CARLISLE Brass has become one of the first employers in Cumbria to sign up for an initiative to improve the health and wellbeing of staff.

Active Workplace aims to get people involved in physical activity – before during or after work – and to promote the benefits of exercise to employers and employees.

Employers appoint “workplace champions” to spread the word.

Kelly Alty, a development officer with the sports partnership Active Cumbria, said: “We launched Active Workplace at the beginning of the month and have made initial contact with 35 businesses and have 21 of those signed up to the Workplace Challenge.”

The challenge is a national programme that allows people to log their physical activity over eight weeks.

Miss Alty added: “It’s about engaging workplaces to be creative and proactive. It might be something as simple as encouraging staff to go for a walk at lunch time.

“There is evidence that improving the health and well being of employees reduces absenteeism and make employees more productive.”

Carlisle Brass, based at Kingstown, Carlisle, has invited its 160 UK employees to participate in the Workplace Challenge. Each time they complete an activity, be it body pump or even gardening, they log it via a website or app to earn points.

The company is awarding sports shop vouchers to the top three on the leader board at the end of the eight weeks.

Angus Grant and Paul McConnell are acting as the workplace champions.

Mr Grant, head of business development, said: “The Workplace Challenge inspired me to get back out training and champion others at Carlisle Brass to do the same.

“The level of competition between colleagues has been fantastic and has a positive impact on morale.

“The knock-on effects we can expect to see as a business such as reduced absenteeism and reduced stress make it a real win-win.”

More information is online at www.activecumbria.org/developing-sport/workplace-challenge .