Calderdale businesses invited to take part in a series of free workshops to boost mental health and well-being in the workplace

Calderdale Council is hosting four “State of Mind” workshops across the borough to provide business owners and their staff with mental health advice.

The workshops have been developed in response to feedback from local businesses and have been organised by the council’s Place Development team working with Public Health colleagues.

The sessions are being held in Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge, Rastrick and Crow Nest, near Brighouse. They are free for business owners and their staff to attend and will be hosted by Jimmy Gittins and Ian Smith, who work for the charity, State of Mind Sport.

Initially the charity focused on providing mental health awareness in sport. However, it extended in other areas, delivering mental health awareness workshops to more than 130,000 people.

Both presenters tell their personal stories, which have proved a very powerful means of delivering their key messages. The sessions are designed to be enjoyable, although they have a serious message at their heart and provide attendees with some valuable advice and information.

The workshops focus on:

Exploring the signs and symptoms of what stress, anxiety and depression can look and feel like.

Discussing issues regarding suicide prevention.

Looking at how alcohol and drug misuse is a poor coping mechanism.

Sharing information to improve mental fitness and well-being.

Emphasising the importance of being part of a team and “looking out for your mate” and how this translates from sport into other sectors.

Coun Sarah Courtney, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for towns, engagement and public health, said: “Mental health in the workplace is such an important topic and we want to support local business owners by equipping them with the skills to recognise and respond to any issues they or their staff may be facing.

“We understand that it’s a tough time for many businesses at the moment and our Place Development team has been working with local companies to respond to their concerns and offer relevant support.

“As part of these conversations, business owners have told us that they would like help to deal with mental health concerns and identify ways of coping themselves and offering support for their staff.

“Having a happy and well-supported staff network not only makes for a better working environment, but also boosts resilience and helps businesses to overcome challenges.

“We know there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach to mental health and these sessions will explore the many and varied issues which can be experienced and how to support ourselves or others who may be struggling.”

The State of Mind workshops are available to book now and will be running as follows:

Monday, January 30 - Hebden Bridge Town Hall, 5-6.30pm. Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/483712506127

Tuesday, January 31 - Sowerby Bridge Cricket Club, 5-6.30pm. Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/483715464977

Thursday, February 9 - The Space, Rastrick, 5- 6.30pm. Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/483718814997

Friday, February 10 - Crow Nest Golf Club, 9-10.30am. Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/483728383617

The council’s Place Development Team was originally set up in September 2021 to help local businesses recover from the pandemic but continues to offer support on a wide variety of topics.