Poor physical or mental health can impact lives just as severely as workplace injury, and for this reason the RailStaff Awards celebrates staff who promote health and wellbeing in the workplace.
The Health & Wellbeing Award recognises those who have promoted great practice in this area with innovative and proactive activities and interventions and have enabled people to lead healthier and happier lives as a result.
The award was sponsored by CIRAS, the confidential safety reporting service for health, safety and wellbeing concerns raised by workers in the UK transport industry. Since 1996, CIRAS has helped worried staff who feel they cannot use internal reporting channels, or you have tried without success. The organisation raises concerns with the relevant company for resolution while protecting callers’ identities and keeping them in the loop about progress.
This year’s winner, Samantha Winfield from Great Western Railway (GWR), has been a true star since becoming a GWR Wellbeing Champion a few years ago, supporting the depot with a listening ear and setting up tea and talk events.
Samantha volunteered to become a GWR Wellbeing Champion so she could better support the Cardiff depot throughout the COVID lockdown. Her focus included helping the team stay physically and mentally active, and she was directly responsible for keeping the team connected during the challenges of the pandemic. Samantha also realised that much more could be done beyond the depot and she focused on supporting people who were suffering from domestic violence. She engaged with Domestic Abuse Stops Here (DASH) a charity that was working in the Cardiff area trying to address the increases in domestic abuse cases created by the pressures of lockdown.
Alongside her activity to support others directly, she also works to raise money for local charities, developing new relationships with local business and community groups. She has helped to make Cardiff Central a more positive place in less than positive times.
“I’m absolutely speechless,” said Samantha on winning the award. “There were so many outstanding candidates. The railway community is one huge family and I feel like all I’ve been doing is helping people who are close to me. To get this recognition is fabulous.”
Highly commended
Nicola Dawson, ScotRail
Heather Waugh, Freightliner
