This year, Mental Health Awareness Week focused on loneliness and to bring this issue to life across the business, Vita Group created initiatives to bring people together.
At head office, events ran throughout the week to encourage togetherness and communication with all members of staff. These include the ‘Cork & Canvas’ event where attendees unleashed their creatives juices and relieved stress with their cathartic painting session. As well as this, take a breather acupressure massages and walk & talk sessions helped staff to relax and get together for some fresh air whilst meeting new colleagues from across the business. To end the week, ‘The Hub BBQ Lunch’ allowed colleagues to all sit together and enjoy some BBQ treats whilst catching up over lunch in Alderley Edge. Staff made donations to the Mental Health Fund raising over £400.
Over at Vita Living’s Circle Square Apartments, a variety of community activities took place to help tackle loneliness and allow residents to meet up and make friends. Similar to head office, acupressure massages were available to take the edge off a stressful week, as well as a Pilates class which allowed residents to meet one another on Monday evening. To end Mental Health Awareness Week, Tahi came along to Vita Living East for a brunch pop-up which allowed residents to head to reception and dig into some brunch treats whilst meeting other residents.
Vita Student has spent Mental Health Awareness Week teaching its residents the importance of the week and encouraging them to take place in residency activities. Vita Student has partnered with Tech Timeout to teach residents why and how a digital detox can improve mental health.
On Wednesday Vita Student welcomed This Works and its brand ambassador Mithra Nandoo, bringing along a sleep & stress management masterclass. Together Mithra and the Vita Student residents discover the secrets to a good night’s sleep and learn techniques to relieve mental and physical stress.
Heading towards the weekend residents could take part in a weekend wind down which differed from location to location. Activities included anything from hot yoga and hand/neck massages to therapy animals visiting Vita Student.
Max Bielby, Chief Operating Officer of Vita Group said:
“Mental wellbeing is tremendously important for us, and our focus isn’t beholden to this one week of celebrations, but it’s important to keep mental health at the top of the agenda, raise awareness and bring people together from across our different communities within the business to make friends, converse and support each other.”