Small businesses in Wānaka can now sign up for the Southern Wellbeing Trust’s GoodYarn workshops, which are designed to get small business staff talking about mental health and supporting their team’s mental wellbeing and resilience.

The six free small business mental health workshops will run in May and June in Wānaka and Queenstown thanks to a new partnership between the Southern Lakes Wellbeing Trust and the Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group.  

The GoodYarn model is different to other mental health programmes because of its “by the community, for the community” approach, Southern Lakes Wellbeing Trust general manager Anna Dorsey said.

“Our peer facilitators include well-known and respected local businesspeople who are deeply embedded in the community so they know first-hand the challenges both businesses and our community are dealing with,” Anna said. 

“That means they can really connect with their groups, talk their language and make workshop discussions real and relatable.”

Free to attend for staff and leaders from local businesses with one to 50 employees, the workshops will help people understand: what mental health is and how to look after your mental health, how to talk to someone if you are concerned about their mental health, the signs and symptoms of mental stress and distress information about where to go for support.

Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group chair Adell Cox said the award-winning GoodYarn programme had been specially adapted to suit Queenstown and Wānaka small businesses since the collaboration was announced last year. 

See also: ‘Award-winning mental health programme rolls out’.

As many as 15 participants can attend each three-hour workshop and there are several different locations and time slots available to help business staff attend. 

“Mental health has become a major focus for workplace safety and prioritising wellbeing has never been more important, given the challenges our community and our businesspeople have been facing,” Adell said. 

“We hope that these workshops will be of particular benefit to those in tourism, accommodation, hospitality and retail who have been doing it tough.”

For workshop dates, details, online registration and testimonials, visit the Southern Lakes Wellbeing Trust website.

PHOTO: Supplied