Engineering positive mental health in Luton businesses

Leonardo, of Capability Green, held workshops and asked staff to write personal blogs to create an open environment where people are unafraid to discuss how they feel.

The business is aiming for a working culture which banishes the historical stigma surrounding mental health, and employees also shared remarkable personal stories - from a Samaritans volunteer who gives crisis counselling, to an engineer who is fundraising for charity in memory of a close friend.

Anne McCluskey, senior HR advisor at Leonardo, said: “Attitudes are shifting and the subject is addressed in the media more often.

“But we still have a long way to go to get to the point where people can talk openly about their mental ill health, let alone serious conditions, with their colleagues and managers alike.

“People should not live in fear of losing their job or damaging their career.

“I’m therefore really pleased that we have grasped the opportunity and rolled this programme out - I hope everyone joins in and embraces it.”