Gleeds Property Network (GPN), the property and construction consultancy’s social and educational network, is to launch its own Wellness Week
The Wellness Week initiative will be centred on providing mental health support for colleagues across the business in looking after their mental, physical, financial and nutritional wellbeing.
Wellness Week will coincide with World Mental Health Awareness Day, which this year takes place on 10 October and will focus on suicide prevention. With instances of suicide among workers in the construction industry more than three times the national average for men, Gleeds and GPN are committed to reducing the stigma attached in talking about mental health and hope the initiative will kick-start long-term change.
The London office will be spearheading the Wellness Week introduction, with the intention of a more widespread roll out as the GPN expands its reach across the UK in line with the new CEO’s strategy to improve internal stakeholder engagement. Every member of staff will start the week with a healthy snack delivered to their desk and the opportunity to take advantage of a free health assessment, as well as complementary nutrition, fitness and wellbeing advice.
Over the following days GPN will be hosting a number of mood-boosting fitness sessions, including running club meetings and yoga classes, as well as providing free therapeutic massage appointments and art workshops from Artiq.
Sara Lawrence, chair of Gleeds Property Network, commented: “One of the primary goals of the GPN is to encourage greater focus on the holistic wellbeing of staff so we are delighted to be marking the launch of our first ever Wellness Week.
“The construction sector as a whole has really struggled to address the issue of poor mental health but we hope that we can inspire our colleagues to start talking and find new ways of looking after their mental wellbeing which will continue long after the week is over”
Graham Harle, CEO of Gleeds Worldwide, added: “Whilst Gleeds doesn’t directly experience some of the issues encountered by site workers in the building trades, I do think that businesses across the construction sector can all do more to get people talking about their mental health.
“That is why I have been so impressed by Sara and her team for implementing this initiative which has been inspired and created by GPN, an organisation that is already adding value to our offering as an employer in the capital and looks set to do so nationwide before long.”
