Workplace wellbeing in construction has often been framed around crisis. What happens when someone is struggling? What support is available? How quickly can people access help?
Those questions matter, but they are not the whole picture.
In this episode of Build and Thrive, host Stuart Mace is joined by Anwen Cooper, co-founder and Mission Director at Thrivall, for a wider conversation about leadership, resilience, prevention and the future of work. It is a thoughtful episode that challenges construction businesses to think beyond one-off wellbeing initiatives and look more seriously at how people are supported before they reach crisis point.
Anwen brings a broad perspective to the conversation. Her career has included senior marketing roles, charity and social impact work, strategic consultancy and now her work through Thrivall, supporting leaders to build resilience and mental fitness. She also shares the story behind her cycling challenge across the south of England, visiting B Corp businesses on her way to Anthropy at the Eden Project, using it as a personal test of resilience and a practical expression of her values.
This blog summarises some of the key themes, but the full conversation is available as both a podcast and video. If the ideas here resonate, the full episode is well worth listening to or watching.
Why construction is paying attention to resilience
Anwen explains that Thrivall does not work exclusively with construction, but there is a clear need in the industry. The mental health challenges facing construction are well known, and the human impact is difficult to ignore.
During the episode, Anwen references figures around construction workers considering suicide, experiencing stress and the financial cost of mental ill health to the sector. But the conversation does not stay with the statistics. Instead, Stuart and Anwen explore what the industry can actually do next.
Anwen makes the point that some construction businesses are already aware of the scale of the issue and are actively looking for a different approach. These tend to be the more forward-thinking organisations that want to stand out, attract good people and become employers of choice.
She also links this to the challenge of bringing younger people into the industry. If construction is not seen as an aspirational career path, organisations need to ask what kind of workplace future generations will want to join. That question goes beyond recruitment messaging. It goes to culture, leadership and how people experience work every day.
Moving beyond token wellbeing activity
A strong theme in the episode is the need to move beyond wellbeing activity that looks good but does not change much.
Anwen is clear that there are many providers and many initiatives in the market. Some can be helpful, and Thrivall is able to work alongside existing activity where it is already working well. But she also points to a growing concern that some workplace wellbeing activity does not deliver the impact organisations hope for.
The issue is not that organisations should stop caring about wellbeing. It is that one-off sessions, awareness days and ad hoc activities are unlikely to shift the dial on their own.
As Anwen Cooper says: “I say we’re a little bit like a gym membership for your mind and your wellbeing and your mental health.”
That comparison is useful. Nobody expects to go to the gym once and be fit for life. Mental fitness, resilience and leadership capacity need the same kind of sustained attention. For Anwen, this is why Thrivall is designed as an ongoing programme rather than a one-off intervention.
That point feels especially relevant for construction, where workloads, deadlines and project pressures can be persistent. A short campaign may raise awareness, but deeper change needs something more embedded.
Prevention, support and the missing middle
Stuart and Anwen also explore the difference between reactive support and preventative wellbeing.
Traditional support often comes into play once someone is already struggling. That could include an EAP, crisis helpline or referral into counselling or therapy. These services can be important, but they are not the same as prevention.
Anwen talks about Thrivall as a proactive and preventative programme. Rather than waiting until someone reaches crisis point, the aim is to help people build their resilience, capacity and self-awareness earlier.
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is the discussion around counselling-informed coaching. Anwen explains that coaching is often future-focused, helping people think about goals, progress and accountability. Counselling can help people understand deeper patterns, past experiences and psychological barriers that may be holding them back.
Thrivall brings those approaches together through what it calls counsellor coaches. The language is important. People are not told they are going to therapy or counselling. Instead, they have personal check-ins with trained professionals who can listen, ask helpful questions and offer deeper support when needed.
Anwen Cooper explains: “For most people, most of the time, who are in employment, they’re in a pretty good place. And for most people, it will be a coaching conversation.”
That matters because not everyone who benefits from support is in crisis. Many people are managing, functioning and getting through the working day. The question is how to keep them well, help them grow and prevent avoidable decline.
Why leader wellbeing matters
Perhaps the strongest message in the episode is that workplace wellbeing starts with leadership.
Anwen explains that Thrivall has evolved into a leader development and support programme because leaders have such a strong influence on the people around them. If leaders are under-resourced, stressed or not looking after themselves, that can ripple through a team.
Their decisions may suffer. Their communication may become less thoughtful. Their mood may affect morale. Their behaviour may make it harder for others to feel safe, supported or able to perform well.
As Anwen Cooper says: “It all starts with the leaders, basically, and it starts at the top and then kind of ripples out.”
This is not just about being kind or well-intentioned. In construction, leadership has practical consequences. The way a leader behaves can affect team confidence, decision-making, retention, safety culture and performance.
Anwen also uses the familiar phrase about leaders needing to put their own oxygen mask on first. The point is simple but often overlooked. If leaders are not well themselves, they are unlikely to model healthy behaviours or create the conditions where others can work well.
Stuart also broadens the idea of leadership beyond job titles. The conversation touches on the fact that people can lead in different ways, whether or not they have formal authority. Leadership is partly about influence, and everyone has some capacity to influence the people around them.
Anwen agrees with this wider view. She describes it as empowering people to lead themselves better, be accountable to themselves and recognise the influence they have in their workplace and wider life.
Keeping people working
Another important part of the episode is the discussion around the Keep Britain Working review and the idea of Vanguard organisations.
Anwen explains that Thrivall is involved as a Vanguard organisation and talks about her interest in the work following previous reviews into occupational health provision, particularly for SMEs. She describes her excitement at seeing the Keep Britain Working work move quickly into action rather than becoming another report that sits on a shelf.
The conversation links this to a wider national issue: keeping people economically active and engaged in work. Stuart reflects on the value of keeping “average Joe average”, meaning that there is real value in helping people remain well, steady and able to work, before asking them to thrive or perform at exceptional levels.
This is a useful reframing for wellbeing. It does not always need to be about peak performance. Sometimes the priority is to prevent people from slipping into ill health, absence or disengagement.
Stuart also talks about three areas of workplace wellbeing strategy: support for people who are struggling or returning to work, proactive wellbeing activity, and prevention aimed at stopping harm before it happens. He sees Thrivall’s approach as connecting across these areas.
That is where the episode becomes especially relevant to construction health and wellbeing. The sector is familiar with risk assessment and prevention in physical safety. The challenge now is to apply the same seriousness to psychological health, work design and leadership impact.
Better workplaces are future workplaces
The conversation also looks at long-term organisational sustainability.
Stuart uses the phrase: “The best time to plant an oak tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
It fits the episode well. The businesses investing in leadership, wellbeing and resilience now are not only responding to today’s problems. They are shaping whether people will want to work for them in the future.
Anwen talks about forward-thinking construction companies that recognise they need to “up their game” if they want to attract the next generation. That means building workplaces where people feel supported, where leaders are equipped to lead well and where wellbeing is not reduced to an annual campaign.
This links with the episode’s broader discussion about work being good for people when it is designed and managed well. Work can provide purpose, connection, confidence and financial stability. But that does not happen automatically. It depends on the quality of the working environment and the behaviour of those leading it.
Walking the walk
The episode finishes by returning to Anwen’s cycling challenge.
For Anwen, the ride is not just a personal fitness test. It is a way of embodying the values she talks about through her work. She is travelling by bike, visiting B Corp businesses, building connections and pushing her own resilience.
As Anwen Cooper says: “I want to see more leaders stepping up and actually walking the walk.”
That phrase captures the spirit of the episode. Workplace wellbeing cannot just be something organisations say they care about. It has to show up in behaviour, decisions and investment. It has to influence how leaders lead, how work is structured and how people are supported before they are struggling.
The bike ride becomes a useful metaphor for the wider conversation. Values need action. Resilience needs practice. Leadership needs to be lived, not just spoken about.
Key takeaways
- Construction has a clear need for more proactive approaches to mental health, resilience and leadership support.
- One-off wellbeing initiatives are unlikely to create lasting change unless they form part of a more sustained approach.
- Counselling-informed coaching can help bridge the gap between leadership development and deeper psychological support.
- Leaders have a significant influence on team wellbeing, culture and performance.
- Prevention matters as much as support, especially if organisations want to keep people well and working.
- Future-focused construction businesses need to think seriously about the kind of workplace younger generations will want to join.
- Wellbeing needs action, not just statements of intent.
Listen or watch the full episode of Build & Thrive to hear the complete conversation with Anwen Cooper and host Stuart Mace.
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Join the Conversation!
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Thank you to GKR Scaffolding for sponsoring the Build & Thrive podcast and supporting our mission to improve health and wellbeing across the construction industry.
At Construction Health & Wellbeing, we help organisations create healthier, happier, and more sustainable workplaces.
Contact us today to learn how we can support your strategy.
Learn more about the people and organisations mentioned in this episode:
Stuart Mace: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartmace/
Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/
GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/
Anwen Cooper:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwencooper/
Thrivall:
- Website: https://www.Thrivallll.co.uk/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Thrivallll/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thrivallll160
