We’ve got some news we’re genuinely proud to share. fonemedia has been named the very first Mindful Employer of the Quarter for 2026-27 by Mindful Employer Leeds.
As a Mindful Employer Charter signatory, we’ve spent the past year quietly working to strengthen the mental health support we offer our team. Recognition was never the point, but it’s lovely to have that effort seen, and it’s given us a good reason to reflect on how we got here.
Everyday conversations
If we had to point to one thing behind this recognition, it would be the people who show up for their colleagues every day. And at the heart of that is our Mental Health First Aider, Hayley Nunan.
Hayley has helped make mental health a normal, open topic of conversation at fonemedia. That sounds simple, but it’s the hardest part to get right. It’s not about grand gestures or a single awareness week. It’s regular check-ins, practical resources shared at the right moment, and creating space for people to learn together rather than feeling they have to figure things out alone.
Over the past year, Hayley has arranged meaningful wellbeing sessions for the team, including speakers from Leeds Mind, and encouraged colleagues to take part in webinars together so we could build a shared understanding of what good mental health support actually looks like.
The impact
Colleagues say they feel supported, informed and connected. That culture didn’t come from a policy document or a poster on the wall. It came from consistent, human action, repeated week after week until it simply became part of how we work.
Lessons learned
Consistency beats intensity. A steady rhythm of small check-ins does more than one big event a year. People need to know support is always there, not just switched on for a campaign.
Having a visible, trained Mental Health First Aider like Hayley makes it easy for people to know who to turn to, and signals that the conversation is welcome.
Bring in expert voices. Working with organisations like Leeds Mind meant our team learned from people who really know the subject.
Make learning something you do together. Sitting in on a webinar as a group opens up conversations afterwards that would never have happened otherwise.
Thank you
A big thank you to Mindful Employer Leeds, and to Leeds Mind for their brilliant sessions. Most of all, thank you to Hayley and our team who look out for one another.
