TOG Mind to get a share of £593k award to help support women in the workplace

Mind in Greater Manchester are funding a project to improve health outcomes for women and people experiencing reproductive health issues through delivering workplace training, raising awareness of the issues and an improved mindfulness offer

Almost £593,000 of government funding has been awarded to organisations in the North West - Maternity Action, Mind in Greater Manchester, The Women’s Organisation and Tommy’s - to bolster innovative schemes that are improving the health of women in the workplace. 

Launched in April 2018, the Health and Wellbeing Fund is a joint initiative run by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England (NHSE) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

A new round of the fund is launched every year and typically runs over three financial years. 

The theme of the fund for 2022 to 2025 is women’s reproductive wellbeing in the workplace.

Linking in with the development of the new Women’s Health Strategy, this fund aims to support organisations that can provide a holistic support offer to assist women experiencing reproductive health issues - for example menopause, fertility problems, miscarriage and pregnancy loss, menstrual health and gynaecological conditions - to remain in and return to the workplace. 

Schemes in the Northwest include increasing accessibility to legal support and resources for employers so they can better support women who are pregnant, recovering from giving birth, returning from maternity leave or have experienced stillbirth or miscarriage.

In the North West, funding was awarded respectively to: 

£154,095 to Mind in Greater Manchester – who are improving health outcomes for women and people experiencing reproductive health issues through delivering workplace training.

£187,138 to The Women’s Organisation – who are rolling out a health support package targeting small and medium enterprise employers in England.

£145,913 to Tommy’s – who are helping workplaces understand and meet employees’ needs through pregnancy journeys, including miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and other complications.

£105,607 to Maternity Action – who are supporting better health and employment outcomes for working women who are pregnant

Emma Balfe, Director at Tameside Oldham and Glossop Mind, said: “Mind in Greater Manchester are delighted to be able to deliver this comprehensive programme across Greater Manchester.

“It will improve health and employment outcomes for women and people experiencing reproductive health issues (RHI) by delivering managing RHI in the Workplace training to small and medium sized enterprises (SME), targeted awareness raising with communities experiencing racial inequality and a comprehensive eight-week Mindfulness for RHI offer for individuals.”

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