The Wellbeing Podcast – a must listen for Mirus staff

Our Wellbeing Champions are staff members who are committed to raising awareness of health and wellbeing across Mirus. They host events, share ideas that inspire people to take interest in their own wellbeing, and talk to Mirus staff members about resources that are available to support them. 

The Wellbeing Champions’ most recent innovative idea to raise awareness of the importance of mental health was to record a podcast. The podcast is aimed at providing Mirus staff members with opportunities to listen to normal, everyday conversation about wellbeing from lots of different angles and perspectives. The hope is that by talking about mental health in an informal way, they will encourage others to have open and honest conversations about their own wellbeing.  

They released the first episode of their podcast to Mirus staff members in time for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, which takes place between the 13th and 19th May.  

Kelly Bent, a Wellbeing Champion and Support Worker in Swansea, came up with the idea to start a podcast. She said:  

“I was cooking my tea one night, and the idea popped into my head. We wanted to find a way to reach out to more people, to give them a little bit of understanding about what we do and where they can find resources to help them.”     

Kelly brought her idea to the other Wellbeing Champions, who loved it and were excited to get involved. Other staff members also supported them to get the idea off the ground. Personal Tech and Digital Inclusion Officer, Sorin Annuar, worked together with the Wellbeing Champions to research podcasting equipment and recording and editing software, before teaching them how to use it. Once the Podcast was recorded, Creative Comms Officer, Annika Lea, created visuals and helped the Wellbeing Champions to promote it to other Mirus staff members.  

Annika said:

“It’s really important that people feel comfortable talking about and asking for support with their mental health and wellbeing. I think The Wellbeing Podcast will show people that it doesn’t need to be a daunting topic – it can be fun and inspiring, as well as informative.”

In their first podcast Kelly Bent, Aimee Price and Health, Safety, Wellbeing & Engagement Manager Chris Garlick talk about their roles as Wellbeing Champions and what they do to support their own wellbeing.

 When asked about what it means to be a Wellbeing Champion, Kelly said:

“All my colleagues know I’m a Wellbeing Champion – they know they can come to me, and I can help them to find the information they’re looking for.”     

Aimee Price, a Wellbeing Champion for Central Services, said:

“It’s usually central staff who come to me as I’m easily reachable to them in the office…when you see a colleague in the office; you just have a little catch-up and sometimes a little vent. Sometimes all you need is just to get something off your chest.”    

She added: “It’s about reminding people of the support that is available to them, as it’s easy to forget.”     

To further the conversation during Mental Health Awareness Week and National Walking Month, the Wellbeing Champions are encouraging Mirus staff members to ‘move more for their mental health’, by holding their team meetings outside throughout the month of May.

The Wellbeing Champions themselves held their meeting during a walk along the Taff Trail, and the Coproduction and Communications Team soon followed their lead by joining the Cardiff walking group at Victoria Park, Cardiff. 

The Wellbeing Champions have already recorded their second podcast episode and are keen to get more Mirus staff members involved in future. If you’re a Mirus staff member, you can listen to The Wellbeing Podcast on the Wellbeing Hub on SharePoint.