Investing in wellbeing in MACE

01 Nov 2018

Further to the responses to the staff survey, the School of MACE has introduced a number of initiatives and activities to help improve staff wellbeing.

Since January they have implemented:

• Weekly coffee mornings – sometimes with a theme or linked to a charity
• Pilates classes – MACE ran a free six week taster session and a six week beginners class subsidised by the School. Due to interest and demand, these classes have continued but ar enow paid for by staff
• Samba steel drum lessons – a couple of sessions were run in July which culminated in a demonstration to the School at MACE's Away Day.  Further sessions are planned over the coming months
• Social spaces are being identified throughout the School and decorated to make them more comfortable for staff to have lunch breaks, relax and socialise during breaks
• A walking group has been established which goes out at lunchtimes, sometimes joining the Lunchtime Strollers group
• A badminton group has been formed and staff are invited to join and play after work on a monthly basis
• A fridge was purchased for use by colleagues returning from maternity leave to store expressed milk
• Staff joined the Purple Wave run as a result of advertising this as a wellbeing activity in the School newsletter
• A series of lunch and learn sessions will be rolled out over the next year
• There is a dedicated wellbeing section in the School newsletter 

The wellbeing activities have had a positive impact on staff morale.  More colleagues are making an effort to get away from their desks at lunch-times by taking advantage of the above activities.  The activities have increased social interaction amongst colleagues and due to the size of the school, they have enabled colleagues to get to know people they might not usually interact with.