Bristol is to host one of the UK’s largest national events focused on mental health in the workplace in May.
Some of the biggest names in the subject will share their experiences along with the latest thinking at the Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace Summit. 
The event, being staged at We the Curious on May 12, will also feature debates around the power of sport in supporting mental wellbeing – among the speakers will be Bristol Bears manager Nick Fenton-Wells, pictured below – and how business and education can work together to ensure that young people are adequately prepared for the world of work.
The summit is being held against a backdrop of increasing awareness of the impact of good mental wellbeing on business.
It is estimated that nearly 16m hours are lost due to mental health issues while some half a million Brits are believed to suffer stress at work.
Bristol is already recognised as a leader in the field of workplace wellbeing. The city council was the first to make the Mental Health at Work Commitment – a set of actions that any organisation can follow to improve and support the mental health of their people and which is linked to the national Thriving at Work Leadership Council, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care, and mental health charity Mind.
A number of Bristol businesses have also made the commitment, including law firm Burges Salmon and communications agency JBP Associates.
The summit is being backed by Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees, who said: “Mental wellbeing is a key focus of the One City approach, with the overarching goal for 2050 being that everyone in Bristol will have the opportunity to live a life in which they are mentally and physically healthy. 
“To achieve our goal, we need a city-wide effort that sees individuals, organisations and sectors across Bristol joining forces to support everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.”
The summit’s official event partners include Business in the Community, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW), Institute of Directors, the Law Society, PRCA (Public Relations and Communications Association), Bristol Sport and Business West.
Business in the Community director of wellbeing Louise Aston, pictured below, who will speak at the summit, said: “Our research with Mercer Marsh Benefits, shows that two in five employees in the UK will experience poor mental health caused by work.
“With mental health awareness on the rise, we now need employers to take action and make the fundamental changes to improve the mental health of their employees.”
She said the summit would open up this important conversation and allow businesses from across the UK to share best practice for a healthy workplace culture.
“For those in manager or senior HR roles, I’d encourage you to join us at this exciting event and find out more about how your workplace could benefit from signing up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment,” she added.
Other speakers and panelists include:
- Faye McGuinness, head of workplace wellbeing at Mind;
- John de Pury, assistant director of policy at Universities UK;
- Tony Bickerstaff, chief financial officer at Costain;
- Rebecca Jones, national partnerships lead, Sport England;
- Brendan Street, head of emotional wellbeing at Nuffield Health;
- Peter Cheese, chief executive, CIPD;
- Dr Wolfgang Seidl, head of health management consulting EMEA, Mercer Health & Benefits;
- Marc Caulfield, CEO and co-founder, Demolish the Wall;
- Philip Dyer, founder, Healthy Leaders.
The summit is being sponsored by Mercer Marsh Benefits and organised by JBP. The official media partner is HR Zone, an online publication for the human resources sector.
