We held our latest Health and Wellbeing Hot House this week - very timely as we approach a new year and a new decade.

At the Hot House - at the HRI Learning Centre - colleagues were invited to sign a pledge to do something new for their own well-being and something for their team.

It was also an opportunity to reflect on all the iniatives put in place since the first Health and Wellbeing Hot House, such as Pets As Therapy Dogs (PAT), the introduction of Schwartz Rounds, running a whole host of Mindfulness courses throughout the year and offering a support hub for financila wellbeing with Neyber.

We're planning a huge new wellbeing campaign for colleagues to start the New Year - and our Cupboard will be packed with info. Take a look here.

As already revealed last week, a new CHFT Couch to 5k run is part of this. Our Sexual Health Team are already keen runners and and a huge bravo to Dr Emma Street, Dr Lindsay Short, Gillian Bristow, Jayne Carpenter and Mike Ward from our HIV and Sexual Health Team* for taking part in the Halifax Park Run last Saturday (pictured left) the day after their Christmas do - cheered on by Denise Uyar.

But there's also much much more come, and we'll be sharing more information about all our new initiatives in early January to get you going in 2020, alongside our usual  programme of Schwartz Rounds and Mindfulness Courses and more.

Pictured at the Pledge Board is Non-Executive Director Denise Sterling and Senior Finance Manager Paula Crowther with Wellbeing Lead Christine Bouckley and Occupational Health colleague Gemma Stokes alongside some of the pledges.

*The HIV and Sexual Health team were cheered on by colleague and had been due to run on Nov 30 to celebrate World AIDs Day - but it was cancelled due to the icy conditions.

Consultant, Lindsay Short, said: "We all managed to puff our way up Harrison’s Hill 4 times! We had a good turn out  and were ‘made to feel very welcome and was a great opportunity to get across the message HIV testing really does save lives’."

** If you're interested in getting involved in the CHFT Running Club - which will cater for all needs - and are running this Saturday's Park Run in Halifax, then get in touch.

Please let either Colin.Duffield@cht.nhs.uk Emma.Kovaleski@cht.nhs.uk or Christopher.Button@cht.nhs.uk know before midday tomorrow Friday 13th December.