A five-year collaboration supported by the Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich has transformed how Isle Listen supports the island’s youth mental health system.
Since the collaboration began in October 2020 it has benefitted school pupils, employees in businesses, and the wider community via outreach programmes.
The core element of the collaboration was a 3-year programme which helped more than 3,000 pupils in 31 primary schools and delivered over 2,900 interactive mental health and wellbeing sessions in primary and secondary schools.
In total during the 5-year collaboration, 98,314 positive interactions have been experienced by young people, families, employees and those in the wider community.
Support For Youngsters
Annabel Ennett, Head of Services at Isle Listen, said: “Without question, working with the Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich on the Isle of Man is Isle Listen’s biggest and most successful corporate collaboration, both in terms of the level of funding and the number of young people it enabled us to reach and impact.
“It has transformed access to mental health support for young people across the island, and its success was a transitional step towards the recently commissioned Talk initiative, which builds on the service already developed and is a partnership with Manx Care.”
Following the success of the initial three-year programme, collaboration between Isle Listen, Zurich on the Isle of Man and the Z Zurich Foundation continued in other forms for another two years.
Mental Health First Aiders
This included training for Zurich Isle of Man employees to become Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs), as well as volunteering and fundraising opportunities.
Yvette Scales, HR Business Partner for Zurich on the Isle of Man, said: “The MHFAs have all made a massive difference to the level of care and support we can provide to our colleagues. Overall, working with Isle Listen has created a greater awareness of mental health and workplace wellbeing, including how employees can spot subtle signs when a colleague may be struggling.”
Ruth Adamson, Z Zurich Foundation EMEA Regional Engagement Manager, commented: “The positive outcomes we have seen in the Isle of Man are an excellent example of how the Z Zurich Foundation facilitates collaboration between those in the know, and those in need.”
