Mental health awareness has become a key part of workplace wellbeing, ensuring employees have a space to feel heard and supported. To invest in and maintain our positive workplace culture, we continue to develop our mental health and wellbeing workplace provision and most recently, we’ve added a new Mental Health First Responder to our team.

Working in PR can be exciting, creative and hugely rewarding but it can also be fast-paced and demanding. Remaining on the pulse of regional and national news while meeting tight deadlines and aiming to exceed client expectations on a daily basis can all place pressure on teams. That’s why creating a supportive working environment remains one of our key focuses at Eden PR.

Expanding our Mental Health Team

Recently, our Junior Account Manager, Polly Donaldson, completed a full day’s training as a Mental Health First Responder (MHFR). She is joining previously qualified Emily Winsor-Russell, one of our Directors, to expand our mental health team having passed the assessments required by St John Ambulance to identify, respond to and signpost staff experiencing mental health problems.

The importance of mental health awareness in the workplace

Detail about the importance of mental health awareness within the workplace can be found throughout The Burnout Report 2026 which reported one in five workers (20%) took time off sick due to poor mental health caused by stress.

What is the role of a Mental Health First Responder?

A Mental Health First Responder provides an initial point of support for colleagues who may be experiencing stress, poor mental health or emotional difficulties.

Trained to recognise when someone may be struggling, a first responder is there to provide support and compassion, and to listen without judgement and help the individual struggling to identify appropriate sources for further support.

Creating a space for earlier conversations

Mental health difficulties don’t always appear suddenly, they can develop gradually through prolonged stress, changes in behaviour, low mood, anxiety, difficulty concentrating or feelings of being overwhelmed.

Having a team of trained Mental Health First Responders within our agency can make it easier for colleagues to begin a conversation and access support before concerns escalate.

For Polly, having the opportunity to provide a positive impact on the Eden team was a key focus area for her progression within the agency. She said: “I’ve been really keen to join our Mental Health team for some time. I’m really passionate about creating a positive working environment for all, ensuring each individual feels heard and supported is really important to me. We work in a fast-paced environment which can lead to feelings of overwhelm and burnout, so I hope to be a first point of contact for people if these feelings start creeping in.

“I was really keen to complete my training for this position, bringing my genuine interest and practical training solutions together to ensure I can provide the best listening ear for my colleagues. As a small agency, we work very closely together across our team so I hope my new training can help me to positively impact individuals when they need support finding the right next step.”

A wider investment

Providing mental health support doesn’t only support individuals, but it also helps organisations to create healthier and more sustainable teams.

Team absences, high staff turnover and reduced productivity are all signs of poor mental health within teams. However, providing early sign-posting can encourage open conversations and help colleagues to access appropriate resources to reduce the risk of people feeling alone in their challenges.

Director at Eden, Emily Winsor-Russell, said: “We want everyone at Eden to feel comfortable asking for support when they need it. Mental health support has become a key element of the thriving modern workplace, so investing in an additional Mental Health First Responder to join me was an important step for our business.

“We’re focused on continuing to build and embed a culture at Eden where mental health is treated with the same care and importance as physical health.”

Alongside the Mental Health team, all employees have access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) Wisdom, providing professional support, fitness trackers, new activities to try, delicious recipes and peaceful meditation practices – ensuring our team have expert resources at their fingertips.