Your Foothold Is Here: Why Supporting Engineers Means Supporting the Whole Profession

Engineers design, build, and maintain the systems the modern world depends on. From energy and transport to communications, manufacturing, and healthcare, their work underpins daily life. Yet behind the technical competence and professional resilience, engineers are also people navigating the same pressures as everyone else, often with added responsibility and unpredictability.

That reality sits at the heart of Foothold, the benevolent fund for IET members.

For more than a century, Foothold has existed to make sure engineers and their families do not face life’s challenges alone. While engineering as a discipline is about solving problems, personal difficulties do not always come with a clear set of specifications or solutions. When work pressures collide with financial strain, health issues, or family responsibilities, knowing where to turn can make all the difference.

A charity built around engineers, not just engineering

Foothold has supported IET members and their families since 1890. The organisation’s strength lies in a simple but powerful understanding: while it may not specialise in engineering itself, it understands engineers.

Careers in engineering can be rewarding, but they are rarely linear. Projects change, industries shift, and personal circumstances evolve. Engineers often carry significant responsibility, working in safety-critical environments where mistakes have real consequences. Over time, that pressure can accumulate.

In professional settings, structured systems exist to manage technical risk and responsibility. In training and industry, this includes frameworks such as health and safety training for engineers, designed to protect people as well as processes. Foothold applies a similar philosophy to personal wellbeing, offering structured, practical support when life becomes difficult.

Support that empowers, not overwhelms

Foothold’s approach is centred on helping people regain control of their circumstances. Support is tailored rather than prescriptive, recognising that no two situations are the same.

If you are, or have ever been, a member of the IET, Foothold may be able to offer assistance across a range of areas, including:

• Tailored financial grants
• Health and wellbeing support
• Counselling grants
• Specialist neurodiversity support
• Disability support, including funding for equipment

Applications are assessed carefully against income, savings, and eligibility criteria. This ensures limited funds are used responsibly while reaching as many people as possible. The focus is not just on immediate relief, but on longer-term stability.

This emphasis on accountability and fairness mirrors broader expectations across professional education and support services, where transparency and outcomes matter. In training environments, credibility is often reinforced through learner feedback and independent evidence, reflected in resources such as a training provider reviews page that highlights real experiences rather than assumptions.

Supporting wellbeing across the wider engineering community

Foothold’s work extends beyond direct financial and practical assistance. Recognising that prevention is as important as intervention, the organisation offers a range of free online tools available to the entire engineering community, including students.

These resources are designed by experts to help individuals build resilience, understand their wellbeing, and take informed steps forward.

Monthly webinars

Foothold hosts regular webinars led by specialists covering topics engineers consistently identify as important. These range from managing stress and maintaining mental health to financial planning and navigating career transitions.

The format is practical and accessible, offering guidance that can be applied immediately rather than abstract advice.

Wellbeing Hub

The Wellbeing Hub brings together support for mental, physical, and financial health in one place. It includes access to free online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programmes, covering areas such as work-related stress, anxiety, low mood, smoking cessation, and managing alcohol consumption.

For engineers used to structured problem-solving, these tools provide a clear framework for addressing challenges step by step.

Mental Health Check-In tool

Sometimes the hardest part is understanding how you are actually feeling. The Mental Health Check-In tool uses clinically validated questions to help individuals make sense of their mental health and identify appropriate next steps.

This structured approach reflects a broader engineering mindset: assess the situation accurately before deciding on action.

Supporting neurodivergent engineers

Engineering attracts people who think differently, and neurodiversity is a strength within the profession. Foothold’s Differently-Wired Hub is designed for neurodivergent engineers, or those who believe they may be neurodivergent.

The hub offers resources to help individuals understand how they work, access appropriate support, and thrive in their careers, studies, and personal lives. By recognising different cognitive styles as assets rather than obstacles, Foothold reinforces the value of diversity across engineering disciplines.

Clear communication and inclusive practices are essential in both professional and personal contexts. In structured learning environments, this is reflected in outcomes that prioritise effective communication in construction and engineering, ensuring individuals can work confidently with others regardless of role or background.

Practical guidance on law, finance, and everyday challenges

Life challenges are not always emotional or health-related. Legal and financial issues can be equally disruptive, particularly when they arise unexpectedly.

Foothold provides access to up-to-date law and finance factsheets covering more than 50 topics, from unfair dismissal and divorce to personal injury and inheritance tax. These resources are designed to help individuals understand their options and take informed action.

In engineering roles, risk assessment is a familiar concept. That same principle applies to personal decision-making, where understanding potential consequences is key. In professional contexts, structured thinking around risk assessment fundamentals underpins safe practice. Foothold’s guidance helps individuals apply similar clarity to life decisions.

A long history of quiet impact

Foothold’s roots stretch back 135 years. Originally established to support widows and children of engineers who had died in poverty, the fund has evolved alongside the profession.

Milestones in its history reflect both generosity and foresight. From early grants that would equate to thousands of pounds today, to donations of property that enabled long-term support for returning service members, Foothold has consistently adapted to meet changing needs.

That evolution continues. In 2023–24 alone, Foothold spent £2.1 million delivering 2,922 instances of direct support to 1,585 people across 56 countries. Alongside financial assistance, more than 50,000 online wellbeing sessions were delivered, supported by hundreds of volunteer hours.

These figures represent more than statistics. They reflect real people navigating difficult moments with support behind them.

Stories that put support into perspective

Behind every grant or wellbeing session is a personal story. One community member described Foothold as “a constant ray of sunshine in the darkness,” while another spoke of finding light during a period of overwhelming anxiety.

These experiences highlight why support structures matter. Engineering often celebrates resilience and independence, but asking for help is not a failure. It is a practical response to complex circumstances.

How engineers can support each other

Foothold’s ability to provide support depends on the generosity and engagement of the engineering community. There are several ways individuals can help extend that support to others:

• Spread the word: Let colleagues know Foothold exists, particularly if someone may benefit from support.
• Donate: Regular or one-off donations help expand the reach of assistance.
• Take part in events: From marathons to local challenges, fundraising activities bring communities together.
• Volunteer: Opportunities range from content support to community engagement.
• Leave a legacy: Gifts left in wills help ensure future generations of engineers have access to support.

These actions reflect a shared responsibility within the profession. Engineering has always been about collective effort, whether delivering infrastructure or supporting colleagues through difficult times.

Looking ahead

Foothold’s work is a reminder that supporting engineers means supporting the systems they build and maintain. When individuals are healthy, supported, and resilient, the profession as a whole is stronger.

As conversations continue across the industry about wellbeing, sustainability, and long-term career resilience, initiatives like Foothold play a vital role alongside technical training and professional development. For engineers facing challenges today, the message is simple: support exists, and you do not have to face difficulties alone.