A WORCESTER firm took part in World Mental Health day with its own initiative.

The city-based central heating boiler manufacturer Bosch's health and wellbeing team is committed to giving people the chance to be open about their mental health without fear of reprisal.

More than 40 colleagues at the company are now trained as Mental Health First Aid Champions, where they learned mental health issues affect one in four people each year.

To mark World Mental Health Day, the manufacturing product display area at the city's base in Cotswold Road, Warndon, was turned into an area to talk, meet the team and enjoy a coffee.

The main aim was also to remind people of the Time to Change campaign’s ask twice message, once to get the expected ‘fine’ reply and again to dig a little deeper into the response when needed.

The team hoped that raising awareness of the support they have to offer, the ability to speak in confidence and a reminder to show a genuine interest in friends and colleagues, will ensure negatives can be turned around.

Kerry Grindon, one of the members of Worcester Bosch’s health and wellbeing team, said: “It is terrible to think that friends and colleagues could be suffering in silence or feeling they will be viewed negatively if they voice their feelings.

"Earlier this year, the Health and Wellbeing Team made a commitment to change the way we think and act when it comes to mental health across every level of our organisation.

"We hope that altering perceptions, bringing an openness to the subject and having a team of people available to listen, will help make all the difference.”

For more on the firm visit worcester-bosch.co.uk and to find out more on the campaign visit time-to-change.org.uk.