Change Mental Health partners with Drax to deliver mental health and resilience training for rural energy workers 

Change Mental Health has partnered with renewable energy company Drax to deliver bespoke mental health and resilience training to employees and contractors working at Cruachan Power Station in rural Scotland. 

The year-long partnership will see Change Mental Health introduce tailored workplace wellbeing learning Drax teams based near Oban, with a particular focus on supporting isolated and remote workers. The programme aims to strengthen connection, build resilience and create opportunities for peer support in a demanding working environment. 

Training will be delivered through quarterly learning workshops, covering topics including understanding and managing stress, building personal resilience, supporting colleagues, avoiding burnout and maintaining balance. Regular review checkpoints will be used to assess how the learning is resonating with staff and to ensure it remains relevant to the needs of rural teams. 

Employees and contractors taking part will also receive practical training materials and learning assets designed to reinforce the training and support long-term behaviour change around mental health and wellbeing. 

The partnership comes at a particularly busy time for the Cruachan Power Station, where Drax is progressing an £80m upgrade and refurbishment programme. Contractors from countries including Guyana and India are currently on site, bringing additional wellbeing challenges linked to working away from home and maintaining family networks in a remote location. 

Jonny Cobbold, director of development at Change Mental Health, said the partnership offered an opportunity to address stigma and support workers who may otherwise feel disconnected. 

He said: “This partnership with Drax is an opportunity to change attitudes, ensuring that isolated and lone workers have the tools to look after themselves and those around them, while developing cultures that actively promote mental health and wellbeing. 

“We’re delighted that Drax has chosen to work with us. We have been consistently impressed by the importance they place on employee health and wellbeing, and we look forward to supporting their teams over the next year.” 

Ian Kinnaird, Drax’s FlexGen assets director, said the initiative reflected the organisation’s commitment to supporting mental as well as physical health. 

“A career in the energy sector can involve pressure to meet deadlines, unusual working hours and other challenges,” he said. “Many of our contracting partners are working far away from home without their families, which can lead to feelings of isolation or loneliness. 

“This partnership with Change Mental Health will give our employees and contractors practical tools to support their own wellbeing and that of their colleagues.” 

Change Mental Health has supported individuals, families and communities across Scotland for more than 50 years. The organisation said the partnership with Drax reflects a growing recognition among employers of the need to address mental health risks proactively, particularly in safety-critical and remote working environments.