BY Farah Khalfe 2 MINUTE READ

Metal health advocate organisation, Work Mind Matters, have announced the launch of their inaugural Work Mind Matters Conference taking place in September this year, ahead of Mental Health Awareness Month in October. Mental wellness in the workplace is fundamental to the success of any business, and the Work Mind Matters Conference aims to start conversations around this concept, providing business leaders with a platform for engagement and collaborative problem solving that suits the unique needs of their organisation.

“The concept for this conference was born out of the realisation of the impact that mental ill health is having on both employers and employees in the South African workplace, along with the lack of open dialogue which currently surrounds this crucial topic,” says Work Mind Matters founder and occupational therapist, Alison Hallett. “Our vision is to see people thrive in the workplace, grow a platform of support within organisations around mental health and develop solutions that will transform workplace culture and enhance mental wellness at all levels of organisations within the South African and African context. At the same time, we strive to break the stigma surrounding mental illness” said Hallett, who is also the South African ambassador of the MAD World Summit held in London each year.

Event Director, Bronwyn Redding-Jones added “We have had a wonderful response to the conference, partly because this is starting to become such a key topic and in part, I believe, due to the host of dynamic and influential business leaders and specialists we have lined up as speakers including our key note speaker Geoff McDonald, a London based mental health campaigner who is very active in breaking the stigma associated with mental health in the corporate world”. She adds: “in South Africa we are about 2 to 3 years behind what they are doing in the UK surrounding the stigma of mental health, so we’re delighted to be hosting Geoff McDonald from Minds@Work UK.”

This one-day business conference will take place at The Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town on 6 September 2019. With a capacity of 250 delegates, the attendees will include CEOs, COOs, HR Directors and the like from across South Africa and Africa

To purchase tickets and learn more about the Work Mind Matters conference, visit the website at workmindmatters.com