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Case Study - Mars in the UK

Gold Award Winner of 2011 Community Partnership Awards: Health and Wellbeing

Winning with Wellness

Mars believes that its employees are its greatest assets and that providing schemes that care for them is driven by two of its guiding principles, Responsibility and Mutuality.

It believes that good health is good business and that its Winning with Wellness programme is a fundamental element of achieving this aim.

Mars' programme aims to provide all its employees, nearly 2500 people, with opportunities to be better informed about their health and help them to make choices about how to lead healthier lifestyles.

There is a strong focus on nutrition, physical activity, stress management and stopping smoking. The programme is constantly evolving and recent additions include the introduction of Wellness Weeks; more free activity classes; and displaying nutrition information in canteens.

Winning with Wellness is managed by the occupational health team who are also available to provide personalised advice to each employee throughout the year. Health testing takes place during Wellness Weeks including cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and BMI checks. Free chiropody sessions and massage sessions have also been offered as part of Mars' holistic approach to wellness.

Gyms have been installed at many sites that are available for use seven days per week. Physical activities are offered at the sites including football, circuit training, pilates and salsa along with the provision of facilities such as showers, changing rooms and bicycle racks to make exercising easier.

Mars also runs specific events to support national initiatives including National Salt Awareness Week, Change4Life and 'Biggest Loser' diet challenges.

The programme also supports charities. Employees have raised money for both local and national charities through Bike4Life and Walk4Life events with money being raised for each mile walked or cycled either indoors on a treadmill or static bike or outside around dedicated site walks that cover a distance of up to ¾ mile.

More Information

View all the winning Community Partnership Awards case studies (2011)