Tag: mental health

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HBAA promotes wellbeing at National Mental Health Awareness Week

HBAA will be hosting a non-profit event, open to the industry on 15 May during National Mental Health Awareness Week (13-19 May) as the latest initiative in the HBAA’s mental health campaign.

This is a commitment not only to raise awareness of the huge scale of mental health issues in the hospitality and events industry but also to enable members and non-members to help themselves in their wellbeing, take action to prevent problems and address them ahead of when they occur.

The event at the Holiday Inn London, Kensington Forum, starting at 1.15pm, will feature an inspiring keynote speaker, Vikie Shanks, and experts providing advice on many aspects of wellbeing and mental health.

Open to all hospitality and event industry professionals, including non HBAA members, it will raise money to train even more HBAA members to become Mental Health First Aiders.

Key note speaker Vikie Shanks, sponsored by Wyboston Lakes, will deliver a presentation based on her own inspirational life story. Left to raise seven special needs children alone after her husband tragically committed suicide, Vikie will document her own journey to ‘normality’ as she tirelessly campaigns for greater awareness of autism, mental health and suicidality.

Recognised experts will provide advice on wellness in events, nutrition, breathing support and tips on how to get a better night’s sleep. The Samaritans will be discussing their great work and attendees are encouraged to come in activewear to participate in a spinathon. A health MOT provided by Nuffield Health, the largest non-profit provider in the UK, will also be providing a free goodie bag containing NEOM organic products, water bottles and other wellbeing products. 

Raffle prizes, including spa breaks, will be available to win on the day. 

Spaces for the event are limited to 60 and to help maximise funding for more HBAA Mental Health First Aider training places, donations in lieu of attendance can be made by visiting the justgiving page. 

This latest initiative forms part of HBAA’s comprehensive campaign which began in February, when the association’s Executive Committee and board completed training as Mental Health First Aiders.

To help tackle this growing problem, HBAA has created two open courses to enable both members and non-members to train their staff to become qualified Mental Health First Aiders. The first two-day course will take place on 2 & 3 May at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel and the second will be at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham on 20 & 21 June.

Full details of the event and how to book are available here.

Leigh Cowlishaw, HBAA past Chair and Board member who is leading the HBAA Mental Health Awareness campaign says; “From a recent survey; one in three people in the hospitality and events industry will experience a mental health issue and the sector is ranked in the top three sectors for stress and mental health problems. This latest initiative is one of several being implemented by the HBAA, and is designed to empower all those working in hospitality and events by providing tools and guidance to support them in their professional and personal lives.

“We want everyone to understand that ‘It’s OK Not To Be OK’, and that there is plenty of support available to them. This support and self-care is to enable you to look after your wellbeing maintenance and not just to be activated when you need to take time off sick, or visiting the doctors – it should be used as part of your daily routine to look out for yourself and others around you.” 

An interview with Leigh Cowlishaw about this topic and event can be viewed at vimeo.com

For more information, please visit www.hbaa.org.uk

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Is enough happening to support mental health and wellbeing training?

A panel of industry experts has emphasised the importance of business leaders taking responsibility for their staff and undergoing more mental health and wellbeing training.

The three-person panel discussed wellness and mental health within the meetings industry at International Confex 2019. The panel consisted of Jenner Carter, head of marketing at Lime Venue Portfolio and marketing chair at the HBAA, James Hitchen, GM of the Event Marketers Association (EMA), and Laila Datoo, a mindful business coach.

Carter, who recently picked up a qualification in Mental Health First Aid through the HBAA, spoke about the importance of leadership in addressing mental health in the work place.

“The industry has discussed at length the level of stress and anxiety found within event professionals, and awareness has been driven by some really great initiatives,” she said. “However, to turn awareness into action, leaders need to be trained to both spot staff showing signs of illness, and to intervene where possible.

“One of the things we learn through mental health first aid is the early warning signs, and how to handle intervening in a sensitive but professional manner.”

Hitchen said that the events industry needs to think about prevention rather than “just managing the symptoms of poor mental health”.

He said: “Leaders in business need to support their teams in improving their mental fitness. I believe it is a company’s responsibility to create conditions that supports living well.

“A company with a culture of wellbeing is happier, healthier, more productive and more profitable.”

The Mental Health Foundation estimate that 70 million work days are lost each year due to mental health problems in the UK, costing employers approximately £2.4bn per year.

The panel shared tips with the audience and emphasised the importance of the right level of training and awareness from senior leadership.

Datoo said: “Business leaders need to start equating wellbeing with performance and productivity. The happier and healthier your people, the better your bottom line.

“We shouldn’t wait for absenteeism figures to rise, people to leave or burnout or the culture to become toxic to address this.”

The HBAA runs a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) accredited course that gives participants a recognised qualification to be a mental health first aider.

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New HBAA Executive Committee train to be Mental Health First Aiders

As the first step in the HBAA’s 2019 major initiative to encourage action on mental health issues in the event industry, the new HBAA Executive Committee members have been trained to be Mental Health First Aiders.

The two-day course at Wyboston Lakes Resort gave the Committee members many valuable practical skills and increased their awareness and understanding of what affects mental wellbeing. The course taught them how to spot triggers and signs of mental health issues and gave them enhanced non-judgemental interpersonal skills. They also learnt how to reassure and support a person in distress and how to help someone recover their health.

The HBAA is arranging for this course to be available to members, setting up open courses to take place in April and June.

After completing the course Angie Mason, HBAA Chair said: “The last two days have been so enlightening. It totally reinforced in my mind what a vital issue this is and how important our campaign is. There is so much that most of us don’t know about mental health issues so we want as many people as possible to sign up for these courses. Anyone could save a life.”

The HBAA Executive Committee, which comprises the Committee Chairs and Past Chairs, has three new members for 2019.

Alexis Moreau is the new HBAA Tech & Innovation Chair and Lex Butler is the new HBAA Events Committee Chair for 2019 while Nick Scott of ArrangeMY now chairs the Business Accommodation Committee.

Nick Scott joined ArrangeMY in 2004 and has been Managing Director since 2008.

Alexis Moreau - Head of Conference and Catering Services at Robinson College at the University of Cambridge.

Alexis Moreau is the Head of Conference and Catering Services at Robinson College at the University of Cambridge.
Lex Butler - Creative Director and Owner of Wolf & White.

Lex Butler is the Creative Director and Owner of Wolf & White.
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Nurturing ‘The Next Generation’ – HBAA focus for 2019

The theme will be the HBAA’s focus for events in the year ahead. The association will be exploring opportunities for collaborating with the Prince’s Trust, as well as developing resources to attract, nurture and retain the next generation of workers.

Experienced industry professionals will be providing continuous mentorship, and younger members will be invited to shadow the HBAA board at events throughout 2019.

Rachael Naylor, the new HBAA venue member chair, announced the launch of a Venue Members meeting, designed to forge closer collaboration between venues. This is set to take place along with the Great Venue Showcase on 11 and 12 April.

The HBAA will also be driving a major initiative to encourage action on mental health issues in the event industry. It will introduce a training course for members to become mental health ‘first aiders’, which all HBAA Executive Committee members will undergo.

It also announced a collaboration with charity Buses4Homeless, which outfits buses as overnight shelters and vocational learning centres for the homeless. 

Angie Mason, HBAA Chair, commented: “I could not be more excited to take over as Chair. 16 years after my previous year in office, my association experience is coming full circle. I started my first business in this industry 29 years ago and have lived through tremendous change and three recessions. Many of the Executive Committee also have so much knowledge and experience to help, inspire and support ‘The Next Generation.’