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It’s Gold for NHS Kirklees in 2012 Olympic Challenge
Staff from NHS Kirklees have been awarded gold for their commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of themselves and their colleagues.
The prestigious Olympic Challenge Award was presented at an awards ceremony, held last week, by Olympic triple jump gold medalist, Jonathan Edwards CBE and David Nicholson, CEO of the NHS.
Inspired by the 2012 Games, David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS, challenged healthcare organisations to use the inspirational power of the 2012 Olympics to get employees actively engaged in sport or physical activity, by the time the Olympics arrive next year.
Staff fully embraced this challenge with people coming up with their own ideas on how they could change their lifestyles to become more physically active and eating better.
To support staff to fulfill this challenge, meeting rooms over lunch have been transformed into areas for yoga, ball room dancing and other classes and there is also a dedicated walking and running club which go out at lunchtimes. There is also an annual staff sports day.
NHS Kirklees was one of 21 NHS organisations to receive an award and be accredited with either a bronze, silver or gold certificate to acknowledge the work they have done to promote the challenge.
Judith Hooper, Joint Director of Public Health for Kirklees, said: “Receiving this award is a great honour for the organisation and gives us all an opportunity to create a lasting legacy leading up to and beyond 2012 which NHS staff can use as a catalyst for change.
“It is also important that our managers and staff lead by example in supporting and encouraging colleagues to make the time to take care of their health and well being by being active every day. We hope the programme of activities will continue to offer something for everyone so that people can maintain their own activities.”
Patricia Muramatsu, Health Improvement Practitioner Advanced at NHS Kirklees, said: “We are delighted to receive this award in recognition of the activities that we have been delivering over the past two years in Kirklees. This achievement would not have been possible without the hard work of colleagues from across NHS Kirklees giving up their time to volunteer to lead staff walking/running clubs and setting up other sporting events. We know from feedback that some staff have tried activities for the first time which has helped them rediscover a passion for sport.
NHS Kirklees programme of activities for the 2012 challenge will not stop here. We intend to continue to offer opportunities and activities for staff within NHS Kirklees.
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