Aster Group wins top industry award for Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy

Local housing association, Aster Group, has been awarded the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) Employee Wellbeing award for ‘Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy’.

Nominated for not one, but two awards – ‘Most Effective Development to a Wellbeing Strategy’ and ‘Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy’ - members of Aster’s Employee Experience team attended the prestigious awards ceremony held in London on Thursday 5 March where it was announced as the winners.

Hosted this year by TV presenter, Louise Minchin, the awards recognise employers that have gone above and beyond to improving employee wellbeing and the culture of their organisation through their reward and benefits offerings.

Of the win, Julie Cridland, health and wellbeing lead said: “We are absolutely over the moon to have won the award.

“The wellbeing of our colleagues is an absolute priority for us and I am so personally proud of the work we do at Aster to help tackle the stigma surrounding mental health and of just how committed we are to supporting our colleagues.”

Since signing the Time to Change pledge over two years ago to help tackle the stigma still surrounding mental health, Aster has trained around 130 mental health first aiders within the company. It holds regular mindfulness and meditation sessions, provides menopause training for both female and male colleagues, matches all charity fundraising, and most recently took wellbeing on tour with its popular Wellbeing Roadshow.

Hannah Enderby, homeownership manager at Aster, has experienced this support first hand: “Unfortunately my dad passed away in 2018 with cancer and my mum is currently battling with the disease too. Aster has encouraged me to take time off when I’ve needed it and they’ve also allowed me to work flexibly so I can be there for my mum during her treatment, but also be a good mum to my own daughter.

“Having the support of Aster and my colleagues has made such a difference to what has been an incredibly difficult time.”

Through other initiatives, as well as the Aster Foundation, the business is committed to continuing its investment in ensuring that not only does every colleague feel fully supported and able to talk openly about their mental health and any help they may need, but that its customers do too.

To find out more about the work of the Aster Foundation, please visit https://www.aster.co.uk/foundation.