STN37 Mental Health Activity Table

Colleagues:

• 85% of our number experience stress and poor mental health at work.

• 25% of us have considered suicide at some point.

• 37% of us think colleagues would treat them differently in a negative way if they disclosed a mental health problem.

• And 72% of the agency we work alongside say that their mental health has worsened since the start of the Covid pandemic.

- Mind Cymru

• Further, in one recent calendar year, 983 of us took 14,100 days off (an average of 18 days per worker) – with the main reason cited for sickness being anxiety/depression; and

• Just 52% of us gave a positive response to a recent internal survey when asked 'Does your employer do enough to support your health and wellbeing at work.'

This is little surprise given the challenges of working through the Covid pandemic and austerity - only to find ourselves in ongoing industrial action regarding pay our union has deemed inadequate.

Given this backdrop, STN37 staff wish to take ownership of their mental health.

Permissions have been sought and granted from the organisation for staff to purchase their own Mental Health Activity Table to be located in Meeting Room 1 (although another location is still open to discussion). This Activity Table should serve as a draw to bring all members of staff from all agencies together to not only discuss mental health and break down mental health stigmatism, strengthen workplace bonds with our partner agency, and inform staff of support available (with a mental health noticeboard with QR code links to support agencies to be provided nearby) but also alleviate tension and stress in the context mentioned.

A team member has helpfully identified an Activity Table that can - between rounds of table tennis or pool - handily be re-stowed tidily as a functioning dining table. Assuming all four teams are in agreement, this table will be purchased and delivered at the earliest opportunity. Across the four teams, £600 will need to be raised. Once each team has raised £150, this should be deposited into the GoFundMe to allow both an audit trail and rapid electronic payment online.

The Activity Table suggested can be viewed here:

https://www.homeleisuredirect.com/pool_tables/pool_dining_tables/signature-newman-pool-dining-table-silver-finish.html

NB. Please note that, given the nature and purpose of this table, it is to be made available for ALL staff onsite. Teams, agencies and individuals that do not contribute financially to this are not to be denied access to this equipment. This would run contrary to the objective of the Activity Table which was crucial in securing organisational permission.