Global science company signs up for wellbeing festival

Hundreds of staff at a global science company have signed up for an innovative health and wellbeing festival organised by Calm in a Box.

Founder Sarah Markham is this week staging CALMFest to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.

Running until 17 May, it features three sessions a day, with experts in mental health-related topics sharing top tips on subjects including gut health, neurodiversity, sleep and financial wellbeing, with the overall aim of helping participants become ‘at least one per cent calmer’.

Among those taking part are more than 300 staff from Lubrizol, which has its UK technical centre at Hazelwood near Duffield.

Sarah said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have Lubrizol’s support for CALMFest 2024.

“The event brings together like-minded people and arms them with the tools to help them become at least 1% CALMer.

“They can then take their new-found skills into the workplace, to help bring about change.

“It’s clear from their involvement that Lubrizol is a company that gives its people time to achieve their goals.”

Headline sponsors for the event are Nuclear AMRC, the Nuclear Industry Association and St. Modwen.

Other companies involved include Mortgage Advice Bureau, Rolls-Royce and the University of Derby.

The event will also raise funds for mental health charity Mind.

Claire Hollingshurst, who is one of Lubrizol’s mental health first aiders, said: “It’s brilliant that Sarah is holding CALMFest and I am looking forward to taking part, along with hundreds of other Lubrizol employees around the world.

“Mental health and wellbeing is something we take very seriously at Lubrizol.

“We have a team of mental health first aiders, including trained up members of our student cohort.

“We also hold ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays’ which give colleagues a chance to have time away from their desks ranging from anything from yoga to cooking and gardening.

“I’m glad that so many people from Lubrizol have supported CALMFest. It’s a great initiative which I am sure people will find very helpful.”