A hotel in Bristol has become the first in the South West’s hospitality industry to commit to a pledge that raises awareness of mental health in the workplace.
The Bristol, part of the Doyle Collection, signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge, which commits it to changing the way it thinks and acts about mental health in the workplace. 
The 187-bedroom hotel joins more than 1,000 organisations nationally in the campaign, including Tesco, Barclays, Marks & Spencer and Stagecoach, which between them employing more than 2m people.
Other hospitality businesses already committed to the pledge include PizzaExpress, Greggs, contract caterers SSP and Compass Group, Soho House and six Marriott hotels.
Organisations in the Bristol area to have signed the pledge include University Hospitals Bristol, Midas Group, the University of West of England and Windmill Hill City Farm.
The pledge was signed by Doyle Collection CEO Pat King and hotel general manager Mark Payne in front of staff in the hotel’s ballroom, committing it to the programme run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.
To demonstrate its commitment, prior to signing the pledge The Bristol appointed six wellbeing champions who have organised monthly team activities, including a wellbeing lunch and helped upskill team members and leaders in matters of wellbeing and leadership soft skills.
Three of the champions, along with three other team members, also completed a two-day mental health first aid course.
The wellbeing champions have also introduced ongoing activities to maintain the focus on mental health throughout the year, including a ‘time to talk’ day in February, a mental health week in May, a wellbeing festival for the whole month of June and a belonging day – to celebrate diversity and inclusion – in August.
Mark Payne said: “It is very important to us as a company that we do all we can to support every employee’s physical and mental health, which is why I am proud to have signed the Time to Change pledge.”
Pat King added: “Having worked in hospitality for over 20 years, I am fully aware of the difficulty in trying to maintain a good work/life balance, which is why I have always placed great emphasis on providing all-round support for Doyle Collection employees.
“I am extremely impressed by the positive steps that The Bristol has taken to further support team wellbeing over the last year and I am therefore delighted to add my signature to the Time for Change pledge.”
The Doyle Collection is a group of luxury hotels previously known as Jurys Doyle Hotels. It includes eight hotels in five cities in Ireland, the UK and the US. The Bristol hotel, on Prince Street, was previously known as Jurys.
