The Bristol builders' merchants where mental health is more important than tools and timber

A little mobile burger van in the corner of the car park of a builders' merchants in South Bristol is not the first place most people would think of where you’d hear an honest and open conversation about mental health. But as Jason Evans turns the sizzling bacon, his customers on a wet Tuesday morning in Bedminster pour out their thoughts and stories, as readily as he’s pouring the tea.

The builders’ merchants is Selco, tucked away in a corner between the railway line and Lidl. And while this week is Mental Health Week, Selco are offering free cups of tea for their customers and staff to give people a chance to stop, to talk and to maybe, just maybe, open up about stuff.

Deputy manager Nick Langley sees customers he knows every few days, maybe daily, and he knows it’s important to check in on them all year round, not just during Mental Health Week.

“Our customers on the whole tend to be sole traders, self-employed builders or lads who work in small teams,” he said.

“It’s not like in an office, say, where you’ve got lots of people to talk to every day. A lot of our customers, maybe coming in here is the most regular bit of interaction with someone they’ll get, so it’s important for us to be here and not be impersonal,” he said.

Source: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-builders-merchants-mental-health-4582254