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Local business celebrate Wellbeing at Work at annual update and award ceremony

by | 4th February 2020 | News

Organisations from across Plymouth came together on Wednesday 29 January for a fantastic day at Livewell Southwest’s 2020 Wellbeing at Work annual update and celebration of the Wellbeing Champions of the Year held at Boringdon Park Golf Club.

With an opening address from Carolyn Giles, Director and Vice Chair of Devon Chamber of Commerce on the importance of wellbeing in our workplaces, the day also featured Steve Smeeth and Martin White from Public Health England South West talking about the links between happiness, productivity and profit, followed by presentations from Natalie Puckey and Claire Reader from Plymouth Child Maintenance Group and Kirstie Wright and Sam Goss from Sitel on the work being done in their organisations that have seen them achieve Bronze status in our Wellbeing at Work programme.

Evidence shows that a healthy workforce using effective workplace programmes and policies can reduce health risks and improve the quality of life for all workers. Delivered by Livewell Southwest’s Wellbeing Team, the Wellbeing at Work programme provides opportunities for businesses to foster an environment of health and wellbeing, with healthy adaptations to the workplace and on-site wellbeing activities to encourage the workforce to take positive steps towards improving their health.

Each of the businesses that have achieved Bronze status this year were required to have set up a working group, carry out a workplace needs assessment, a health and safety assessment and establish Wellbeing Champions who are responsible for helping colleagues to keep healthy by coming up with different initiatives. Congratulations to Sitel, Plymouth Child Maintenance Group, Hellermann Tyton, Learning Academies Trust, High View Primary School and Plymouth Valuation Office Agency who were all presented with certificates commemorating their achievements by Jennifer Jenkins, Specialist Health Improvement Practitioner at Livewell Southwest.

This was followed by a celebration of the 12 nominees for Wellbeing Champion of the Year, who were presented with their certificates and awards by Nita Dodd, Advanced Health Improvement Practitioner and Charley Roberts, Health Improvement Practitioner.

Plymouth Community Homes’ Adam Stockman was instrumental in setting up their New Home New You initiative, delivering positive health & wellbeing outcomes for their clients.

Adam Stockman, Charley Roberts, Nita Dodd

Learning Academies Trust’s Amy Bosworth is always focussed on how to help improve the wellbeing of their 500 staff members and has cemented a relationship with ACAS to support mental health training.

Amy Bosworth, Charley Roberts, Nita Dodd

Livewell Southwest’s Charlotte Gill has organised a wellbeing board displaying health tips and humour, an acknowledgement jar for staff thank you’s, physical activities such as hoola hoop and step challenges, and was awarded Workplace Activity Champion 2019 in the Devon Sports Awards.

Charlotte Gill, Charley Roberts, Nita Dodd

Harbour Drug & Alcohol Service’s Enamul Hoque was integral in designing lunch time activities for staff to improve their fitness and wellbeing, and also runs a well-attended mindfulness group for staff on a regular basis.

Charley Roberts, Enamul Hoque, Nita Dodd

University of Plymouth’s Laura Cole has always gone the extra mile for the group despite the demands of her role. She has been instrumental in setting up most of their successful initiatives and always has a smile on her face.

Charley Roberts, Laura Cole, Nita Dodd

Livewell Southwest’s Lucy Thomas and Jane Waite transformed the Plymouth Options staffroom into a comfy space for social lunches, and organised activities such as a smoothie bike, visits from a therapy dog, book swaps and menopause workshops. They were our Runner Up Wellbeing Champions of the Year.

Charley Roberts, Lucy Thomas, Jane Waite, Nita Dodd

Plymouth City Council’s Helen Cocks has a can do nature and her innovative approach has provided leadership and motivation and has helped build their collaborative approach to the programme. Jessica Dann supports many individuals, from informal chats and encouragement to promoting activities and opportunities for the whole service to engage with. She has organised bite-sized lunch time activities, couch to 5K, and even an after work sea swim club! Jessica was awarded Wellbeing Champion of the Year.

Helen Cocks, Charley Roberts, Jessica Dann, Nita Dodd

Also receiving certificates but unable to attend were Livewell Southwest’s Emma Upton, Learning Academies Trust’s Laura Blunt and TH March & Co Limited’s Venetia Hallam.

Jennifer Jenkins, Specialist Health Improvement Practitioner and host for the day, said: “We’re extremely proud that six local businesses have achieved Bronze within the Wellbeing at Work Award scheme.  They are our first award winners, and working alongside and supporting these organisations is inspiring.  hey have all shown great commitment to the wellbeing of their staff and have action plans to progress this commitment to the next level – we are very excited to start working with them to achieve Silver.

“Our successful event at Boringdon Park Golf Club has shown that our scheme is readily accessible to the Plymouth business community, and we hope to work with more organisations during 2020.”

 

Greg Price, Health Improvement Manager, said: “To see the number of businesses and people involved, and hear about some of the great work that is going on across Plymouth was an inspiration!

“The Wellbeing at Work team has done an amazing job bringing this event together. It really was a celebration of the work all of the Wellbeing Champions are doing to help people be happier and healthier.”

Jan Potter, Head of Health Improvement at Livewell Southwest, said: “There is overwhelming evidence that employees who value their workforce’s health and happiness will reap the benefits through increased productivity, reduced sickness levels and improved morale.

“This year’s wellbeing at work awards demonstrated how organisations from across Plymouth are introducing some amazing initiatives to engage employees in a range of activities which promote health and wellbeing.  We heard from speakers who demonstrated that low cost or no cost activities could have a huge positive impact, such as workplace health walks, pebble painting, mindfulness and chats with a wellbeing champion.

“I would encourage any business in Plymouth, big or small, to register their interest on the wellbeing at work website so that they can access all the free help and support which is available to them”

If you’d like to find out more about the Wellbeing at Work programme, please visit www.wellbeingatworksouthwest.co.uk and make sure to sign up via the homepage.