MENTalk and Baxi team up for mental wellbeing

Baxi has announced a new partnership with MENTalk, an online community that encourages men to open up and support each other with mental health issues, to help raise awareness of personal wellbeing and provide support for plumbing and heating engineers.

MENTalk was founded by three Expert Trades members, Stephen Blair, Lee Woodgate and Steve Smith, to encourage men to have open and honest conversations about their mental health. The popular MENTalk podcast has provided a platform for male trade professionals to connect with others and discuss mental health issues without stigma, by showing #ItsOkNotToBeOk.

The community group has received acclaim from the industry, as well as endorsements from celebrity backers including Peter Dale, aka ‘Tubes’ from Sky Sports’ Soccer AM, and ITV football commentator Clive Tyldesley.

The partnership with Baxi aims to share ways to help the heating community prioritise their mental wellbeing. Many tradespeople are under increased pressure and stress during the current crisis, from growing uncertainty around a reduction in their work to worries about the increased health risks of working in customers’ homes.

Over the coming months, Baxi and MENTalk will be working together to create a hub of useful resources to support gas engineers, including online support information, podcasts, digital workshops and access to professional therapy and counselling services.

The partnership will also offer a range of fun activities, online and on social media, to help connect the community, encourage interaction and boost morale.

Andy Workman, sales director at Baxi, says: “Like many workers across the nation, installers are under increased pressure and stress as a result of the current crisis. It’s important for us to acknowledge this and support our community of installers wherever we can.

“Our partnership with a fantastic community support network like MENTalk will play a key role in our ongoing commitment to promoting mental health awareness and wellbeing within our industry. We’re looking forward to teaming up with MENTalk to help support the great work they do.”

Steve Smith, one of the founding members of MENTalk, says: “We are so thankful for Baxi’s support and couldn’t be prouder of the plans we have made together to offer online support and virtual social outlets for installers to stay connected.”

You can follow and join the MENTalk community on Instagram and Facebook @MENTalkUK, and on Twitter @MENTalkTweet

Look out for the Baxi and MENTalk virtual pub quiz, which will be hosted on Baxi’s Facebook channel @BaxiUK on at 7pm on Friday 24 April 2020.