Friday, 11th June 2021
£3million has been awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to the Active Lancashire led ‘Business Health Matters’ programme which will upskill gym and leisure centre staff in order for them to conduct health screenings in workplaces across the county.
Delivering more than 15,000 health screenings over a three-year period, the Workplace Health Screening Project will target businesses with employees aged 50+ and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that experience lower levels of productivity as a result of poor employee health.
The screening tool and associated training programme have been developed by specialists from the University of Central Lancashire’s School of Medicine and are consistent with the approach used in NHS medical practices to identify conditions that can lead to poor health in later life.
Local businesses will be offered a range of supportive interventions for employees, based on the outcomes of the screenings, encompassing both physical and mental health support.
The interventions will be delivered by a range of Lancashire-based providers, including Pendle Leisure Trust and will empower employees with the tools to improve their overall health, whilst employers will benefit from increased productivity and resilience within their workforces.
Adrian Leather, Chief Executive of Active Lancashire, said: “Business Health Matters represents a huge opportunity for Lancashire businesses to improve the health and well-being of their employees and to contribute to Lancashire’s economic recovery following the pandemic.
“By working with the innovative partners on this project, we are able to offer high quality, local and low-cost workplace health screenings and contribute to retaining valuable skills in the workforce, improving staff satisfaction and reducing long-term business disruption costs in businesses.”
Alison Goode, Chief Executive of Pendle Leisure Trust, added: “Throughout this pandemic, it has become apparent just how important physical activity is, not only for people’s health and well-being, but for their mental state as well; so we are delighted to be involved in helping to roll out this programme for businesses in Pendle.”