Norwich Airport has teamed up with Norfolk and Waveney Mind as its chosen charity of the year.
Airport staff will be organising a series of events and fundraising activities over the coming months to help people in need of mental health support.
Norfolk and Waveney Mind, supports people in crisis, as well as those looking for general advice and information about dealing with mental health issues.
Norwich Airport’s HR Manager Stephanie Dyball said teams across the site were already working on some creative ideas to support this year’s good cause.
Plans include a spring raffle, bake sale and even a ‘onesie Wednesday, where staff can come to work in their all-in-one outfit and make a donation.
“There will be some exciting things to look forward to, I’m sure,” said Stephanie. “Our staff here are very good at coming up with different suggestions and organising events.
“It’s really important for us that we do our bit to help our local charities and we recognise that we can play a big part in raising awareness of the work they do.
“We want to do whatever we can to support the work that Norfolk and Waveney Mind does.
“Any one of us could be affected by problems with our mental health and it’s vital that people feel able to talk to someone when they need to most.”
The team at Norfolk and Waveney Mind believes no one should have to face a mental health problem alone.
Expert staff there offer urgent help to people worried about themselves, or a member of their family or a friend.
They also help to signpost people to relevant organisations, including community support groups and well-being activities that can help in the longer term.
Pete Boczko, CEO at Norfolk and Waveney Mind said: “Each year the demand for our services increases as more and more people seek support for their mental health. As Norfolk and Waveney’s leading mental health charity, we supported around 30,000 local people last year through our wide range of services and support programmes.
“We couldn’t continue to do what we do without the help of our corporate partners and can’t thank Norwich Airport enough for choosing us to be their 2023 charity of the year. The fantastic activities they have planned will help us to raise both funds and awareness and truly make a big difference to local people.”
Norwich Airport selects a different local charity every year to support, with staff raising thousands of pounds in the past through hosting a wide variety of events.
Last year, the airport supported The Big C, raising more than £700 for the Norwich-based cancer charity.
Richard Pace, Managing Director at Norwich Airport, said: “Our staff have already shown that they are fantastic at organising and getting behind fundraising events. We were able to collect £1,000 for The Big C, which we’ll be handing over to the cancer charity later this month.
“We’re proud to be supporting Norfolk and Waveney Mind as our new charity of the year.
“The work they do is relevant to all of us in some way and we’re pleased to be able to do our bit for this important local organisation.”
For more information about Norwich Airport, visit www.norwichairport.co.uk and to find out about Norfolk and Waveney Mind visit www.norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk
