After a successful pilot in Wolverhampton, 'Doing Our Bit' was extended to other NHS trusts, and the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust took the opportunity to offer this wellbeing initiative to their staff.

Workplace Wellbeing Coordinator for the Trust, Sam Skelding, commented on how the platform was a perfect opportunity to support a wide range of staff who are working tirelessly through Covid-19, as a way of encouraging them to look after their own health and wellbeing. Sam said:
 
“As a Trust we are really excited to sign up for the platform. At a busy and challenging time for our staff, we are delighted that we can share videos from qualified trainers in such a flexible way.

"We have staff working in very different ways including working from home, at our headquarters, on our hospital wards and more, so this means everyone can access the videos at their own leisure and convenience.

“At BCHFT, we have been working really hard to provide the best possible support and reassurance to our staff during this time. We have created a variety of wellbeing guides for both staff and managers, worked with a number of external providers to share videos offering isolation advice, workouts, yoga and more.
 
“The health and wellbeing of our staff is absolutely paramount, and we now have a solid foundation of resources and initiatives to build upon through Covid-19 and beyond.”
 
'Doing Our Bit' started as a passion project for keyworker Julie Davis, who works as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer at the Clinical Research Network West Midlands.  An amateur powerlifter currently training to be a personal trainer, Julie advocates exercise for physical and mental wellbeing.

As the physical and emotional impact of treating Covid-19 patients took its toll on her 190-strong workforce, she set about sourcing some free workouts and relaxation sessions to help her colleagues cope. Julie added:
 
“I was simply overwhelmed by the quick and positive reaction I had for my idea with everyone giving their time and expertise immediately and freely. The platform looks amazing and the choice of workouts is fantastic! I am so grateful to everyone involved who brought my vision to life.”
  
All the workouts adhere to strict quality controls and every minute has been checked by external verifiers.  The site and individual workouts are personalised to the NHS and the content is unique as each PT recorded their bespoke session for free, happy to ‘give back’ to the NHS that they value so highly.
 
NHS staff can access the service by registering with their NHS email address at fit4thefight.org.