Workplace Boost for Melbourne Joggers

Stress is a menace. The ways of the modern world mean we all feel it from time to time but when it gets out of control it can lead to more serious mental health problems.

The working environment is often a common culprit and jogging is the perfect reliever. So we’ve been talking to a couple of the Melbourne Joggers as part of Mental Health Awareness Week to see how joining up with their workplaces is giving people a positive boost.

Active lunchtimes at Rolls Royce

Suzanne Adams works at Rolls Royce’s Derby site. She is about to use her experience with Melbourne Joggers to take a group of 15 Rolls Royce employees through a lunchtime couch to 5k programme.

Suzanne said: “The Melbourne Joggers is a great little community, welcoming and friendly and you feel so much more motivated to get up and move when you’re part of a group. So when I was asked to help with a wellbeing activity at work I thought this would be a great thing to do during our lunch break.

“It helps you clear your head and put things in perspective so it’s good for mental health and it gives people a chance to chat and relax. We’ve got really good changing facilities here so people are more inclined to cycle to work or feel they can do an activity during their lunch break.”

Bharat Chandra works for Rolls Royce and is joining the group. She said: “Working full time on a desk job has made my stamina go down from half marathon level (few years ago) to now gasping within a mile, making me feel very unfit! This initiative would be very motivating and make me work harder especially because it is a group of us in the same boat. We could all definitely draw inspiration from one-another.”

New jogging kit thanks to Toyota

Toyota Manufacturing UK has a charitable trust which contributes to a variety of local community causes. Employees can apply for money to support out of work volunteer work within their community.

Hazel Clint has worked for Toyota for 23 years and leads Melbourne Joggers. She applied for money from the trust to buy new kit for the group to give them an identity and improve safety.

She said: “I’m really proud to work for Toyota. It puts its money where its mouths is and leads continuous improvement in the community by supporting employees in their volunteering work.

“The money our group received has allowed us to buy t-shirts so we now have a group identity. It was amazing to be able to give them out. it was nice to be able to provide a running top which meant there was no worries about asking members for more money.

“We’ve also bought head torches and light up arm bands to improve safety in the group. Although we stick to pavements in the winter we’ve had a couple of people fall in the past which can knock your confidence.”

Find out more

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