May 12th–18th 2025 is Mental Health Awareness Week. This year's theme highlights the importance or communities in ensuring good mental mental health.
Mental Health First Aiders
At the BDC, over half of our team are certified as Mental Health First Aiders, and they are on hand in case anyone that comes to the venue, whether that’s staff, resident or event stakeholders feels that they need assistance or support.
We urge anyone to seek confidential support or signposting from our mental health first aiders should they need it, and you can always find out who is available on site through our first aid office or at our welcome desk team.
Yoga at the BDC
Each week, Katrina Kurdy, a senior yoga instructor, provides weekly staff yoga sessions. Stress reduction, better thinking and sleep habits, anxiety reduction, increased strength and productivity are just a few of yoga’s physical and mental advantages.
BDC team member, Kate has participated in the weekly yoga sessions and says, “Katrina is amazing. Her sessions are a great way to reconnect with ourselves during the week, and provide an opportunity for us to get together and try out new techniques to prioritise our health.”
Green Spaces
We’re lucky at the venue to be surrounded by some wonderful green spaces, and encourage the team to get out from behind their screens at lunch. Whether that’s to head out for a run with our weekly run club, go for a walk around the canals or head to one of the nearby parks for some lunch; stepping away from your desk completely helps to reset.
Below are a few of the green spaces you can head to in Islington:
Time to Talk
We know that talking has benefits to our mental health, so we are encouraging all of our team to prioritise a coffee break this week with a friend or colleague. Why not take time out yourself, whether that be heading out for a walk or having a cup of tea with a friend, and sharing what’s on your mind.
Below are some of the other activities we offer to our staff to help with their health and mental well-being as well as ensure that staff have a break from their desks during the day:
Chair Massages
A highly popular favourite of BDC staff is a visit from Suzie at The Vital Touch. She comes in quarterly and gives a chair massage to all staff who sign up. A relaxing 20 minutes that makes us all zen, we all feel the benefits of relaxation, reduced stress as well as providing relief from any back and neck aches!
BDC team member, Renay, says, “I love that we get offered the massages, it is the best 20 minutes I get to spend on myself out the office. I always come out feeling so relaxed and refreshed.”
Sound Baths
Another favourite at the BDC is our quarterly Sound Baths with Heidi, who leads us on a therapeutic auditory adventure utilising the enchanted frequencies of the gong, crystal singing bowls, and koshi chimes, giving us a relaxing hour to forget about the outside and focus on ourselves.
BDC team member, Nanthini, says, “It was such a fantastic experience. It was my first sound bath, and I left feeling incredibly refreshed and relaxed. I’m looking forward to doing it again.“
Run Club
Organised by one of our very own, Ed Muboro, the Rub Club is a popular one with our team and tenants; meeting every Thursday, rain or shine, to go for a run, typically round the local waterways.
There is no running experience needed to join; it is open to all, and you can run as far or as little as you want. Running or any physical exercise (especially outside) helps your mental and physical health in many ways, plus the release of endorphins, giving a boost of happiness (and who doesn’t like being out in the sunshine)!
Cully is a run club regular, “Having a club that goes on weekly runs is brilliant, it is so nice to get outside in the middle of the day and it is a great opportunity to get to know other people from the BDC community.”
Resources
Some of our favourite resources at the BDC include our choice of annual subscriptions to either the Calm or Headspace Apps, which both incorporate mindfulness and guided meditation activities. The team can also access 24/7 support to two different health specialist organisations who provide mental health care and guidance.
There are a variety of online resources available to anyone via the Mental Health Foundation where you can also find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week!
