(Photograph) - Getting nursery nurses into the lotus position is all part of an innovative scheme for meeting staff needs at Westminster Children's Society. The community nursery group in London provides weekly staff yoga classes to help reduce stress, boost morale, and help staff keep fit, with hopes for a spin-off effect on staff retention and recruitment. June O'Sullivan, the Society's operations and training manager, said, 'We were concerned that our staff were under a lot of pressure at work. We already give them a lot of curriculum-based training but we wanted to help them look after themselves. We were also concerned about their backs, because staff do a lot of lifting and bending. We considered providing pilates, tai-chi or yoga and decided yoga had the balance of providing relaxation and meditation, flexibility and keep-fit. It helps motivation, as they feel the organisation is looking after their welfare. Managers attend next to the nursery assistants, so it is also a nice social thing.'
(Photograph) - Getting nursery nurses into the lotus position is all part of an innovative scheme for meeting staff needs at Westminster Children's Society.
The community nursery group in London provides weekly staff yoga classes to help reduce stress, boost morale, and help staff keep fit, with hopes for a spin-off effect on staff retention and recruitment. June O'Sullivan, the Society's operations and training manager, said, 'We were concerned that our staff were under a lot of pressure at work. We already give them a lot of curriculum-based training but we wanted to help them look after themselves. We were also concerned about their backs, because staff do a lot of lifting and bending. We considered providing pilates, tai-chi or yoga and decided yoga had the balance of providing relaxation and meditation, flexibility and keep-fit. It helps motivation, as they feel the organisation is looking after their welfare. Managers attend next to the nursery assistants, so it is also a nice social thing.'
Photo: Peter Searle
