Chester duo aim to improve health and fitness of workforce

Chester is to see the launch of a new initiative to reduce the cost to firms of sickness.

The Healthy Business Hub will see a new collaboration to support business leaders in the north west in dealing with health and wellbeing.

Set up by owners Sue Henry and Ali Wheeler, described as experts in organisational change and workplace wellbeing, the hub will provide an affordable way for businesses to develop effective and sustainable approaches to staff wellbeing it is claimed.

The hub, said to be the first of its kind in the north of England, will tackle issues related to mental and physical health, staff retention and the ageing workforce.

Business leaders joining the quarterly Healthy Business Hub events will receive benefits including expert speakers with insights into the latest solutions for tackling the big issues facing businesses and support and advice on best practice. There will also be access to a private members’ forum offering exclusive workplace approaches to wellbeing.

Sue said: “Simply bringing in a quick fix approach to staff health and wellbeing doesn’t work.

“The key is to make sure the overall culture of the business supports and values staff wellbeing and that starts with the leadership.”

Ali said: “We know that healthy, happy workforces make successful businesses. Staff are more able to be productive and give good customer service when they feel good.

“So we created this affordable way to support businesses in the north west to thrive. We want this region to lead the way on health and wellbeing in the workplace.”

The pair together have over 40 years’ experience supporting business leaders in both the public and private sector.

They are said to have a proven track record of increasing productivity and reducing sickness absence and have been collaborating on projects to achieve transformational change in organisations since 2012.

Sue has over 25 years’ experience working at a senior level in the NHS to achieve change to services and staff wellbeing while Ali has worked across communities, businesses, Police, local authorities, NHS and the voluntary sector and has expertise in wellbeing, behaviour change and influencing senior leaders to embrace large scale organisational change.

The first meeting of the Healthy Business Hub will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Chester on Tuesday, May 15 from 8.30am to 12.30pm.

Tickets cost £50 plus a booking fee and are available via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/healthy-business-hub-tickets-43091583085.