What a day!

Many of you may already know from taking a brief look at our dedicated health website that eskimosoup is highly involved in a localised campaign running alongside the NHS Time to Change campaign called ‘1in4 of us’. Having recently exhibited the work we have done on behalf of NHS Hull at a big local NHS mental health workshop for businesses it got us thinking about what is being done to help workforces and whether businesses in other parts of the UK, who may not have access to these free and informative mental health first aid training sessions, wealth of resources and expert advice, may benefit from similar NHS lead schemes in their area.

eskimosoup has been involved with the ‘1in4 of us’ campaign since it started in April last year in an effort to eradicate mental health stigma and make local people aware it is happening to “us”, you or me, family or friends or even those within your workforce.

Paying close attention to what this campaign has been doing for businesses the website, which acts as a hub for the community to seek advice and to help eradicate mental health stigma, has a dedicated section for organisations. It is within this section where businesses can understand a bit more about what they can do to help spread the ‘1in4 of us’ message and help staff with mental health problems from simply displaying a poster, raising the subject in team meetings through to something far more comprehensive. It offers staff advice on what to tell their employer and where to get help as well as handy tips on different activities directors can put on for staff and their families, helpful videos, practical legal tips and sources of specialist advice.

Five million British workers are affected by such mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and stress and this website aims to end the myth that those with mental health problems are unable to work. In fact, with the right help and support employees can maintain productivity, save businesses money and in turn staff can become more loyal, engaged and motivated.

The campaign also runs a number of different events including a Tea and Talk day as part of World Mental Health Day as well as taking the campaign’s fun and friendly bubblehead characters into major local corporations to spread the message, get people talking and promote the need to create mentally healthy workplaces free from discrimination.

It is amazing to see how quickly word can spread and the possibilities organising events with other mental health charities and organisations can have. It was certainly impressive to see so many major businesses in our area becoming more proactive when it comes to improving their healthy staff agendas through better understanding and supporting their workforce when it comes to mental health.

A healthy lifestyle is not just for New Year

A new year a new you! This is the mantra across many people’s lips as we kick start 2013. Adverts are telling you that you too can lose 15lbs, magazines are telling you to eat better and the NHS campaign Change4Life is informing everyone why they need to be more active. With so much emphasis surrounding living a much healthier lifestyle it got us thinking how much people are really taking all this in and, more importantly, how long it will take them to return to their old habits.

Just the other day we spotted someone on our social media feed saying a pretty similar thing in that they would be attempting it for a couple of weeks after their festive food frenzy and then returning to their normal diet of pizza and full-fat coke in a matter of weeks. A very unhealthy choice according to Change4Life unveiling that there is a massive 17 cubes of sugar in a bottle of cola and a wine glass full of fat in some large pizzas!

One healthy lifestyles campaign we worked on which seems to have stood the test of time is the Leeds Let’s Change which is an all year round campaign. This runs alongside the national Change4Life project and includes a fun, consumer friendly and interactive website which gives people advice about such subjects as reduced alcohol consumption, healthy eating, physical activity, smoking and weight management.

Other benefits users welcome are an interactive map telling people where they can go for help and advice regarding how to live healthy lifestyles. The website is updated daily and gives local people opportunities to take up the latest local gym and fitness offers in the city. A live Twitter feed and other online resources are also integrated into the site which is designed to work on all computers and mobile devices to give people access to tips on the move.

Working on this project was a real eye-opener as it is shocking to see sheer amount that people living unhealthy lifestyles can cost local NHS groups. It is a project we are extremely proud of and have received lots of positive feedback for. We know other areas would benefit from similar kinds of services and are looking forward to exploring new BIG ideas to help other NHS groups UK wide.