Fifty employee champions will help tackle mental health in the workplace at Central England Co-operative
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 16/05/2017
Fifty Central England Co-operative colleagues have signed up to a scheme that will see them play a major role in tackling mental health in the workplace.
A total of 145 people from across the Society put their names forward to become a mental health and wellbeing champions – with 50 being picked out to represent the entire trading estate from food to funeral.
The champions will take part in a two-day mental health first aid course and will then be a point of contact for colleagues looking for advice on how to access support and resources.
This comes after Central England Co-operative Chief Executive Martyn Cheatle put pen to paper and signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge in a bid to illustrate the Society’s long-term commitment to raising awareness about mental health problems.
Tracey Orr, Support Services Executive, has spearheaded the Society’s efforts to tackle the issue of mental health.
She said: “We have been overwhelmed by the amount of people who took the time to put themselves forward to become a Mental Health and Wellbeing champion.
“All applications gave inspiring and compelling reasons for wanting to get involved and it was a humbling experience reading them.
“We received 145 applications and it was very difficult to select the first 50, but we have tried to ensure a representation across our trading area and across all
businesses.
“The health and wellbeing of all of our colleagues is of the utmost importance to us and this is why we are more focused than ever in providing support for those who need it and working hard to end the discrimination and stigma associated with mental health.”
This all forms part of the Time to Change Employer Pledge which illustrates the Society’s long-term commitment to put in place the foundations to:
• raise awareness around the importance of mental health and wellbeing at work
• champion the issue by providing the resources and tools for all colleagues
• help break the culture of silence around mental health
Notes to editors
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property investment. Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop