed with information to learn about conditions, how to develop coping strategies with signposting to over 3000 accredited organisations that provide support. It really is a ‘mate’ in your back pocket
• Text HardHat:A 24/7 service dedicated to providing immediate access to text back counselling
• Wellbeing Masterclasses:These are one hour scheduled CPD Accredited wellbeing education sessions covering topics such as: managing stress, building resilience, work-life balance, mindfulness, meditation, financial management and many more
• Lighthouse Beacons:Having identified over 160 volunteer centres around the UK and Ireland where workers can drop in to meet like-minded people, socialise and talk – the Beacons are facilitated by individuals with lived experience, and in this confidential environment, encourage those struggling with life problems to share their issues and if required, seek further help

Image: Karolina Grabowska

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