Welcome to our December newsletter.

We have another jam packed edition for you - thank you to everyone who has contributed. We start with a first showing of our brand new promotional video! We hope you like it. We follow with a welcome to new members, a fantastic blog from Harrison Spinks, as well as updates from local services, resources for Grief Awareness Week, local service updates, free mental fitness sessions and more! 

Very importantly, we know that winter can be difficult for many people and encourage you to view and share the winter wellbeing resources that we have linked to. They contain some fantastic tips and ideas, to help ourselves and the people we care about. 

And finally, thank you to everyone who joined us at our November event looking at good practice delivering Mental Health First Aid. We are greatly looking forward to seeing some of you at our final event for the year next Thursday: Wellbeing @ Work: the value of creativity, arts and culture. You can read more and sign up  below.

Our full contents includes:

We are pleased to show you our new promotional video - please share widely and spread the word!  Thank you so much to members of our steering group who participated in the filming. 

Welcome to new network members
and charter signatories
 

The Mindful Employer Network is free to join for all local employers and their staff across Leeds and West Yorkshire.  This month we are extending a warm welcome to new network members from the following local businesses and organisations:
 

Assembly House

Carepoint HC

Full Circle Funerals x 4!

Leeds Marriott Hotel

NIHCSS

Pentest People

Pure Retirement

RapidSpike

Sena Care Ltd

The Fenton

Wakefield MDC West Yorkshire Combined Authority

As always, it's fantastic to see such a wide range of local employers represented within our network. If you know someone who would benefit from being involved please do forward them this bulletin - they can sign up here.

Our newest Charter signatories
This month we are also congratulating two new Mindful Employers, who have shown their commitment by signing the Mindful Employer Charter for employers who are positive about mental health:
 

Parallax (Leeds)

Solupak Ltd (Castleford)

Please click here for more information on how your organisation can become a Mindful Employer. Do get in touch if you have any further questions about the Mindful Employer Network or Mindful Employer Charter.

Our Ten Steps Toolkit is a fantastic place to start - full of helpful tips, useful links and local case studies. 

"Such a good resource! Can't wait to get stuck in and make some real changes for my team!"
Please get in touch if you'd like us to deliver a free in-house workshop for your team.

We caught up with Claire Burns, Director of People and Talent at local Mindful Employer, Harrison Spinks. 
Claire tells us about Harrison Spinks's commitment to supporting staff wellbeing and the current pressures facing her team of Mental Health First Aiders. She also offers valuable tips on how to make a start on creating a mentally healthy workplace. 
We end the blog with some useful links for any employer running Mental Health First Aid within their workplace. 
Read the full blog here

Know your local services
 Leeds Community Gambling Service

Leeds Community Gambling Service provides support to anyone experiencing gambling harm across Leeds and the surrounding areas. We spoke to Training and Engagement Lead, George Richardson about how Leeds Community Gambling Service can help and what to do if you are worried about a friend, loved one or colleague.        

Relate Bradford and Leeds
 Relationship counselling newly available for Leeds residents
 

 
Click here for more more information about Relate Bradford and Leeds 

Join us at this free, interactive, virtual event to celebrate the value of creativity for wellbeing in our workplaces.

Come along to:

• Understand the value of arts and culture in current economic, health and employment contexts
• Engage in a simple creative activity for you to take back and share with your teams
• Share insights and examples of how arts and creative activity can support workplace wellbeing
• Explore the role of the arts in addressing future workplace and mental health challenges

This interactive event is free and open to all members of LAHWN, members Leeds Mindful Employer Network, local businesses, organisations and their staff.

Find more information and book your free place here.

The West Yorkshire Grief and Loss service support service is open every day, 8am -8pm on 0808 196 3833 or online chat

Leeds Bereavement Forum provides information, resources, training and  a great directory of support services

For many of us winter can be a challenging time. And this year, with renewed uncertainty around COVID-19, people may be feeling especially anxious, worried or lonely. 

Consider sharing some of the resources linked to below with your colleagues.. You can also start conversations within your teams, encouraging people to share their own wellbeing tips and sources of support. It's more important than ever that we continue to look out for each other and help where we can. 

 

Top 10 Tips for winter wellbeing 
10 Days of #ChritmasToolkit
Peer support and support groups

British red Cross Winter wellbeing calendar

Forward Leeds Seasonal advice for your mental wellbeing

State of Mind Sport have free mental fitness sessions available for Leeds employers and their staff.  You can read more about the sessions here. 

For more information, please contact
Phil Cooper, Co-founder State of Mind Sport
Tel: 07721 881932 
Email: phil.cooper@stateofmindsport.org.uk 

Please note that priority will be given to employers who:
- Employ a largely male workforce
- Are based in areas of high deprivation and recruit from the local area or
- Employ a large number of low paid staff

JAAQ offers an innovative approach to mental health education. Learn about common mental health conditions through asking questions of well known people with experience of living with these conditions. Access JAAQ here.