Heir to throne toured scheme as part of work to highlight suicide prevention in industry

Mace has begun building a huge new data centre for Microsoft in west London.

The news emerged after a visit to the site in North Action last week by Prince William as part of a initiative to promote awareness of mental health in the industry.

The heir to the throne’s tour saw him discuss the prevalence of suicide in the construction industry and highlight the need to focus on prevention, rather than crisis management, when it comes to mental health support.

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Source: Anthony Charlton, In-Press Photography Ltd

Prince William speaks to workers on the Mace and Microsoft site during his visit last week

Workers in construction are at some of the highest risk of suicide in the country, with rates in the industry nearly four times higher than the national average.

The trip was organised by mental health charity Mates in Mind whose managing director Sarah Meek said: “We aim to ensure that no-one experiences mental ill-health through their work.

“Therefore, it was a wonderful opportunity during [the Prince’s] visit to be able to raise awareness of mental health, to start conversations about the issues and contributory factors faced at all levels within construction, the impact that arises, and continue eradicating the stigma of mental ill-health and the barriers that surround it.”

The £1bn data centre is due to finish by early 2026 with the scheme being run for Mace by project director Mike Barford, who was recently in charge of the firm’s work on the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station in London.

Microsoft is masterminding the scheme with specialist data centre specialist Goodman.

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