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Category: Charity
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Ben, the automotive industry charity, has today launched a month-long campaign around suicide prevention, to raise awareness about this difficult topic and highlight that Ben is there for those struggling. As part of the campaign, new support and resources are now available on Ben’s website, as well as new online training.
The charity has created a new section of its website dedicated to suicide prevention with information, advice and guidance for individuals at risk of suicide, for those worried about someone and also for employers.
NEW suicide prevention support available at: www.ben.org.uk/suicideprevention 
- Content and resources on the topic of suicide prevention
- Downloadable resources and leaflets for individuals and employers
- Contact details so people know where to turn to for further support
- Information about relevant training and services for employers to support their employees
- New real life story about Tracey, who lost her husband to suicide.
According to ONS, in 2021, there were 6,567 deaths by suicide registered in the UK, with males aged between 45-49 as having the highest suicide rate in England and Wales1. A total of 126 people die by suicide in the UK every week, with around 74% of those being male2.
The automotive industry is male dominated (80% male, versus 20% female3) so there is potentially a greater risk and vulnerability to suicide than in other industries. Men often feel under pressure to not show signs of weakness and feel embarrassed to talk about their issues, so are less likely to seek help when struggling with their mental health. Sometimes, pride is a factor and men may think they can handle their problems on their own, or they worry about being a burden to others. Men are also more likely to respond to stress with risky behaviour such as abusing alcohol which increases the risk of suicide by up to eight times.
Sadly, Ben has seen an increase in calls to its helpline for support around suicide over recent years. In 2022, Ben supported 303 individuals who disclosed they were experiencing suicidal ideation or intent. Around 7 employers each year call on the charity’s Urgent Response Service after an employee has taken their own life.
Employers have a role to play in reducing the stigma around male mental health and to provide relevant support to prevent suicide. From findings in Ben’s survey report 2023, 1 in 3 automotive workers reported having had issues managing their mental health, compared with 1 in 6 of the general UK working population.
Relevant training and services
In addition to providing support for individuals, Ben also works with automotive industry employers to provide the following training and services:
Here is a recent testimonial about Ben’s new Suicide Awareness and Prevention training:
“The suicide awareness course from Ben was a great source of knowledge on a sensitive subject for both those with no experience of dealing with these issues to those with prior training. It gave practical advice of the tools and support that can be utilised in these difficult situations.” - Nicola Fairley, Arnold Clark
For more information on Ben’s training and services, email [email protected].
Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben, said: “Research and statistics should give us cause for concern in our industry, coupled with the fact we currently have more people than ever requesting support. This is why it’s crucial to raise awareness about loss of life through suicide, as it’s a difficult topic to broach. We want everyone in our industry to know that Ben is there for them and urge people to get in touch for support if they’re struggling or in crisis.
“If you work, or have worked, in the automotive industry please get in touch now if you don't feel you can cope or if you’re at breaking point. You can contact our free and confidential helpline.”
Ben is here for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive industry and their family dependents. Don't struggle alone, contact our helpline: 08081 311 333 or use our webchat at www.ben.org.uk. You can also access Ben’s out of hours text support line by texting BEN to 85258.
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- Ben is there for our automotive family this summer during cost-of-living crisis
- Some automotive families unable to put food on the table for their children this summer
- Ben supports automotive families so they don’t face a summer of despair
Ben, the automotive industry charity, is providing support to individuals and families who are facing money worries, debt or urgent need this summer.
Ben is already providing vital support for many families who are struggling to make ends meet and unable to afford essentials such as food and utilities during the cost-of-living crisis. Over the last 12 months, Ben has supported 128 households who couldn’t afford to put food on the table, 66 households who couldn’t pay their rent or mortgage costs and 52 households who couldn’t afford their utility bills.
More and more people than ever before are contacting Ben’s Helpline for support - during April-June 2023 there was a 23% increase in enquiries (year on year) and a 20% increase in support cases (year on year). People aren’t only struggling to make ends meet, they are also struggling with their mental health. Ben considers managing money as a key area that impacts on wellbeing. Given the knock-on effect that financial problems can have, increasing levels of stress, anxiety, low mood and depression are made worse when people can’t afford basic living costs.
In addition to supporting basic living costs, Ben also wants to give families, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it, the opportunity to enjoy spending time together and create special memories during the holidays. This is as well as taking pressure off families who face impending back to school costs including school uniform, bags and PE kits.
Ben is encouraging people not to struggle alone and get in touch.
Here are some quotes from people who have been supported by Ben during tough times:
“I felt at the lowest of low points in my life. I’ve never applied for any sort of benefit or hand-out in my life. I felt ashamed and embarrassed to ask for financial support. Ben made me feel welcome and worthy of this support.”
“The food voucher came through yesterday. My mum cried her eyes out, it’s such a weight off our minds. We can’t thank you enough!”
“I was reluctant to call Ben - typical man, not asking for help… but I did and after the first few minutes, knew I had made the right decision.”
Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben, said: “Times are getting increasingly tough for families and individuals, especially now the summer holidays are here. If you’re worried about making ends meet, buying food, paying the bills and school uniforms for September, you’re not alone, Ben is here for you. We want everyone in our industry to know that we’re here.
“Many individuals and families are being pushed to the edge with the current rising cost of living. It’s also impacting other areas of their health and wellbeing so if you work, or have worked, in the automotive industry please get in touch now if you’re struggling or feeling at breaking point. You can contact our free and confidential helpline.”
Ben is here for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive industry and their family dependents. Ben is already supporting many automotive families this Summer. Don't suffer in silence, contact our helpline: 08081 311 333 or use our webchat at www.ben.org.uk. You can also access Ben’s out of hours text support line by texting BEN to 85258.
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Automotive industry charity, Ben, is inviting the automotive community to ‘Rev up 4 Ben’ and create an ultimate driving playlist, with songs handpicked by industry people, influencers and enthusiasts.
The purpose of the campaign is to curate an epic Spotify playlist of driving songs for summer while encouraging engagement for the charity on social media using #RevUp4Ben, as well as increasing sign ups to its email list. This will help get as many people in the industry as possible to know that Ben is there to support them.
As it’s summer and peak time for travelling to new destinations, it’s the perfect opportunity for a new playlist - Ben can save you the time and provide one, recommended by your colleagues in the industry!
Get involved
Find out more about #RevUp4Ben and get your favourite driving song on the playlist: www.ben.org.uk/drivingplaylist
Sign up to receive the playlist
To get the ultimate driving playlist sent straight to your inbox when it’s ready, sign up to hear from Ben: www.ben.org.uk/signup.
Ellen Plumer, Head of Marketing, Outreach, Communications & Awareness, said: “To celebrate a love of music, driving and our industry, we’re creating the ultimate driving playlist, chosen by the automotive community – by the community, for the community! We’re really excited to launch this just in time for summer so those travelling to new holiday destinations can have a great new set of tunes to listen to on their journeys.
“The purpose of the campaign is also to boost awareness and increase Ben’s reach so that everyone in our industry knows about the services we provide. We need your help to spread the word about Ben and our services so no-one in our industry has to struggle alone. Help us do this by getting ready to #RevUp4Ben!”
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Automotive industry charity, Ben, is inviting the automotive community to take on Benathlon in September and host a Ben’s Big Breakfast in October to raise vital funds and support those who are struggling or in crisis.
To take part in the second Benathlon, participants will exercise in their own way for 30 minutes each day for the 30 days of September and raise £30 for Ben. Participants can choose how they complete the challenge, for example, by walking, cycling, running, swimming, or even by horse riding or skipping!
Benathlon runs twice a year and aims to improve participants’ mental and physical health while also fundraising to support automotive colleagues to get back on track. A total of 130 people took part in March and September's event is already shaping up to be bigger and better than the last with many people already having signed up.
Ben’s Big Breakfast is in its third year, running from 9th-15th October, and invites automotive industry companies to host a breakfast to fundraise for Ben.
Breakfast brings together employees, customers and families to share the most important meal of the day, aiming to connect with each other and check in, supporting each other’s mental health. A total of 158 companies took part in last year’s Ben’s Big Breakfast and the charity hopes for this year to be even bigger and better.
Sign up today!
Click here to take on Benathlon
Click here and get eggcited for Ben’s Big Breakfast
Matt Wigginton, Director of Partnerships, Engagement & Income at Ben, said: “We can’t wait to get cracking with our next fundraising events later this year and hope to see many of our automotive family take part in both!
“Demand for Ben’s support services has reached new highs due to the cost-of-living crisis, so without your support we can’t continue to support the increasing demand. Thank you - more people than ever need our support, yours will mean we can reach them all.”
Whenever any member of our automotive family is struggling, or in crisis, we all rally to support.
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It’s Stress Awareness Month, and automotive industry charity, Ben, is revealing results from its latest health and wellbeing survey, in which most automotive workers identified stress as the biggest issue they are struggling with.
Over 1,000 automotive employees took part in the survey from all UK regions, ages, gender and working environments. A total of 66% of respondents said stress had most affected their health and wellbeing, followed by poor sleep and low mood, both at 62%.
The survey also revealed that the proportion of people suffering from stress in the workplace has increased by 8% year on year, with ‘high workloads’, ‘pressure to meet targets’ and ‘not enough staff’ driving this. The survey also reveals that there has been an increase in people affected by ‘poor work-life balance’ and ‘not taking enough time to rest and relax’.
Read survey results report
Read a summary report of the results here: https://www.ben.org.uk/surveyreport2023
The survey also revealed that poor sleep has increased from 49% to 62% - which perhaps isn’t surprising given the increase in stress levels of those surveyed. Around 92% of people also reported their cost-of-living had increased compared with a year ago and those struggling to make ends meet has increased by 10% (18%>28%). In addition, worryingly, 1 in 10 people said they have skipped meals in response to the rising cost of bills.
Respondents were also asked to highlight the issues most likely to impact them over the next 12 months. The top three issues mentioned were the cost-of-living crisis (52%), supply chain shortage e.g. chips - semiconductors (33%) and staff shortages (31%). These issues are likely to be contributing to the stress levels of those working in the automotive industry.
The survey is in its sixth year, with the aim of uncovering the key health and wellbeing issues currently affecting the automotive industry workforce so Ben can continue to provide relevant support now and in the future.
Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben, said: “With it being Stress Awareness Month, it is very timely that we’re sharing our latest survey results, especially as the findings tell us that stress is presenting as a real area of concern for our automotive workforce. Through our annual surveys, we listen to our automotive family so we can fully understand the health & wellbeing issues they are facing, enabling us to provide the support they need.
“In addition to stress being the biggest issue, it’s clear to see that automotive workers are also under more pressure and aren’t taking enough time to rest and relax outside of work. There are also some worrying trends relating to the cost-of-living crisis, such as skipping meals. In light of these results, we want everyone who works, or has worked, in the automotive industry to know that we’re there for them, so please get in touch if you’re struggling.
“We’re also here for employers too, so if you’re worried about stress in your workplace, please do reach out and connect, emailing [email protected] to discuss how Ben can support your organisation and the health and wellbeing of your employees.”
If you’re feeling stressed and would like some tips and advice, visit www.ben.org.uk/stress.
Ben is here to support the lifeblood of the automotive industry, its people. When any member of our automotive family is struggling or in crisis, we all rally to support them.
About Ben:
Ben is the charity dedicated to supporting the people of the automotive industry, providing support for life for them and their family dependents.
Ben supports individuals to navigate through life’s challenges, empowering them to make positive, lasting change. Ben works with people to improve their lives by enhancing their health and wellbeing through its free and confidential online self-help, helpline and support services.
Ben also operates continuing care and support for those in later life, which isn’t dependent on an automotive industry connection, via its residential care centres, day centre and retirement village. www.ben.org.uk
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