Awen was one of 114 organisations from across the UK to take part in Mind’s fifth annual Workplace Wellbeing Index, and was recognised with a Silver Award.

The Workplace Wellbeing Index is a benchmark of best policy and practice, celebrating the good work employers are doing to prioritise better mental health in their workplace.

The Index also provides tailored recommendations which enable organisations to enhance the support they already offer to employees.

The Silver Award is given to employers “who have made demonstrable achievements in promoting staff mental health, demonstrating progress and impact over time”.

Richard Hughes, Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust, said:

“At Awen, we are committed to supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of our staff. Achieving a Silver Award during our first year of participating in the Mind Workplace Wellbeing Index is testament to our proactive efforts to break down barriers and encourage staff to speak about their mental health and wellbeing challenges in a safe and supported environment.

“This has been a particularly difficult year but we have taken the opportunity to train staff as Mental Health First Aiders, taken a flexible working approach to support staff to work in a way which suits their circumstances during the pandemic, and we encouraged colleagues to share their personal stories through our ‘This Is Me’ campaign on Facebook Workplace.

“Over the coming year, we will continue to promote wellbeing in the workplace, ensure our culture and ways of working supports positive mental health, and provide our staff with the right tools and guidance so that they sustain their own wellbeing and help their colleagues to do the same. We look forward to going for Gold next time!”