Andy Aston, wellness ambassador for the Craft Guild of Chefs, said: “We had a fantastic turn out for our final Wellness evening of 2023 which was kindly hosted by Craig Martin at The RAK design Hub in Clerkenwell.

“I absolutely love sharing the evening with so many friends of the Guild and the hospitality industry, all of whom contribute so much to the discussion around mental health awareness. It was an open forum for everyone to share any experiences that they may have gone through and to understand the resources available through the Craft Guild of Chefs but also in their individual businesses and their own lives.”

Andy discussed how a how a satsuma (his anchor story) brings him back to the present when his mind is not feeling great. The group discussed how an anchor can help us refocus our thoughts in a positive way when life gets challenging.

The event featured a thoughtful chat with Diane and Ross from 5aside Chess on the work they do in prisons and the UK Tour Bus going around the UK highlighting suicide awareness.

Then Rachel Kerr-Lapsley from Kelly’s Cause spoke about the purpose of what they do and how they are using a donation from The Craft Guild of Chefs to hold female mental health training.

Michael Coaker from University of West London discussed the change that businesses and universities are making to ensure that everyone feels valued from a professional and educational viewpoint.