June 2017

Wow!  What a busy and action packed week we have had.  Over the past week all of the male staff members have walked a mammoth 1 million steps between them to celebrate and raise awareness for National Men’s Health week.

Our sister  properties, Carlton Park Hotel in Rotherham and Shap Wells Hotel in Cumbria have also encouraged their staff to get involved and so the competition begins! Pedometers have been given out to everyone so we can record the most steps.

We wanted to get walking to highlight the dangers of belly fat.  Why? Because it’s the type of fat that’s bad for your health and men are more likely to have it. It’s a problem because belly fat lurks not just beneath the surface but also gets down deep and surrounds your vital organs. Regardless of your overall weight, a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.

The week long campaign, run by Men’s Health Forum, is encouraging men to get out their tape measures!  So, how did we do?  Each hotel kept track of their own steps and awarded a prize to the most active.  Here at the Buckatree, Food & Beverage Supervisor, Gavin Gibbs (pictured above) walked 170,433 steps and was awarded a £25.00 cash prize.  Sadly he missed out on top prize of an additional  £60.00 which went to a staff member at the Carlton Park Hotel with over 230,000 steps!

Gavin said: “I really enjoyed being active and it was satisfying to see the steps quickly tallying up on my pedometer. I certainly walked further as I discovered my colleagues were catching up with me. “Being more active is definitely a good idea. I felt more focused as well as relaxed, just knowing I was not only working but getting some exercise”.

The team have really enjoyed the challenge. We are always keen to encourage staff to exercise and it’s been a fun way to promote a serious concern. Sadly we lost the General Manager of Shap Wells hotel almost 3 years ago after he suffered a heart attack and it really does focus you towards taking action. 1 in 5 men die before the age of 65.  The Men’s Health Forum covers a range of topics to help lead a healthy life.  We will definitely be taking part again next year.”