The Channel Islands Co-operative Society Limited is working with local charities to support staff for World Mental Health Day. The Co-op will be running events in its stores to help promote the services available to staff.
Across the islands the Co-op will be encouraging staff to meet with charity representatives to hear what support the groups can offer around mental health and wellbeing within the community.
The stores in Jersey will be welcoming the Jersey Recovery College, a community-based independent mental health charity, who offer education and training opportunities to people experiencing mental health difficulties and the family, friends and professionals who support them. The charity’s courses support adults to enhance their knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions, recovery, wellbeing and life skills.
Jersey Recovery College Manager, Beth Moore, said: “We are delighted to have been invited to deliver information sessions to Co-op staff in the run up to World Mental Health Day. It is great to see a business like the Co-op adopt this proactive approach. As well as these information sessions, we have a range of different events taking place around World Mental Health Day including a free charity football match with ex-Jersey players that took place at Springfield on Sunday. On Wednesday 10 October we will be running a marathon on a treadmill at Charing Cross, and fundraising throughout town. There will also be an information stand at Broad Street, where we are encouraging people to come and say hello to learn more about the courses and help we offer.”
Guernsey MIND will be holding sessions at the Co-op’s St Martin store in Guernsey, offering staff more information about its services.
Guernsey MIND’s Employee Wellbeing Service Manager, Jo Cottell, said: “Everyone with a mental health condition has their own experiences and needs. No one approach fits all and it is great to see that the Co-op has taken this on board and is willing to offer the opportunity for staff to learn more about the help that is out there. We very much hope that these sessions will be informative for staff, and that by encouraging a better understanding of mental health issues within our community we will make it easier for people to get the right help, as early as possible.”
Tanya Dority, Community Manager for the Co-op, said: “Workplace stress plays a vital role in a person’s overall mental wellbeing, so getting the right information about the help out there is crucial. The success of The Channel Islands Co-operative Society has been built on its people, and their wellbeing is extremely important to us. We hope that these sessions will give our staff the knowledge they need to feel fully informed about the help that they can receive for themselves or for those close to them.”
