Three qualified mental health first aiders at a Dorset-based business have picked up a top award from their parent company.

Samantha Hamilton-Welsh, Lorna Harrington and Damon Jones devised and implemented a mental health programme for Pennon Water Services (PWS).

They formed a Mental Health First Aid team, now branded as the ‘Wellbeing Campaign’, which focused on rolling out initiatives to promote and support the overall wellbeing of all PWS staff.

The trio have now been presented with a Chief Executive HomeSafe award for the PWS business in recognition of their efforts.

The annual awards, first introduced in 2018, recognise excellence in health and safety performance, innovation and improvement across Pennon Group plc.

Nominations were invited from employees and agency workers with 46 entries reviewed and judged by the leadership teams in the Pennon businesses.

The team won the award – the first of its kind – for the PWS business area.

Richard Stanbrook, PWS Director, said: “In a new company in a new market we invest heavily in our people to provide excellent service to set ourselves apart from others.

“When our staff feel under pressure, they need an outlet.

“The mental health first aiders, set up by Lorna, Sam and Damon from their own initiative, have been highly successful in supporting everyone when challenges arise.”

Based in Bournemouth, PWS specialises in providing water retail services for all business customers’ water management needs.

It is part of Exeter-based Pennon Group plc which is one of the largest environmental infrastructure groups in the UK.

The FTSE 250 company has assets of around £6.5bn and a workforce of approximately 5,000 people.