Two Tradies Start Conversations About Mental Health Everyday

Brisbane based social impact workwear brand, TradeMutt designs colourful workwear to start conversations about mental health among blue-collar workers on construction sites across Australia. 

TradeMutt co-founders and former carpenters Ed Ross and Dan Allen started the company with the aim of changing the culture around mental health in the industry after Allen sadly lost a close mate and fellow tradie to suicide in 2015.

Since starting in 2018, TradeMutt  has successfully created a movement in the industry and during this time, they have helped fund more that 2250 hours of mental health support by supporting mental health support service, TIACS. 

TIACS is a service that aims to reduce the physical and financial barriers that stop everyday Australians from accessing mental health support by providing support over text and call without a mental health care plan. 

“We are about starting conversations everyday, not just at crisis point.” says TradeMutt co-founder Ed Ross.

“While it is awesome that more people are having more conversations about mental health, there needs to be a support network that sits below those conversations for when people need more than a chat with a mate. That is why we fund an organisation like TIACS because the mental health clinicians there are equipped to provide people with further support when they need it .” says TradeMutt co-founder Dan Allen.