A growing sense of wellbeing

29 Sep 2020 02:23
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BOLTON entrepreneur and author Celia Gaze, founder of the multi award-winning Wellbeing Farm and a recognised voice in the corporate wellness space, has used lockdown to develop a new business.

 

Celia’s business, The Wellbeing Farm in Edgworth, established in 2013, was originally intended to be a corporate events venue focusing on wellbeing.

But a difficult business journey, which she chronicled in her book, ‘Why Put a Bow Tie on a Llama? How a crazy idea can change your life and transform your business’, resulted in it becoming a multi award-winning wedding and events venue.

Facing a weddings ban and no visits to show off her venue, Celia had to adapt. She was introduced to Jason Kingston from another company called Cube Thinking.

What started as a virtual coffee shop chat has blossomed into a network of wellbeing providers and the creation of the North West Centre for Business and ‘Team Wellbeing’.

Celia, a former NHS director, has always been passionate about wellbeing, and through focusing on her own personal project ‘100 Days to Wellbeing’ through lockdown, she has found time to reflect and think while on her daily dog walk and meditation that is now a part of her life.

Celia said: “Lockdown has been tough for so many businesses. The business landscape has hugely changed in a very short period – offices have closed, staff have had to adapt to home working, some staff have been furloughed while others have continued to work.  Lockdown has affected everyone’s wellbeing to some extent.

“Teams and businesses need rebuilding – it’s almost that you’ve got to treat those staff who have been working and those staff who have been furloughed, like you are doing a merger and acquisition and start again with a new strategy and culture.

“As we emerge from lockdown it almost feels like in some cases you’ve got to start your business from scratch. Post-Covid, businesses have to relook at their strategy against a very different business landscape.”

She identified emerging trends post-lockdown are sustainability, wellbeing and fun and wondered could these elements be combined to create the centre.

Businesses will be able to select from a menu of activities and create their own bespoke event.

Whether companies want to just hire the farm, plan a strategy development day, undertake some team building, enhance their employee wellbeing or just have some fun, they will have access to a range of wellbeing and business providers.

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