Ballyclare firm holds first ever Health Awareness Week

The Ballyclare-based company organised the event as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy for 2016.

The strategy includes a number of initiatives that support internal and external objectives, including staff engagement, wellbeing and motivation, as well as charity and community engagement externally.

The primary purpose of the Health Awareness Week, which took place from April 11 - 15, was ultimately to encourage a happier, healthier workforce, by educating on healthy lifestyle choices and preventative care, and to offer relevant support where necessary.

Staff at all depot locations were encouraged to take part in a number of activities and events throughout the week. This included external providers carrying out health-related talks and health checks with staff. Local Company, Break Fit, attended both the Hillhead Road dealership and the Bodyshop, located at Dennison Industrial Estate, to deliver an interactive presentation on diet, nutrition and exercise. Action Cancer provided a manned health promotion stand to offer support and advice, and there was also helpful advice for staff about the local smoking cessation programme.

Additional to the external providers, Dennisons prepared a number of initiatives of their own. These included the circulation of a health-related quiz with attractive prizes, the funds raised from which will go to a health-related charity chosen by Dennisons staff. A daily email with information on various health-related topics, that supported the various activities, such as smoking, stress management and healthy eating, was also scheduled daily.

To help kick start a healthy lifestyle regime, Dennisons provided all staff with a healthy breakfast and staff have been encouraged to put themselves forward for an eight-week competitive step challenge. Both of these activities have the additional benefit of getting staff together on a more social level, a secondary aim of the Health Awareness Week.

Dennisons has also recently taken the decision to implement a Health Cash Plan for all staff, which is a scheme whereby those enrolled are able to claim money back on everyday health care treatments, such as dental, optical, chiropractor, physiotherapy, health and wellbeing, amongst other unique benefits.

The Health Awareness Week, organised jointly by Dennison Group’s HR Manager Lisa Millar and Marketing Manager Laura Reeve, was supported by CSR Co-ordinators at each depot, including Ballyclare Technician Neil Arbuthnot, and Niall Walker, Bodyshop Co-Ordinator.