Search and rescue charity volunteers launch mental health workplace initiative

West Mercia Search And Rescue (WMSAR), which is reliant on specially trained volunteers who use specialist equipment to search for people in woodland, rivers and rural areas and can often be out for days at a time, will be co-hosting the "Putting Your People First" in Telford next month and are urging county businesses to join them.

Andy Neal, volunteer Search Planner & Fundraising Officer at WMSAR, said the charity had teamed up with Marcus Matthews, Award Winning Clinical Hypnotherapist and Life Transformation Coach, who will be the guest speaker at the event.

Mr Neal said they wanted to encourage people from all workplaces to attend including CEOs and managers, along with their staff members from all areas of the business, as he said mental health does not discriminate based on a job title.

Mr Neal said: "Our volunteers at WMSAR are so aware of the various ways mental health can present itself - every case is different. Families, employers, friends and even those closest to the people we sadly find, who often have taken their own life, often do not know the depth of the mental health crisis the person was facing.

"If we can make more people aware of what mental health in the workplace can look like, identify signs and triggers for them to look out for and most importantly offer techniques to help identify people who are struggling then it might just help prevent another sad statistic."

The event will be held on Friday April 28th from 9am to 12noon at Hadley Park House Hotel in Telford. The event includes refreshments and a light lunch and tickets cost £20 per person.

Organisers are also looking for businesses to sponsor the event and any raffle prizes to boost funds for WMSAR charity.

Marcus Matthews, from Make Your Life Count, a former soldier and West Mercia and British Transport Police police officer, will be the guest speaker at the event.

Whilst serving Marcus found himself on the verge of suicide and no one knew. When he finally broke, he said the support he needed wasn't there.

Having worked with TV personalities, CEOs, police officers, doctors and nurses and many business professionals, Marcus is making a difference by empowering people to change their lives and understand why they feel the way they do.

"The workplace is such a powerful place for people - it can make the difference between living your best life to living your worst. Managers, colleagues and everyone in the workplace - regardless of how much contact you have with someone or how well you know them - can have such a powerful positive influence on someone's life but only if they know the signs to look out for and the techniques to help identify people who need extra support,” Mr Matthews said.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, mental health issues in the workplace impact employee engagement, productivity and reputation.

Mental health is estimated to cost £1652 per employee per year and improved mental health support in the workplace could save UK businesses up to £8million annually, foundation research showed.

The “Putting Your People First” event will offer delegates a different perspective on mental health and introduce them to some of the latest thinking and techniques, and reveal some tools and new ideas.

The environment will be fun and informative, whilst helping visitors to understand more about how their mind impacts their daily life and how they can support others to make real change quickly.

Visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/putting-people-first-a-different-perspective-on-mental-health-tickets-533781253097 for tickets and more information.

If you would like to donate a raffle prize then get in touch by completing the online form