A company which employs 500 men and women held laughing workshops as part of a drive to improve health and wellbeing.

Staff were encouraged to enjoy some well-deserved chuckles during a health and wellbeing week at Old Mutual International’s King Edward Bay House headquarters in Onchan.

The special week also included chair yoga, mental health awareness and mindfulness sessions, dementia friends [an Alzheimer’s Society initiative], a health kiosk to measure blood pressure, BMI [body mass index] and general lifestyle, as well as financial wellbeing workshops.

A bright, modern open area has been created as a ’Thrive hub’ where colleagues can relax and chat, meet for a coffee or lunch, hold informal meetings and find information about health related initiatives and activities.

The Thrive programme is available to all employees across Quilter plc, which is Old Mutual International’s parent company, and focuses on four areas that can help anyone to improve their mental wellbeing, energy levels, and resilience. The four areas are physical health, emotional and mental wellbeing, social interaction, and financial health.

As part of the company’s investment there are regular activities which take place during the year covering all four areas and which are led by the company’s ’Thrive ambassadors’ Tania Amos, Clodagh Arnold, Sharon Atherton, Heather Bowker, Paul Convery, Jo Corran, Angela Halsall, Cory Munsch, Rebecca O’Neil, Philippa Taylor, Leo Tomlinson, Wendy Wadsworth, and Gemma Yates.

One such activity is Walking Wednesdays where employees get together for 30 minutes every Wednesday during lunch time as a walking group and take to a route around King Edward Bay House.

Peter Kenny, chief executive at Old Mutual International, said: ’Thrive is all about helping our people to take care of their health and wellbeing so that they are able to perform, feel and be at their best.

’Achieving that goal has obvious benefits at work by enabling everyone to achieve their full potential.

’Thrive can also identify and help people to address issues which make them feel happier and healthier in their personal lives too.’

Employees are given access to a ’Thrive Toolkit’ which is packed with information and tips - such as how to spot early warning signs about stress or other health and wellbeing issues that they, or colleagues in their team, might be experiencing.

The idea is to give employees the skills and knowledge they need to spot any potential problems early so that issues can be addressed at the earliest possible opportunity.

The Toolkit explains the range of support that’s available, and shows employees how and where they can access it.

It also includes self-help guides and questionnaires.

An Old Mutual International employee who took part in the company’s recent health and wellbeing week said: ’I attended a dementia friends session which was engaging and informative and it really challenged my perception of dementia.

’I thought the resources we were directed to would be really valuable should I need them and all the feedback I’ve heard about these sessions was very positive.’