4 April

How do internal communities contribute to healthy and productive workplaces?

This is Me brought organisations from across the City together in March for our first in person event of the year.

Kindly hosted by UBS, we explored community – the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week - and one that is relevant to all organisations regardless of sector or size.

The event was led by new This is Me Steering Group Chair Phil Canale, BNY, Senior Vice President, International Management, with opening remarks from Co-Chair of the UBS Mental Wealth Network, Christelle Jones.

During the event, we explored:

• The role of resource groups in relation to the theme of community
• The mental health journeys of BNY and BlackRock
• MQ Mental Health Research shared their current research projects
• How to grow resource groups
• How to ensure senior leadership support and representation
• Current research and thinking around building communities of practice that engage senior leadership.
• How to build mental health advocacy in your organisation
• Common obstacles to progress and how to overcome them
• Top tips from peers in the room.

First up was a panel discussion exploring the role of resource groups in creating positive internal communities within a workplace, with Phil joined by:

• Jane Lovibond – Senior Vice President, Middle Office and Global Co-Chair HEART, BNY’s Diverse Abilities Network
• Jessica Cobb – EMEA COO, Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions and Mental Health Ambassador EMEA Co-Lead, BlackRock
• Mariana Bolivar - Research Programmes Lead, MQ Mental Health Research

A wide-ranging conversation gave an insight into the journeys that BNY and BlackRock had been on in terms of workplace wellbeing, including how to ensure senior level buy in whilst Mariana from MQ Mental Health Research shared insights into the latest research in the area including an upcoming project to provide real time support for organisations.

We then turned to our attendees to take centre stage as a lively roundtable session explored how those in the room had put their own mental health advocacy and resource group creation into action. With organisations ranging in size from 100 to 10,000 employees present, it was great to hear the different ways they had approached their internal wellbeing activities but also the common themes and actions that rang true irrespective of size and sector.

The event ended with closing remarks from the Chair and networking with many of the room staying to continue their conversations. To see such an energised room was uplifting and helps us to look forward to Mental Health Awareness Week in May where we will once again look to celebrate all that the City does to mark it.

If you have plans for Mental Health Awareness Week, we would love to hear from you and would ask that you spend just three minutes completing a survey here

Find Mental Health Awareness Week news and ideas here or contact matt.bentall@thelordmayorsappeal.org