Northland Workplaces (part of the Northland Wellbeing Collective) have benefited from hearing a recent presentation from Cory Abraham (NZ Refinery) who spoke about the journey that his workplace has been on to prioritize workplace wellness.

Cory shared that although Health and Safety were prominent in NZ Refinery, there was a gap when it came to wellness. Once it was identified that wellness could be for the people, by the people, 32 volunteers signed up to lead the change as champions. The wellness team stood up together (E Tu Tangata) to begin creating a culture, sharing knowledge and manaaki.

Over the journey, wellbeing has become interlinked with Health and Safety. It became normal to talk about mental wellbeing, sharing information through various means such as SharePoint and getting in experienced speakers like Mike King and John Kirwan.

Sharon Adams, Sport Northland’s Active Workplace Coordinator explains that “it was great to hear Cory speak, sharing his knowledge and experience in such an honest way, adding some real tips for workplaces around engaging staff, keeping plans simple and building a team.  His take home message was, - it’s about weaving the mahi together”.

If you would like any further information on the Active Workplaces programme, upcoming events, challenges and support, email sharona@sportnorth.co.nz or check out our Active Workplaces FB page https://www.facebook.com/Active-Workplaces-114266882032513