Home improvement sector takes a stand: Rainy Day Trust launches landmark mental health Ambassador Programme

Rainy Day Trust has launched its Employee Ambassador Programme, the most significant sector-specific wellbeing and mental health initiative ever created for the home improvement and home enhancement trade. Timed deliberately to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week (12^th -18^th May 2026), the programme trains colleagues from within the industry to become visible, trusted sources of wellbeing support in their own organisations. Not counsellors. Not HR professionals. Just people who know this industry, who understand its pressures, and who are willing to show up for the people around them. 

The statistics for our sector demand urgent action. Workers in construction and trades are 3 to 4 times more likely to die by suicide than the national average. For every fatal workplace accident, approximately 10 workers die by suicide, a figure that has gone unaddressed for too long.  

With around 90% of the workforce male, our industry carries one of the highest risk profiles of any sector. Seasonal demand, self-employment, physical toll, workforce mobility, financial insecurity all these are pressures unique to our trade, and they compound the risk every day. Beyond the statistics, these are our colleagues. Our drivers. Our warehouse teams. Our reps on the road. 

Rainy Day Trust Ambassador Programme takes a fundamentally different approach to workplace wellbeing. Rather than external interventions or generic awareness campaigns, it trains people from inside the industry to be a visible, trusted first point of contact for anyone who might be struggling. Each Ambassador completes a full day of interactive, CPD-accredited training, covering the real mental health landscape in our sector, how to recognise when a colleague may be struggling, how to have an open and empathetic conversation, and crucially, how to connect people to the right support, including Rainy Day Trust itself. After training, ambassadors become part of an ongoing support network backed by the Rainy Day Trust team, with monthly check-ins, quarterly webinars, and a dedicated Ambassador Support Manager on hand. 

Two businesses have set the standard as the programme’s founding partners. IRSAP UK, the leading radiator manufacturer and supplier, and Barrettine, the specialist wood treatment manufacturer and distributor, have both completed their inaugural ambassador training days, creating a combined network of 11 trained ambassadors. Steve Bailey, Managing Director of Barrettine, said: “Having trained Ambassadors who truly understand our world, and who our colleagues can trust and turn to for help and guidance, could genuinely save lives. We’re proud to be one of the first companies to have trained Ambassadors.” 

The momentum behind the programme is building rapidly. More than 50 individuals from across the sector are already booked into upcoming training, with Toolbank and Stax confirmed as the next companies to begin their Ambassador journeys. Anna Skeats, CEO of Rainy Day Trust, said: “We have talked about mental health in this industry for long enough. Now we are doing something about it, through the very people who walk in the shoes of our sector every day. The Ambassador Programme is not just a training day. It is the beginning of a cultural shift that this industry so urgently needs. We are calling on every business in our sector to join us.” 

The mental health of our workforce isn’t a ‘nice to have’ it’s a leadership responsibility. This programme asked us to back that up with action. Investing in our Ambassadors is one of the most important decisions we’ve made.

Andy Philips

Managing Director, IRSAP UK 

Bring the Ambassador Programme to your business

Rainy Day Trust is inviting businesses across the home improvement, home enhancement and building products sector to find out more about bringing the Ambassador Programme to their teams. Every Ambassador trained is a life potentially changed and every company that joins is helping to build an industry where no one faces their darkest moment alone. 

To sum up

The key facts about the Rainy Day Trust Employee Ambassador Programme. 

What is the Ambassador Programme? 

A sector-specific mental health programme that trains colleagues from within the home improvement and home enhancement industry to be visible, trusted sources of wellbeing support. Not counsellors, just people who know the trade and are willing to show up for others. 

What does training involve?

A full day of interactive, CPD-accredited training covering the mental health landscape in our sector, how to recognise when someone is struggling, how to have supportive conversations, and how to signpost to the right support. Ambassadors then join an ongoing national network supported by the Rainy Day Trust team. 

How do I get my business involved? 

Ambassador training is available to Silver, Gold and Platinum RDT partner businesses. Get in touch with the Rainy Day Trust team to find out more: anna@rainydaytrust.org.uk or visit www.rainydaytrust.org.uk

The reality in our sector 

These are not just statistics. They are our colleagues, our warehouse teams, our drivers on the road, our people on the shop floor. The Ambassador Programme exists because we can no longer afford to look the other way. 

• Workers in construction and trades are 3 to 4 times more likely to die by suicide than the national average 
• For every fatal workplace accident, approximately 10 workers die by suicide 
• Around 90% of the workforce is male, a demographic statistically less likely to seek help 
• Financial insecurity, isolation and a culture of ‘getting on with it’ compound the risk every day 
• The home enhancement trade has a proud tradition of community, this programme builds on that