British Safety Council has announced that youth charity, Bolton Lads and Girls Club (BLGC) has become the latest beneficiary of its Keep Thriving funding to support its employee wellbeing.

BLGC attended a free 3-hour workshop earlier this year to help them and other small and medium organisations (SMEs) develop a wellbeing strategy. The workshop was delivered by British Safety Council’s Being Well Together experts and, six months after attending, employers were invited to apply for funding with only the most effective and innovative proposals receiving approval.

The funding, of up to £10,000, will enable BLGC to establish wellness initiatives, enhance mental health support and develop greener workspaces.

Founded in 1889, BLGC runs one of the largest youth clubs in the country, welcoming more than 4,000 young people through their doors every year.

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Paula Betti, Trust Fundraising Officer at Bolton Lads and Girls Club (BLGC) receives their Keep Thriving award from Matthew Winn, Public Affairs Manager at British Safety Council, with Katie Bridge, Senior Grants and Trust Manager at BLGC (right).

Emma Hutchinson, CEO of Bolton Lads and Girls Club, said: “We are absolutely thrilled and so grateful to be awarded this support from the British Safety Council. At BLGC we have an amazing team who work hard to improve the lives of thousands of children and families in Bolton every year. We’re living through some extremely challenging situations right now and the families we support experience some of the worst circumstances imaginable. The BLGC team is always ready to go above and beyond to support those most in need.

“Our diverse staff include Mental Health Practitioners, Counsellors, Youth Workers, Sports Coaches, and many more. As a dispersed team working across the whole of Bolton, and with hybrid working now the norm, we don’t always get to spend a lot of time with our colleagues, so the support from British Safety Council’s Keep Thriving initiative will enable us to bring more staff together to enjoy a programme of wellbeing activities and staff development days.

“This funding will help us to bring more people together, strengthen the support networks of our staff, and make sure everyone has access to wellbeing advice and activities throughout the year.”

Commenting on the funding award, Mike Robinson, British Safety Council Chief Executive, said: “I am excited and proud that, as a charity, British Safety Council is supporting other charities in this way, and delighted that the Bolton Lads and Girls Club will now benefit. In the third sector, we are all aware of how even a modest amount of funding can make a huge difference to charities which may lack the necessary resources for supporting employee wellbeing to a suitable degree.

“BLGC showed in their application that it would use this money in imaginative ways, and that they would measure, evaluate and track the impact of their activities carefully. British Safety Council is dedicated to making sure no-one is injured or made ill through their work and we are delighted to support BLGC in their efforts to ensure the same for their own employees.”

The 12-month funding was awarded to BLGC through British Safety Council’s Keep Thriving campaign, which seeks to improve the wellbeing of workers, within and outside of the workplace.

British Safety Council will make one further award for 2023 in December and is once again offering any organisation employing up to 500 staff the chance to get free support to improve wellbeing in their workplace.

From today, as part of the Keep Thriving campaign, SMEs and micro-sized employers can apply to attend one of a series of free face-to-face workshops in 2024 to help them develop a wellbeing strategy. The sessions are delivered by British Safety Council’s Being Well Together experts and help employers explore why wellbeing matters to them, their people and their business, as well as exploring ways they can support workplace wellbeing.

As well as the free workshops, British Safety Council is again offering all employers who attend the opportunity to apply for funding of up to £10,000 to help them implement their wellbeing strategy.