Blackburn businesses champion employee wellbeing
Two Blackburn businesses are leading the way in supporting their teams’ wellbeing and helping them to improve their overall physical and mental health for years to come.
Family-owned Cummins Mellor and Personnel Checks, of Cathedral Quarter in Blackburn, have built on the success of last year’s wellbeing programme by committing to full annual health checks for every employee, delivered by the Lancashire-based ‘Business Health Matters’ programme. This follows the Workplace Health Champion training that was delivered in 2022 and a host of wellbeing initiatives that the businesses trialled across the last 12 months.
Run by brother and sister team Jack and Katie Mellor, the two organisations, have embraced annual health checks for team members.
Katie, Managing Director at Cummins Mellor, explains: “For us, our companies are only as successful and healthy as the people within them and so we’re delighted to be pushing our health and wellbeing support further than ever before. Our Wellbeing team are doing a phenomenal job in innovating and championing the importance of good physical and mental health, so it is mine and Jack’s job to make sure they have all the time, tools and support they need to keep doing this great work.
“Having had health checks ourselves the first time around, we wanted to bring Business Health Matters back in annually as we personally felt really comfortable during the checks and found them very useful. By offering them to staff every year, we’re confident the checks will give a welcoming and confidential space for our team members to set health and wellbeing goals that are appropriate to themselves as individuals.”
The organisations completed their second round of health checks last month and will be scheduling in round three for 2024.
Louise Simper, who joined the organisation’s Health and Wellbeing team after completing Business Health Matter’s Workplace Health Champion training in January 2023 adds: “I love the fact that I am helping my colleagues by being part of the Health and Wellbeing team. I had my health check with Jodie from Rossendale Leisure Trust and as a result, I have been able to set specific targets for my check next year. From this, and thanks to the training I had in health, wellbeing and safeguarding, I feel like I’m able to practice what I preach in motivating those around me too, so that we all make positive changes to our physical and mental health.”
Meanwhile Sales Manager, Hayley Kelly, who has been with Personnel Checks for 7 months, reflects: “I’ve always had a passion for fitness so as soon as I started at the organisation, I volunteered to join the health and wellbeing team. It’s clear to see that our work has a really positive impact and raises awareness on ways to improve overall health and fitness. I think this is because there is a strong commitment from Katie and Jack, and each of us in the team, to genuinely help colleagues to feel better, as well as a culture where we welcome feedback from our colleagues on what they like and don’t like. Based on this feedback, we are meeting again in January to make a 12-month plan covering training, events and opportunities… We can’t wait!”
Cummins Mellor, a specialist recruitment agency established in 1990 and Personnel Checks, the UK’s top-ranked government approved DBS umbrella body, join the growing number of Lancashire businesses committing to their teams’ health by offering services delivered by Business Health Matters. These include health checks, training, workshops (including Lancashire Mind’s Mental Health programme) and an Employee Assistance Programme.
Businesses interested in finding out more are encouraged to visit www.businesshealthmatters.org.uk/ or email businesshealthmatters@activelancashire.org.uk.