Prioritising mental health in your organisation
Banbury Rugby Club marked World Mental Health Day by inviting local veteran Nick Wilson to speak to members about his ongoing journey with depression, PTSD and a debilitating spinal injury.
Nick served 14 years in the British Army and was deployed on operational tours to Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the military in 2012, he set up a mental health consultancy dedicated to leading, inspiring, facilitating and empowering you and your business, to gain a better understanding of workplace mental health.
On Thursday night, around 55 members of all ages listened to a candid account of his personal experiences. At times raw and honest, Nick gave a no-holes barred account of how the Army had changed his life and how its impact, both emotionally and mentally, continues to affect him deeply. He talked about how to deal with the stigma and prejudice associated with mental health, the difficulties faced by those with a diagnosis, and the effect on loved ones, and shared his personal strategies for living with a mental illness.
Challenge the stigma
Organisers of the event, Julie and Jamie Briggs, had experienced a similar talk when they were in New Zealand on the Lions tour. At the time, they were impressed with how community rugby clubs were addressing the fact that the young male suicide rate was extremely high. After meeting Nick, they felt it was a good opportunity for club members to come together to try to change attitudes to speaking out about personal struggles with mental health issues.
The evening was a resounding success and a starting point for the club to develop its strategies towards mental health issues going forward. To learn more about the impact that mental health is having on your business, get in touch with Nick Wilson. His company is called 360Wellbeing and through consultations, training and 121 counselling, he specialises in identifying where mental health is impacting your business and how you can reduce your costs while continuing supporting your employees.
Posted: 21st October 2019
