Build & Thrive

What does it take to turn psychological health from a wellbeing initiative into a business-wide operating framework? In this episode of Build and Thrive, Stuart Mace is joined by Natalie Harvey, Health Specialist at Balfour Beatty , to explore the organisation's journey to achieving and embedding ISO 45003 - the world's first international standard for managing psychosocial risks in the...

In this episode of Build and Thrive, Jennie Armstrong is joined by Rob Cheeseman, Head of Health at Balfour Beatty , for a practical conversation about what health, hygiene and wellbeing look like inside one of the UK’s largest construction organisations. Rob shares his journey from sport, rehabilitation and occupational health into construction, and explains how Balfour Beatty is working to make...

What does it really take to create a wellbeing culture that works across thousands of workers, hundreds of projects, and an extensive supply chain? In this episode of Build and Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong sits down with Davy Daly to explore how GRAHAM Group is transforming wellbeing across its workforce and why the industry needs to move beyond reactive support towards proactive, personalised we...

In this episode of the Build and Thrive Podcast, host Stuart Mace is joined by Keith Prince, Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing for Sizewell C Site Delivery, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of health, safety and wellbeing in construction. Together, Stuart and Keith explore the evolving role of health and safety professionals - moving away from the stereotype of “clipboard warrio...

In this episode of Build and Thrive, Jennie Armstrong is joined by Martin Wilshire, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Director at Multiplex, for a practical and honest conversation about one of construction’s biggest health risks: dust. This episode goes beyond awareness and looks at what real action can look like in practice. Martin shares his career journey from the Royal Air Force into construction,...

In this powerful episode of Build & Thrive, Jennie Armstrong sits down with Steve Kerslake, founder of Construction Sport and long-time construction worker turned mental health campaigner. Recorded inside the Construction Sport studio, this is an honest, unfiltered conversation about trauma, pressure, suicide, sport, leadership and why the industry must go beyond awareness and into accountabil...

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong introduces a very special guest and a new voice you’ll be hearing a lot more from - Stuart Mace, the newest team member at Construction Health & Wellbeing. The conversation challenges the idea that organisations are responsible for “managing” employees’ mental health. Instead, it reframes the responsibility: managing the work environ...

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong is joined by Colin Whiteley, Senior SHEQ Advisor at National Grid who is a construction professional with over 22 years’ experience and a doctoral researcher examining the overlooked link between mental health and safety in construction. Colin reflects on his journey from working on the tools to senior site and client-side roles, and why...

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong is joined by Stuart Wallis, Associate Director at Mace, for an open and deeply honest conversation about fairness, culture and wellbeing in the construction industry. Drawing on decades of experience across unions, contractors and major infrastructure projects, Stuart shares a frontline perspective on what genuinely shapes people’s healt...

In this episode of Build & Thrive, Jennie Armstrong is joined by Jo Yarker, Professor of Occupational Psychology and Co-Managing Partner at Affinity Health at Work, to explore what it really takes to improve mental health in the workplace. Together they unpack why many organisations are still stuck at “awareness”, and what a more practical, evidence-based and preventative approach looks like i...

In this eye-opening episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong is joined by Stu Drinkwater, co-founder of TAL (Take A Leak), and Andrea White, Managing Director at A W Fire Ltd, fire engineer and passionate advocate for better welfare in construction. We talk about toilets but this is far more than that! For years, mobile construction workers have normalised dehydration, discomfort, and...

Sleep is often treated as a personal problem - something people just need to “sort out” in their own time. In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong sits down with GP and sleep specialist Dr David Garley, Director of The Better Sleep Clinic, to explore why sleep is actually a critical health and safety issue for construction. Drawing on his clinical work with patients and organi...

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong is joined by Andy Mitchell, CEO of Tideway, and Steve Hails, Director of Business Services and Health, Safety & Wellbeing, to explore how one of the UK’s most ambitious engineering projects became a benchmark for culture, care, and collaboration in construction. Together, they discuss how the £4.6 billion Thames Tideway Tunnel - or “...

In this episode of Build & Thrive, Jennie Armstrong speaks with Kevin Bampton, Chief Executive of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), about one of construction’s most overlooked challenges - protecting workers from ill health caused by work itself. They explore what occupational hygiene really means, why health has lagged behind safety in the industry, and how prevention-focused d...

In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong brings together two specialists tackling addiction through different lenses: Nick McMurray (Positive Matters) on drugs and alcohol, and John Fenna (Bet Know More UK) on gambling harms. We explore why “zero tolerance” alone doesn’t change behaviour, how addiction intersects with mental health and money stress, and what a practical, preven...

In this episode of Build & Thrive , host Jennie Armstrong is joined by Jacqui Wallis, CEO of Genius Within , to explore a topic many in the construction industry are only just beginning to understand: neurodiversity at work. With over 25 years of experience and her own lived perspective as a neurodivergent leader, Jacqui brings insight, empathy, and practical solutions to a conversation that’s...

In this powerful and honest episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong sits down with Nick O’Shea – construction professional, podcast host, and person in recovery – to talk about the role addiction plays in the construction industry. With over a decade in construction and a personal journey through drug and alcohol addiction, Nick offers a deeply human perspective on the workplace cultu...

Guest: Clare Forshaw: Professional Head of Health & Wellbeing RSSB. Founder & Director at UK Hearing Conservation Association. Board Member British Occupational Hygiene Society In this powerful and insightful episode of Build & Thrive , host Jenny Armstrong is joined by Clare Forshaw  - respected occupational health expert and director of the UK Hearing Conservation Association - for a...

In this episode of Build & Thrive , host Jennie Armstrong sits down with two brilliant guests - Andrew Russell Day, Senior Health & Safety Lead at Amazon, and Ryan Briggs, founder of FinWELL Training - to explore a topic often overlooked in the world of construction: financial wellbeing. Together, they unpack: 💰 What financial wellbeing really means  📉 Why it’s so often at the root of me...

🚧 500 Miles for 500 Lives: Chris Rodgers on Running for Mental Health in Construction In this powerful episode of Build & Thrive , host Jennie Armstrong speaks with Chris Rodgers, a construction professional on an extraordinary mission—running 500 miles in full PPE to raise awareness of mental health in the industry. After seeing the shocking statistic that 507 construction workers took their...

The construction industry is known for its long hours, tough conditions, and high-pressure environments. But what impact does this have on the mental health of workers? In this episode of Build & Thrive , we sit down with Matt Jenkins, a construction supervisor and trustee of Lads Minds, a charity dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health in construction. Matt shares his personal j...

What role does nutrition play in the health, safety, and performance of construction workers? In this episode of Build & Thrive , Kate Cook, a leading nutritionist and Health & Wellbeing Ambassador for the Considerate Constructors Scheme, joins us to uncover the hidden link between food, wellbeing, and workplace performance in construction. With years of experience working with major const...

In our debut episode of Build & Thrive , we sit down with Lee Rowswell, Group Director at GKR Scaffolding and a passionate advocate for health and wellbeing in construction. Lee shares his inspiring 35-year journey from starting on the tools to leading a £40 million business. We explore his personal experiences, including the life-changing moment that shaped his unwavering commitment to safety...

Welcome to Build & Thrive , the podcast dedicated to transforming occupational health and wellbeing in the construction industry. Hosted by Jennie Armstrong - nurse, trained occupational hygienist, and founder of Construction Health & Wellbeing - this podcast is your go-to resource for insights and inspiration to create a healthier, happier construction workforce. In each episode, Jennie i...