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Teeing Off for a Cause: Re‑flow Supports QMS Fairway to Devon Event for Lighthouse
The Fairway to Devon charity golf event took place on Friday 5th July.
Representatives from across the highways and construction industries headed to Dainton Park Golf Club – an 18-hole course with stunning views, no matter the weather.
Fairway to Devon is the brainchild of Greg Clark, owner and managing director of QMS, a line-marking company from the area, and also a Re-flow client. The aim was to raise money and awareness for the Lighthouse Club Construction Industry Charity, a charity who take their message – that we need to pay more attention to the emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing of construction workers and their families – to companies and building sites around the UK.
Their mission is to talk to as many operatives as possible and to transform the industry for the better. Lighthouse say that a change in culture can only come about by encouraging men to talk more about their issues, and by establishing clear support networks and resources to help those in need. The facts are concerning. Male construction workers in the UK are almost four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average. Tragically, around 700 people a year take their lives in construction-related suicides.
Supporting events like this is clearly important, and we were happy to get involved in raising awareness and money for such a significant cause.
The day started at eight in the morning with breakfast and coffee. Mingling in the clubhouse bar, we had the chance to meet representatives from the other businesses and to chat to Greg himself. He took a microphone and held the attention of the room as he explained the unconventional golf we’d be embarking on.
This included off-beat rules like competing on entire holes with just one designated club, or alternating shots with our partners (while still playing two balls). On the course, as we worked our way through alternating bouts of drizzle and downpour, these rules provided a little extra spice and fun, which felt appropriate for a fundraising event.
‘You win £10,000 if you can get a hole in one on the eighth hole,’ Greg told the crowd that morning. ‘And if you beat the pro (Hannah Bowen) by getting your ball closest to the green, you win a prize.’
On turning up to the eighth hole, wet through and keen to attempt an unlikely hole-in-one, we found out that we’d also have to play in fancy dress, taken from a dressing-up box beside the tee. So, we picked out a nice sailor ensemble and did our best, which was nowhere near good enough, to win the money.
Post golf we enjoyed a carvery and then headed back out into the course and took in some entertainment from Paul Barrington, ‘trick-shot extraordinaire’. Taking simultaneous shots with clubs in both hands and one-handed drives, was a good way to cap off a pretty special day.
With so many people present from the industry, Greg Clark was keen to point out that everyone would be in some way connected to the work that Lighthouse Charity do. They would know people struggling. It was a message that helped bring the purpose of the event home once again, despite the fun – that we were there not just for the golf, but to promote an important cause.
Our interview between Mental health expert Andrew Pain and Lighthouse representative Andy Bishop sheds a little more light and detail on the issues facing the construction industry.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health issues, there are plenty of ways to reach out and talk to someone.
Lighthouse Charity 24/7 Helpline:
0345 605 1956 (UK) 1800 939 122 (ROI)
Businesses looking for advice or courses should contact:
Lighthouse Charity 0345 609 1956 / info@lighthouseclub.org
Mates in Mind 020 3510 5018
And if you are interested in more information and statistics on mental health in construction, you’re invited to visit the Re-flow information page.
