By our late founder, Caimin “32” Donlon

I’ve been in some very deep places during my time in construction, and I never felt like I had any support or anyone to turn to. I know what it’s like, and I know where it can lead. When I read the statistics on suicides in construction, I wasn’t even shocked — because I’d thought about it myself before. My first reaction was: I need to do something. I need to help. That’s why LadsMinds exists. We’re not a box-ticking exercise — we’re workers ourselves, here to connect, to change the culture, and to make a real difference.

There are plenty of mental health campaigns, but most never reach the bottom — the lads on-site. By the time it filters down, it’s watered down, or gone. That’s why LadsMinds is different: it starts and ends with the workers. We know what really goes on because we’ve lived it ourselves. That’s what makes us effective. We don’t preach, we listen, and we build trust where it matters — on-site, shoulder to shoulder.

I’ve seen what the future on construction sites can be, and it starts here. This campaign is about breaking the “hard man” stereotype — creating a space where men and women can talk, share the weight, and look out for each other. The pressures of construction won’t disappear, but together we can handle them better. If companies back this, and if workers buy into it, we’ll see suicide rates fall and productivity rise. That’s the LadsMinds Culture.

We spend more time with our workmates than we do with our own families. That means we need to treat each other like family — even the ones we don’t feel close to, maybe even the ones we don’t like. When you look out for your mate, you’re looking out for his kids, his partner, and his family at home. It’s in all our interests to come home safe — and to come home with a real smile on our face.

We build towers, bridges, and roads every day — but it’s time we started building each other up too. That’s what LadsMinds is about. Creating a culture where people want to come to work, want to help, and want to belong. It’s a vision that might sound bold, but I believe it’s possible. And it starts with us — the workers, the lads, the people on-site.

✍️ These were the words of Caimin Donlon, our founder. His vision remains the heartbeat of LadsMinds today.