Through the activities taking place at the Brightstar and Sirius Property Finance offices, the group aims to help address some of the issues staff may currently be facing and support them in developing positive habits and techniques in the future.

One such initiative is the launch of the Brightstar Group talking groups, which will be held monthly and led by a member of the mental health first aider team.

The informal sessions aim to address mental health conditions or issues and encourage the sharing of ideas, experiences and tips. 

Team members will be leading sessions, including Rob Jupp, CEO at The Brightstar Group, who will be heading up a session on sleep and relaxation techniques.

The mental health first aiders will also be available to meet with anyone at any time, simply by sending an email saying, ‘I would like to talk’.

Clare Jupp, director of people development at The Brightstar Group (pictured above), said that the group had recognised and anticipated the impact the pandemic had on the mental health of its team.

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She added that the company had taken a proactive stance by training a group of mental health first aiders, as well as carrying out an anonymous survey to understand employees’ current mental health and how it has been impacted by Covid.

The research found that the pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of 66% of staff, with 72% saying that they suffer from sleep problems and just under half stating that they are currently experiencing mental health issues. 

In addition, 87% are finding it difficult to switch off from work while at home.

“This understanding has helped us to build upon our already excellent provision for mental health and wellbeing, assisting us in the planning of events for MHAW and the implementation of support arrangements and ongoing activities,” commented Clare.

“We asked the team what they would like to try, and so we are looking at many different things to help with mental health and wellbeing, including nutrition, exercise and mindfulness. 

“We feel that many organisations will be facing big problems as their teams return to work and may struggle with their mental health, and we believe that anticipating this situation and taking the time to understand the mindset of their staff is crucial for businesses in understanding and helping their people.”

As part of MHAW, The Brightstar Group will be supporting the #connectwithnature campaign and fundraising for its charity partners Mind and SANE.