A new leadership programme delivered by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) and Field Enterprise, designed to create a wellbeing driven economy has been back by the region’s Mayor.
The Leading through Health and Wellbeing programme will develop the leadership, collaboration and coaching skills of participants to give them the tools to improve their own and their organisation’s practices - creating a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.
The Sheffield City Region Mayor, Dan Jarvis, has offered his support for the programme and plans to be part of the first cohort starting in March 2021.
The Mayor said: “The importance of health and wellbeing to our people, businesses and the economy has never been more widely accepted and understood as it has in 2020.
“This unique leadership development programme will support businesses and organisations to lead happier, healthier and more productive teams following the pandemic.
“Focused on delivering the skills that will improve job satisfaction and performance, it will also help build healthier communities.”
Delivered jointly by the University and Field Enterprise, the programme will provide world-leading training in leadership to businesses across Sheffield City Region, to support leaders to create organisations to promote workforce health and wellbeing - a key part of the strategy for economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although primarily a leadership programme, participants will have opportunity to undertake their own health and wellbeing journey. Supported by industry and academic experts at the AWRC, delegates will receive a bespoke health check and be supported with workshops and tailored advice throughout the course to explore what matters most to them in terms of promoting wellbeing. Delegates will have access to a network of like-minded leaders to sustain personal and organisational change. Alongside creating great leaders, it is hoped that participants who attend will become role models across their sector, embedding principles of health and wellbeing in businesses throughout the city region.
The first cohort will begin the eight-day programme in early 2021 at the AWRC; an internationally renowned centre dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the population through physical activity research and innovation.
Professor Robert Copeland, Director of the AWRC, said: “Although the Covid-19 pandemic has presented huge challenges to the way organisations operate, the resulting disruption also provides a unique opportunity to challenge the status quo and work in ways that are conducive to improving health and wellbeing within our workforce. To achieve this change requires strong leadership, from people who share a vision to create a wellbeing-driven economy. This is why I am delighted to have worked with Professor Richard Field, Steve Brown and colleagues across the AWRC to create this unique leadership course that is founded on health and wellbeing values”
One of the first business leaders to join the course is Steve Brown, Managing Director of Highlander Computing Solutions based in Sheffield.
Steve is passionate about health and wellbeing and has implemented several initiatives during the last ten years to support a happy, healthy workforce at Highlander.
He sees the Covid-19 pandemic as a catalyst to embed health and wellbeing practices throughout the business as sees the new course as the first step to achieving it.
Steve said: “The moment right now could be the once in a lifetime chance to redefine how we work. We want to give the health and wellbeing of all our staff an even higher priority within our business.
“We’ve managed this so far, but at times it’s been ad-hoc and not as structured as it should be. I hope that the course can assist in spreading the benefits of a good work/life balance throughout the company and put it further into our DNA.”
