Since the pandemic, much of our training has been delivered online, which works well for those who work in the music industry with busy schedules and touring commitments. Our Learning and Development team do, however, still relish the opportunity to deliver training in person so Hannah and Norman were really pleased to visit Neg Earth Lights to lead a number of their team through our Mental Health Aware and Self Awareness and Self Care courses (with Hannah managing to get a tour of their huge warehouse in the process!). Selected staff members from Neg Earth have also completed Music Support’s online Mental Health First Aid course.
Founded in 1983 by Dave & Pip Ridgway, Neg Earth Lights is a family-owned lighting and rigging equipment supplier for the entertainment industry. They have a commitment to a sustainable future for the live events and touring industry, one that sparks real emotions and long-lasting memories whilst creating a sense of belonging for their team.
We were pleased to work with Neg Earth to deliver a mental health training plan to ensure mental health protection remains at the top of their agenda and promote a culture where they look after themselves and each other. Of the partnership, Pip Ridgway said:
“In an effort to promote a culture within our workforce where Mental Health is supported and openly discussed, Neg Earth has taken a holistic approach, offering our entire team training in Self-care and Mental Health Awareness. 1 in 10 of our employees is also now a fully certified Mental Health first aider. This approach has laid a solid foundation for improving mental health discussion amongst our workforce.”
Mental Health First Aid is a fully-accredited, internationally recognised two-day course (either delivered as four half days sessions online or two days back-to-back in person) that is designed to teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health and provide help on a first aid basis. Those who complete the course are qualified Mental Health First Aiders, receiving three years of certification, plus access to ongoing benefits by joining the Association of Mental Health First Aiders. Music Support has delivered the training to more than 800 people from across the music industry (you can read testimonials from some of them here). We explore a range of topics including depression, anxiety, suicide, personalist and eating disorders, self-harm, alcohol and drugs.
Mental Health Aware is a four hour workshop in which participants learn about mental health, how to challenge stigma and how to support people that may be struggling, while the Self Awareness and Self Care workshops provides attendees with an understanding of the impact of stress and how to better manage it as well as self-care tools. Attendance at these workshops, combined with a team of Mental Health First Aiders, aims to create an environment where mental health is openly discussed and supported throughout the organisation.
The Neg Earth team recently held a “Tea and Talk” session to introduce their MHFAiders to the wider company and find out why they chose to do the training and what it means to them, whilst enjoying some home-made cake!
They also hosted three days of wellbeing activities to celebrate World Mental Health Day to include yoga, massage and time to chat.
Jasmine from Neg Earth said of her experience of becoming an MHFAider:
“I talk to a lot of the young people at Neg Earth and in the industry and I could see that they would really benefit from someone to talk to. I just didn’t know how to signpost people. I could listen but this training really gave me the help I needed to actually help others.”
Of working with Neg Earth, Hannah said:
“At Music Support, we’re striving for a music industry in which at least one in 20 people is trained in Mental Health First Aid and so it is so encouraging to see how seriously Neg Earth Lights value the wellbeing of their workforce and wider network. We really enjoyed collaborating with the team and look forward to seeing the MHFAiders thrive.”
If you would like to speak to Music Support about delivering training to your team, whether virtually or in person, please contact learning@musicsupport.org. You can also find out more about all of our courses, including available dates here.
If you are a Mental Health First Aider and it has been three years since your training, it’s time to refresh your skills! Contact learning@musicsupport.org to find out more and sign up for a refresher course.