Mates in Construction – Funding to Save Lives

MATES In Construction CEO Jorgen Gullestrup has welcomed the Queensland Government’s recent announcement of $1 million in renewed funding, saying the support would help the fight to save lives across the state. Mr Gullestrup spoke to Gladstone News about the programs the charity offers free of charge to businesses in the mining, energy, construction and building industry.

“MATES in Construction has a number of programs available. People are generally not very good at asking for help, so we aim to equip people with the skills to offer help instead,” Mr Gullestrup said. MATES in Construction has been working with local businesses and small builders in the Gladstone region to encourage workers to be mindful of their mental health, especially following the economic downturn experienced in the region following the Curtis Island construction boom. “We have programs particularly targeted to small businesses that are deliverable at toolbox talks about how we can support workers.”