Businesses celebrate success at Healthy Ambitions Suffolk awards event.

A total of 16 employers from around the county were presented with Healthy Ambitions Suffolk awards during this special event at Ipswich's Trinity Park.

In collaboration with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, the awards ceremony is being run by Healthy Ambitions Suffolk, whose workplace health programme has been designed to make improving employee health and wellbeing straight forward and easy for businesses of all shape and sizes.

Gold and silver awards were handed out to reflect the commitment made by each organisation in promoting workplace health. Special awards were also introduced for those organisations showing  exemplary levels of achievement.

Special awards were given to the Suffolk Constabulary headquarters at Martlesham and to the Suffolk Housing Association in Bury St Edmunds. Both organisations have introduced an impressive and varied range of healthy initiatives and systems for their staff over the past 12 months.

Other organisations who achieved very high standards of commitment to  employee health and wellbeing were Copella Fruit Juices, Ipswich Hospital, West Suffolk Hospital, Lowestoft College, Port of Felixstowe, Customer Services Direct, Ipswich Building Society and Suffolk County Council. All received the Gold Award.

Silver awards went to Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, HG Gladwell and Sons, and Culford School. This year also saw the introduction of the small business award which was awarded to Virya Technologies Ltd, The Pain Relief Clinic in Stowmarket and The Self Centre, Bury St Edmunds

Sally Hogg, Deputy Director of Public Health and Company Secretary of Healthy Ambitions Suffolk Ltd, said: "We were extremely pleased to be able to publicly congratulate these companies for the work which has taken place to help improve the health and wellbeing of their staff. Protecting the health of staff can bring huge benefits to a business, including considerable financial savings, fewer sickness absences and increased productivity. And it doesn't have to cost a fortune to have a positive effect - just developing opportunities for employees to become a bit more active on a daily basis, for example, can make an impact. Above all, these small changes can make a big difference and are both good for health and good for business."

She went on to say that Healthy Ambitions Suffolk can offer businesses an array of support to get their own staff wellbeing programmes off the ground. A range of help and information is available by visiting the website, at www.healthyambitionssuffolk.co.uk.

Healthy Ambitions Suffolk Business Support Co-ordinator Claire Parker can offer further support and can be contacted by emailing claire.parker@healthyambitionssuffolk.co.uk.

Any business interested in applying for a 2012 award should contact Claire, and can find out more by visiting the website and clicking on "workplace" followed by "business award".