Staff walk the talk for their wellbeing
PGG Wrightson workers were joined by other rural folk on a walk to support health and wellbeing yesterday.
In their high-visibility vests, the group was carefully marshalled along as they walked from Mataura to Wyndham.
For PGG Wrightson, the walk is significant – its Southland staff had one of the lowest results in the company’s national health check.
Farmer Karen Bennett and her family joined the walk about four kilometres from Wyndham.
‘‘Fitness on the farm and mental health are important,’’ she said.
PGG Wrightson held a health check for all staff early last year and released the results at its annual conference several months later.
Its Southland retail manager, Graeme Lemin, was a bit deflated by the province’s results.
‘‘We didn’t do too good.’’
His response was the Walk To Wellness, which consists of nine walks, starting on Monday and finishing February 12. It is open to PGG Wrightson staff and people living in rural Southland and West Otago.
Lemin gained approval from six councils to hold the walks on southern roads. Daily distances range from 21.8 kilometres to 61km. People can join or leave a walk at any time.
A map of the walk routes and a traffic management plan had to be submitted to the councils
The event ‘‘encourages people to do more walking . . . it’s good for the health and the brain’’, Lemin said.
‘‘Have a walk and yarn. It’s easy to do.’’
Lemin thought about 50 of the 130 PGG Wrightson staff in Southland would be involved in the walks.
About 20 people from mixed backgrounds took part on Monday for the Heriot to Gore leg, while yesterday, about the same number walked from Gore to Woodlands.
PGG Wrightson technical field representatives Allister Gauldie and Garth Cleland are supervising the walkers.
‘‘Everyone’s having a blast . . . it’s a lot of fun,’’ Gauldie said.
After 11⁄2 walks, Cleland said the only first aid administered had been for two foot blisters.
Last year’s PGG Wrightson national health survey for employees included checks and questions on blood pressure, alcohol consumption, asking whether employees smoked, how much exercise they did and stressrelated questions.
Since the Southland branch had raised awareness of good health among its staff, three or four were trying to give up smoking, and several others had started walking after work.