Seddon owner and director Nicola Hodkinson has been appointed chair of workplace mental health charity Mates in Mind.
She succeeds Kevin Myers, who became chair in 2023 after taking over from founding chair Steve Hails.
Hodkinson has served as a trustee of the charity for the past five years. Mates in Mind was established to improve mental health and wellbeing in workplaces, particularly across construction and other high-risk sectors including transport and logistics.
In her new role, Hodkinson will help guide the charity’s efforts to expand mental health support programmes and encourage employers to adopt practical interventions in the workplace.
She said the industry must move beyond awareness campaigns and place greater emphasis on measures that prevent workers from reaching crisis point.
Hodkinson said: “Having seen first-hand the impact workplace culture can have on mental health, I joined Mates in Mind as a trustee five years ago because I knew our industry was not doing enough.
“Poor wellbeing and suicide are wider societal issues, but in construction, those challenges can be amplified by the nature of the work.
“Awareness matters, but it is not enough on its own. We need to work with the sector to better understand the causes of poor mental health and suicide in construction, and scale practical interventions that help prevent people from reaching crisis point.”
Seddon launched its Jordan’s Conversation initiative after employee Jordan Bibby died in 2017. The contractor said the programme has engaged more than 3,000 people and trained more than 50 mental health first aiders.
The company also partnered with Mates in Mind to introduce the Champions Programme, designed to improve mental health awareness across supply chains and help workers identify colleagues who may be struggling.
Samantha Downie, managing director of Mates in Mind, said Hodkinson’s experience would support the charity’s continued growth across different industries.
She said: “Her work with Seddon, including the Champions Programme, shows the difference that committed leadership can make across construction and supply chains, and how that learning can be adapted across other sectors.”
