The ‘This is Me’ launch was held at the Hilton Deansgate yesterday morning (Monday 14th), with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in full support as guest speaker. The campaign launch coincided with the start of Mental Health Awareness Week and aims to challenge the stigma around mental health at work. ‘This is Me’ was initially created by Barclays in association with the Lord Mayor’s Appeal in the City of London and this is the first time the campaign has been launched outside the capital.
Businesses including PwC, Barclays, Sellafield and United Utilities stood alongside Farrat and other North West organisations in support of the campaign, demonstrating a regional commitment to ensuring employee’s mental wellbeing and positive mental health in the workplace. Karen Johnson, Head of Large Corporates for Barclays in the North West and joint organiser of the event, said:
“Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year and by 2030 the estimated cost of staff mental health related issues is set to rise to £32.7 billion.
As responsible businesses we all have an obligation to get involved and take an active interest in the wellbeing of our staff whilst creating environments where those in need can get the help and support required both now and in the future.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and guest speaker, said:
“Good mental health is fundamental to all our lives – an essential and precious resource that needs to be protected and enhanced. That’s why I’m pleased to be supporting This is Me, which is now being rolled out across Greater Manchester – showing once again how we are leading the way by being the first city region outside of London to adopt the campaign.
“In Greater Manchester, we know that poor mental health has a huge impact on the quality of people’s lives. It also presents a major challenge to increasing business productivity. For these reasons, improving workplace mental health plays a key role in our ambitions for improved wellbeing and growth across the city region. Charlene Giles, Mental Health First Aider at Farrat, attended the launch and commented:
“Farrat is a responsible employer that is dedicated to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all of our employees. We believe that the ‘This Is Me’ North West campaign is an excellent tool, which can be used by organisations to build an open and supportive culture that encourages conversations about mental health. We are excited to explore how we can integrate the campaign into our own Mental Health & Wellbeing strategy. ”
To find out more about the ‘This is Me’ campaign pleaseclick here.
For more updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
