A director at a Workington-based construction firm has completed a gruelling 30-day physical challenge to support a suicide prevention charity.

Ricky Fee of Stobbarts has raised £630 for Andy’s Man Club amid concern over the growing number of deaths within the building trade.

The industry has a suicide rate four times the national average, but the scale of the crisis is relatively unknown outside the industry.

The 44-year-old got up every morning before 5am to complete a different Cross Fit Hero Workout before work.

Ricky was joined for moral support by Rob Kirkbride, Stobbarts’ Electrical Director, who lost his father to suicide in December of last year.

Ricky said: “This is a big problem, especially within the construction industry, rates are sky high. 

“Working in the trade can be tough at times, and I am delighted to do what I can to support an organisation with the message #ITSOKAYTOTALK.

“Andy’s Man Club campaigns to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.

“And given the worrying statistics, companies like ours have a duty to spread the word and do what we can to help.”

The pair performed the challenges in the Lake District Barbell, Cockermouth, choosing a different CrossFit challenge every day and aiming to complete each one within an hour.

The first challenge, The Murph was established in honour of Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who lost his life serving his country in Afghanistan in 2005 during Operation Red Wings.

The trial involves running one mile, then doing 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 bodyweight squats, and then running yet another mile, all whilst wearing a 20lb vest.

Ricky, who also coaches a special needs football team in his spare time, is planning to do more fundraising activities for Andy’s Man Club in 2025, but details are still to be confirmed.

Construction workers are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average.

In 2021, the last time the ONS released statistics broken down by industry sector, 507 construction workers took their own lives.

The ‘Project 7,000 – The Lost City’ campaign has been working to highlight the 7,000 construction workers who taken their own lives in the UK over the last decade – the number of labourers it would take to build a city the size of Cardiff.

The campaign’s website shows what those workers could have built if they were alive today, including 150,000 affordable homes, 78 new schools and one hospital.

It is recognised that building sites can be high-environments due to tight deadlines, the physically demanding work nature of the work, long hours, and a macho culture which can make some men reluctant to discuss their mental health.