Our first annual Wellbeing Week

Forest news

12/07/19

Nature makes us healthier and happier. At Forest Holidays, as well as the benefits of simply enjoying our natural locations, we promote health and wellbeing through nature with many activities and initiatives for our guests, but what about our teams? 

Evidence is mounting that spending time in nature is good, if not essential, for our wellbeing. That’s why reconnecting our people with nature is so important to us at Forest Holidays.

As part of our continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of our teams, this week they have taken part in our first annual 'Wellbeing Week' where a number of activities across all our locations, aimed to encourage our team's enjoyment of the natural world.

Each of our location teams from across the country have participated in a number of activities; from swapping their usual sugary snacks for healthy eating options or smoothies to taking bike rides in the forest. Taking some valuable time away from their day jobs, our team members were able to enjoy the here and now, in and around Britain’s amazing forests.

The unique nature of our workplaces and the purpose that underpins our business lead to high levels of job satisfaction, with 82% of our team saying they would recommend Forest Holidays as a great place to work. Throughout this week, our teams have enjoyed some free time whilst at work to take part in activities which we hope will improve their health and wellbeing.

Our Blackwood Forest team participated in cricket matches. Alison, our Forest Ranger, enjoyed taking part and said that "Katie, our General Manager, hosted a number of cricket matches throughout the week and we have loved being able to spend time in nature, with each other, without thinking about the pressures of everyday life".

At our other locations, teams have come together to enjoy the start of their day with smoothies, fruit, and Zen meditation! Followed a little later by lunch in their self-created 'Zen den', where lots of healthy local produce was turned into a healthy buffet.

"The team loved relaxing, chatting, and trying new foods with one another."

A part of their day was also spent on a mindfulness walk with one of our Forest Rangers, where they took the time to appreciate the natural environment around them.

An organised bike ride between our two Yorkshire locations, Keldy and Cropton, allowed our team to enjoy some exercise and take in the local scenery. As a relaxing alternative, team members were treated to massages while others enjoyed time out on woodland walks, clearing their minds whilst sat in tranquil forest surroundings.

So from healthy snacks to massages and meditations, our teams have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with one another, without the pressures of everyday life.

We are committed to ensuring that our teams are provided with an environment and opportunities that encourage and enable them to lead healthy lives and make choices that support their wellbeing. We hope that our first annual 'Wellbeing Week' has gone some way to doing that.