Today, staff at Bewley Homes marked World Mental Health Day by downing tools, pens and laptops and taking a break.
The company supplied refreshments to all teams at head office and on sites and encouraged staff to talk as well as showcase what’s available to them.
Special guest at its head office was YouTube fitness guru, Lucy Wyndham-Read, who talked about the power of exercise and gave staff tips to help with mental and physical health, as well as demonstrating what they can do during their lunchbreaks.
Bewley presented Lucy with a cheque for £500 to be donated to Young Minds, a charity that supports young people’s mental health and who are using World Mental Health Day to show young people that how they feel matters and to seek out the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what.
Angela Terrett, HR Manager at Bewley Homes, said: “Our initiative was well received by staff and our subcontractors. We are working hard to support all our staff and adopt a proactive approach to removing the stigma around the attitude to mental health in the workplace.
“Across the company, we are aiming to encourage Bewley staff to open up at work. Bewley wants to equip employees with better understanding and skills to support colleagues experiencing mental health concerns and problems.
In the last year, Bewley has engaged with mental health professionals to provide webinars and has also launched an ongoing support system, to enable every employee to feel that they can be open and honest about how they are feeling in the workplace and at home.
Managing Director at Bewley Homes, Andrew Brooks, commented: “We recognise that problems or difficulties around how we are feeling do not disappear when we walk back into the workplace or work from home. Across the UK one in five people take a day off work due to stress or anxiety. What people tend to do, especially in a work situation, is to hide their real feelings behind a mask.”
Surrey based Lucy, has racked up more than 100m views on her YouTube channel, and is the most popular on-line fitness instructor in the UK.
Lucy added: “It was really nice to be invited to Bewley Homes and share some of my tips to help with improving your mental health, as well as raising the awareness of the charity Young Minds. There are many ways exercise can benefit us, including improved mental health, energy levels, toning up and physically.”