Lion New Zealand is expanding its Healthy Hospo health and wellbeing program to offer in-person events around New Zealand in 2022.
Healthy Hospo is a free program for pub, bar, café and restaurant workers with interactive educational workshops, alongside special events throughout the year on sleep, mental health, social connection, exercise, nutrition, and leadership. Lion has been running Healthy Hospo as a pilot program since 2020 to tailor it to the New Zealand market.
Now Lion is launching in-person events to major centres around the country, alongside its online workshops.
"Healthy Hospo’s vision is to help create a healthier, happier, and more sustainable hospitality industry and we feel our purpose is more important than ever as the hospitality industry starts to rebuild following two very challenging years," said Healthy Hospo Program Manager, Lorietta Bahr.
"The majority of operators run small-to-medium sized businesses with limited resources and what works for nine-to-fivers, won’t always work for people in hospitality who work long and unsociable hours. Lion New Zealand, as the largest supplier to New Zealand’s hospitality industry and a hospitality venue operator itself, is in a unique position to deliver a meaningful health and wellbeing program at scale and create a wellbeing support network for people in this unique and rewarding, but often demanding industry."
The first live events for 2022 are a series of workshops focused on breathing and relaxation to be held in Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch from 2-10 May.
“We believe that hospitality staff around Aotearoa can benefit from mental and physical health resources like other industries do. We are excited to be launching the Healthy Hospo program nationwide with hospitality workers anywhere in the country invited to participate in our workshops and events for free,” continued Bahr.
The Healthy Hospo program was originally developed in the UK by Tim Etherington-Judge, who was inspired by the lack of constructive, industry-specific support when he experienced his own mental health issues. Hearing of the incredible impact the program was having in the UK, Lion worked with Tim to bring it to New Zealand.
