The Health & Wellbeing Award
Recognising people who have made a highly effective contribution to promoting or improving health and wellbeing within the Civil Service.
Gillian demonstrates extraordinary commitment, courage and compassion in raising greater awareness of eating disorders, an issue often stigmatised and overlooked. At BEIS, she collaborated with colleagues to form the first Eating Disorder Support Group across the Civil Service and has continued to raise awareness at the FCDO. She has spearheaded work to highlight how eating disorders may present in the workplace and how we can be more inclusive, providing clear constructive advice on eating disorders, body image and diet culture. Colleagues have welcomed Gillian’s empathetic approach, creating spaces for colleagues to share, connect and learn about this difficult, emotional issue.
HomeTalk is a mental health support group operated by volunteers. Colleagues struggling with their mental health are encouraged to drop in and talk about how they are coping in a group that is nonjudgemental, confidential and supportive. Participants are encouraged to talk about both positives and negatives, and are connected with others with similar experiences. Due to the pandemic, Home Talk is now held virtually which has widened its reach, allowed more colleagues to join, and is successfully tackling stigma as well as the isolation that the pandemic is causing. Home Talk has recently expanded to include a dedicated women’s group as well.
Julie took over leadership of the Dstl EnableD Mental Health employee support network in October 2019, and during her time at the helm, the community has flourished. Prior to lockdown, Julie’s enthusiasm and approachability saw attendance at group meetings increase from single digits to over 30. During lockdown, she has instigated methods allowing this support mechanism to more than double again. For many, this has been a true lifeline in these extremely challenging times. Julie’s contribution to providing mental health and wellbeing support to everyone at Dstl cannot be overstated. It continues to grow, alongside their community, on a daily basis.