7 businessinsouthribble.com HEALTHY WORKFORCE The Baxi team Ashlea Arnold and Cllr Phil Smith Community Garden is a Blooming Good Idea An unloved corner of Bamber Bridge is blossoming thanks to a partnership between Baxi and South Ribble Borough Council. The land on Club Street was previously overgrown and has been transformed into a gardener’s paradise filled with raised flower beds to attract bees and insects. The project marks Baxi’s 150th anniversary and features a timeline of the company’s journey since 1866. The boiler manufacturer also cleaned up four large stones to bear the Baxi name that were originally discovered in the foundations during construction of its headquarters. Peter Mitchinson, production support manager at Baxi, said: “Many people in Bamber Bridge don’t realise that Baxi is still here, in spite of it being one of the biggest employers in the area, so our community team looked at ways they could raise our profile locally. “We already have a great relationship with South Ribble Borough Council, so we asked about using the land. The Council agreed, we sorted out all the legalities and we funded the project. We are delighted with the garden and think it is a fitting way to recognise the 150th anniversary of Baxi as a major manufacturer in the area and to let people in Bamber Bridge know that Baxi is still very much alive and very successful.” The land was released by the Council, who also contributed to the garden design and helped carry out the groundwork through the Bamber Bridge regeneration scheme. The garden was funded by Baxi and will be maintained by the company. Waitrose Support Waitrose Regional Distribution Centre has held a workshop with Lancashire Mind for partners to improve resilience and mental wellbeing and prevent the impact of stress and mental health conditions. Visit www.lancashiremind.org.uk/ what-we-do. Conlon Praised Conlon recently received  Gold  for  the fourth consecutive year at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Awards, which praises a business’ commitment to workplace and staff safety. Free Health Checks to Boost Business Performance Staff in local businesses have been benefiting from free health checks at work. The sessions checked blood pressure, BMI and overall health and wellbeing, as well as offering tips and support for quitting smoking, losing weight and getting more exercise. Street Checks were hosted by Waitrose Distribution Centre for Matrix Park business staff, run by Healthy Steps, a local partnership project between South Ribble Partnership and Chorley and South Ribble Clinical Commissioning Group. For more information, visit Facebook.com/streetchecks South Ribble Borough Council held a Health and Wellbeing Day featuring health checks and advice, supported by a range of providers including Lancashire Wellbeing Service, the Desmond Team (diabetes), occupational health teams and Lancashire Sport. Businesses were invited to take part in both events with health and wellbeing improvements at work proven to have a positive effect on business performance, staff turnover and sickness absence rates. Contact Berni Markham, HR advisor at the Council for more information.