Free workshops and check-ins on offer to boost Devon’s wellbeing

Independent charity Devon Communities Together (DCT) has launched a new wellbeing programme, Wellbeing Works, to support people and businesses in Devon to prioritise their wellbeing and resilience as we continue to recover from the pandemic.

People can access free 1-2-1 wellbeing check-ins with trained volunteers or join one of a series of online workshops designed to share tools and techniques for better wellbeing. There are a whole range of two-hour workshops on offer, from the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’, to ‘Wellbeing at Work’ and even ‘Doodling for Wellbeing’, plus many more. Each workshop features an expert speaker and participants can join in as much or as little as they like, with no pressure.

Michelle McCartan, best selling wellbeing author and Project Manager at Devon Communities Together, commented: “As recently as February 2022, research showed that that 43% adults in the UK said they were worried or somewhat worried about the effect of the pandemic on their lives right now[1] and around a third of adults say their mental health has got much worse since March 2020[2]. It’s really important that we all take a moment to pause and focus on our wellbeing, even if we think we’re feeling ok. All our activities are completely free and designed to allow people the time to focus on themselves so that they can feel less stressed at work and at home.

“The 1-2-1 wellbeing check ins are a great way to support people to proactively focus on their wellbeing. They focus on helping participants to limit stress, experience greater peace of mind, build resilience, feel connected and supported, identify opportunities, and perform and feel at their best.

“There’s a tangible benefit for businesses too, with statistics showing[3] that stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 50% of all work related ill health cases in UK in 2020/21. It really does pay to look after your team’s wellbeing and we can arrange organisation-wide workshops to help give your employees a real boost – just contact me via our website to find out more.”

Wellbeing check-ins can be booked via an online calendar, while workshops can be booked online via Eventbrite. Please visit https://www.devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/wellbeing-works to register.

The first workshop takes place on 28th April, which will be ‘Wellbeing at Work’, followed by a ‘Wellbeing Boost’ workshop on 29th April, which will feature photographer and wellbeing educator Vanessa Miles from Well Image, talking about Photography for Wellbeing.

Wellbeing Works is a Devon County Council funded initiative that is open to SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) and their employees (including social enterprises and sole traders) that employ less than 250 employees; individuals over 18 who are either feeling isolated, facing redundancy, unemployed, returning to work after furlough/home working or are essential workers; and individuals 18-24 who are not in education, employment or training.