6th December 2019 by Charlotte Walker
Benenden Health, the not-for-profit healthcare provider, has been honoured for its commitment to its employees and the local community, with two awards at the York Press Business Awards.
The York-based healthcare provider scooped the honours for Best Employer and Socially Responsible Business of the Year at the event held in the city last month.
The judges were impressed by Benenden Health’s commitment to its own employees’ wellbeing and development through initiatives including the training of its own Mental Health First Aiders, the provision of a free onsite gym, a significant volunteering programme and a designated ‘Golden Hour’ of personal development time each month.
Benenden Health was further recognised for its support of local charities as well as wider, national initiatives, which has seen the organisation raise more than £6,500 for charitable causes in the past year.
Its commitment to the local community through sponsorships with partners including York Pride, York Active Sport Awards, York City Football Club Foundation and York Cares, was also acknowledged.
Chief People Officer at Benenden Health, Jayne Storey, commented: “We’re extremely proud to be a York business and are committed to doing our bit for the local community.
“As a health and wellbeing provider, we understand first-hand the importance of positive employee engagement and committing to initiatives that work for our own colleagues, so we are proud to be recognised for this, along with the work we do with some brilliant organisations across the city and indeed nationwide.”
Benenden Health is a not-for-profit organisation, founded in 1905 with the purpose of people joining together to help pay for medical care. It is one of the UK’s longest serving and most respected mutual healthcare societies, offering an affordable alternative to health insurance to more than 815,000 members.
Last month, Benenden Health’s community work also saw it land the West & North Yorkshire Chamber’s ‘Raising the Bar’ Community Award (Large Company).
The benchmarking programme, which assesses the social impact of local businesses, rewarded Benenden Health for its community fund, volunteering programmes, fundraising, partnerships with local organisations and its overall ethos of giving back to the community.