DFS Mental Health First Aiders with Sarah Kelly Creator of the Woosah Kit. L-R - Alex Lyle, Chloe Hargreaves, Steve Tupholme, Paul Johnson, Sarah Kelly, Sam Robins, Sarah Hey, Susan Bower.

Member Article

DFS to invest in employees’ wellbeing with the Woosah Kit, the UK’s first Mindful Wellbeing Toolkit

This World Mental Health Day, DFS is tackling mental health in the workplace head on by providing each of its 150 locations with The Woosah Kit. The UK’s first Mindful Wellbeing Toolkit will help and encourage DFS employees to take proactive steps to managing mental health in the workplace, providing a further tool for the already appointed Mental Health First Aiders within the company.

The initiative will see DFS launch The Woosah Kit to each of its sites on Thursday 10 October 2019, coinciding with World Mental Health Day - a day dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues and mobilising efforts in support of mental health. Leaders across the business have been engaged in the plan to communicate this new interactive wellbeing tool and encourage colleagues to take 10 minutes when needed to refocus and feel better.

The Woosah Kit aims to change the language, look and feel of mental health in the workplace and to encourage a proactive approach to stress and anxiety management. Based on the 5 ways to wellbeing - evidence based strategies to improve wellbeing, the Woosah kit is non gender specific and includes 10 physical items which deliver over 40 activities that can be completed by individuals, in 121s, or in teams.

Paul Johnson, Head of Group Health & Safety at DFS, said: “At DFS, we rely on the skill and dedication of colleagues across our business and we recognise the importance of investing in their wellbeing. We are pleased to be able to add The Woosah Kit to our programme, to empower our colleagues with user-friendly tools that encourage a positive and proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing.”

Sarah Kelly, creator of the Woosah Kit, said; “Mental health is on the rise affecting 1 in 4 people in the UK each year, and it is safe to say that unprecedented numbers of people are not coping with daily life both in and outside of work. I developed to kit to help change the language around mental health and encourage anyone who is struggling to take time out when they need it and to re-focus.

“It is fantastic to see retailers such as DFS putting the mental health of their staff first and we are extremely proud to be working with them and rolling these purposeful kits out across their business.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Claire@clairedavispr.co.uk .

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