PICTURES BY CHRIS BOOTH
MIND GAMES
Fidget spinners and info packs deliver mental health support to Stiller staff
BY DAVE ROBSON
A
new internal campaign by logistics firm Stiller is delivering a powerful message : “ Don ’ t isolate yourself – your mental health matters ”.
After a year and a half like no other , rarely can mental wellbeing have been more at the forefront of people ’ s minds , both at home and in the workplace .
And to ensure its employees know they ’ ll get any support they may need , Stiller is ensuring everyone gets a “ pack ” containing informative leaflets – and a quirky gift .
As part of the campaign , launched in the run-up to World Mental Health Day on October 10 , each of Stiller ’ s 170-plus employees at its Aycliffe site was given an antistress fidget spinner .
But as health and safety manager Darren Holliday explained , it ’ s much more than just a fun gimmick . “ The reaction ’ s been really positive ,” he said . “ People have been told to isolate themselves a lot this year , so we ’ ve gone with the slogan ‘ don ’ t isolate yourself – your mental health matters ’.
“ If I just gave everyone a leaflet , lots would probably end up in the bin . But by giving everyone a fidget spinner , they can use them or take them home , where their families would see them , ask what they ’ re for and it gets people thinking about mental health . “ But as well as the spinners , there are various leaflets with really important health tips and information .
“ It was important to get the tone right . It ’ s a serious topic but we didn ’ t want it to be too serious . We didn ’ t want people thinking ‘ what are they trying to insinuate here ’, but they need to know where to get support if they need it .
“ It could have sunk without trace but people like it . A few people have approached me and said ‘ I appreciate what you ’ re doing ’ – that ’ s the whole idea behind this .”
Stiller ’ s health and safety manager since May , but a Stiller employee for three years , Darren , 35 , has recently completed his NEBOSH ( National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health ) General Certificate , meaning he ’ s up to speed with the latest thinking about mental health in the workplace .
The business is also rolling out Mental Health first aid training for department heads in order for them to support the initiative and their staff
Darren said : “ As a business , there ’ s no legal requirement to have a mental health first aider , but we feel it ’ s important .”
“ The project has been supported by Chris Affleck from Investing in Children , who is a mental health lead for the ‘ Stamp It Out ’ campaign .”
And he feels the new campaign also sends out a positive message to potential future employees about Stiller ’ s approach to staff welfare .
He said : “ I want people to know that if they
DON ’ T ISOLATE YOURSELF
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS ...
PLEASE HAVE A CHAT WITH A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDER
were ever wanting to come and join Stiller , their welfare is just as important as anything else .
“ Some people won ’ t want to come and speak to you , and that is understandable , but at least they know there ’ s a support network for them and that ’ s the message we ’ re trying to get across .”
Find out more about Stiller at stiller . co . uk
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