Free mental health training on offer for Welwyn Hatfield businesses
MP Grant Shapps with Big Dog, Little Dog founder Kevin Moore. Picture: supplied - Credit: supplied
Backed by MP Grant Shapps, a social enterprise is offering mental health training to Welwyn Hatfield businesses.
Kevin Moore runs Barnet-based social enterprise Big Dog Little Dog, which aims to make staff aware of possible mental health issues among colleagues.
And to promote the initiative he is offering 12 free places, worth £3,600, on one of his certified courses, which will take place at the end of March.
To help, Mr Shapps has arranged for him to meet a group of key employers in Welwyn Hatfield and also arranged for the event to be hosted at children’s organisation Potential Kids, who have kindly donated the venue
Kevin said: “Having seen the effect our training has had on our clients’ staff, and in 26 countries around the world, I’m really happy to bring this fantastic course to employers in my home town.
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“As a social enterprise we aim to upskill as many people as possible, so donating this training in my area is a pleasure.”Mr Shapps launched a report on Online Suicide Prevention in Parliament last year, and said the issue is close to his heart due to a family member’s own story.
He told the Welwyn Hatfield Times that his wife’s cousin, Johnny Benjamin, had attempted to take his own life off Waterloo Bridge a few years ago, but was talked out of it by a passer-by.
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“They didn’t exchange details, and much later our relation sought to find the man, whose name he didn’t know, through a national campaign,” said Mr Shapps.
The good Samaritan came forward, and since then Mr Benjamin has devoted his life to mental health education.
“The point is everyone has mental health, just like we all have physical health,” said Mr Shapps. “I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy good mental health, which is useful in my job, with all the competing pressures.
“But I’m acutely aware that lots of people struggle with their mental health and I’m always looking for ways to assist.”
Businesses interested in the course should contact mhfa@bdld.org.uk.
