Francis has worked in the industry since 15 and now runs his family business.
Construction sites are well known for their banter and camaraderie but Francis believes that sometimes things might not be all as they seem.
“[It was] a terrible moment because [my uncle] felt like he couldn’t reach out and talk about how he was feeling,” he said.
“Even for the guys who might have had an inkling, no one really knew how to deal with what was going on.
“I think he was struggling personally, he was going through what a lot of guys go through, he was 50 and sort of in a mid-life crisis moment and unsure of what he was doing.
“He had lost a lot of confidence in what he was doing and I think all these things snowballed.”
Studies have shown that talking and being part of an active community can help improve overall mental health and Francis hopes that introducing this to construction could go a long way.
“If you ask guys on site how they’re doing, the common phrase is ‘living the dream’ and we all know that’s sarcasm,” he said.
“I think that each day the pulling pranks and joking is just a way of dealing with issues in their own way but actually they’re not speaking to anybody.
“We should be talking on site and just being able to open up about our feelings.”