World Mental Health Day was on the 10th of October, and it is a day for mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. The aim of this year’s theme, “Mental Health at Workplace”, was to highlight the vital connection between mental health and work.
RxCelerate is committed to foster a supportive culture of openness and inclusivity. Our Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) and Wellbeing Committee joined forces to organise a panel discussion for World Mental Health Day.
The panel was chaired by Sharon Williams (Operations VP at RxCelerate) and consisted of four speakers who covered different areas of expertise around mental health prioritisation in the workplace:
- Counselling: Isabelle Dollis, trained psychologist from Cogwheel Counselling
- Human resources: Jan Holmes, academy advisor, from Mishcon de Reya
- Inclusion: Elizabeth Wynn, equality and diversity manager from Babraham Institute
- Mental Health at work: Tom Oxley, work mental health specialist, founder of Bamboo Mental Health
The main topics of the conversation were around inclusivity, the benefits of promoting mental health at the work place and how can we facilitate a healthy environment.
The thoughts of the panellist were captured in the following quotes:
“People work their best when they feel their best.” - ISABELLE DOLIS
It’s important, particularly at a senior level, that managers share their vulnerabilities as well. It opens up the conversation.” - JAN HOLMES
“When people are in mental health crisis or experiencing issues for the first time, they may not know how to ask for help.” - ELIZABETH WYNN
“Build in to normal operating procedures the opportunities to speak up.” - TOM OXLEY
“Everyone should be able to come to work as themselves.” - SHARON WILLIAMS
“Two things reduce stigma. Mental health literacy and using inclusive language.” - ELIZABETH WYNN
“The penny is dropping. Businesses have legal, moral, and performance reasons to get this right.” - TOM OXLEY
“Mental health is everyone’s responsibility and as colleagues we need to support each other.” - JAN HOLMES
“Hearing of mental health issues can be something that silences people, because they’re worried about getting it wrong. Grab that obstacle, shove it aside, and have a go.” ISABELLE DOLIS
We'd like to say a huge thank you to our panellists & host for bringing their diverse expertise, which led to a meaningful conversation filled with practical advice on improving workplace mental health.
We’d also like to thank everyone who attended, including our colleagues from RxCelerate and neighbours across the Babraham Research Campus.
About RxCelerate
RxCelerate is an outsourced drug discovery and development company based in Cambridge, UK, founded in 2013. It has rapidly grown to become one of the leading providers of drug discovery and development services in the UK. RxCelerate operates a unique model, offering collaborative strategic thinking to clients to help design and execute every aspect of their research and development plans.
RxCelerate offers a comprehensive suite of services covering the entire discovery and development spectrum, including in silico design and discovery, antibody discovery, synthetic and medicinal chemistry, bioanalysis, in vitro services, preclinical services, and project management. Clients can also access RxCelerate’s proprietary platform technologies, including RxNfinity™ for rapid in silico screening, the Galaxy® platform for generating diverse ‘clinic-ready’ antibodies, and ProQuant® for precise bottom-up proteomics across diverse biological samples. The combination of integrated teams and unique technologies allows RxCelerate to deliver pharma-grade drug candidates quickly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches.
RxCelerate has a team of more than 100 employees based in 25,000 square feet of premium laboratory and office space in the Dorothy Hodgkin Building at the Babraham Research Campus, approximately five miles south of Cambridge, UK, as well as offices in Boston, MA.
For more information, please visit www.rxcelerate.com or contact us at info@rxcelerate.com.