Something for the weekend: Furniture and lighting retailer Heal’s gave its employees a dose of puppy love to boost wellbeing this Valentine’s Day, providing them with the chance to get involved in a speed-dating event with a difference.
Animal shelter and charitable organisation Battersea Dogs and Cats Home arrived at the Heal’s flagship store on Tottenham Court Road in London today (14 February 2019), with a view to finding love for nine canine candidates.
Ruth Cotterell, head of marketing at Heal’s, said: “After working with Battersea last year to raise awareness of their mission, we are delighted to help get tails wagging once again for Valentine’s Day.
“At Heal’s, we believe a furry companion can really help to make a house a home, and hope we’ll be able to help the pet residents of Battersea, who have so far been unlucky in love, find a friend for life.”
The event ran for two sessions over the afternoon and was open to commuters and shoppers, as well as Heal’s employees. Attendees were able to book 15-minute slots in which to meet three of the prospective pets.
Employees were able to meet the dogs during their working day, as well as to get involved with the organisation and running of the event itself, the goal of which was to spread messages about the importance of re-homing.
Hamish Mansbridge, chief executive officer at Heal’s, said: “As a dog-friendly business, working with Battersea to raise awareness of their work is a natural fit for Heal’s.
“We actively encourage a flexible working environment to make it easy for staff to bring their dogs into work, and our Valentine’s campaign will once again see residents of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home return to Heal’s for staff and customers to enjoy their company.”
In addition to boosting wellbeing and potentially finding a new furry friend, the event provided a chance for the 75 head office employees at Tottenham Court Road to leave their desks and spend time with their colleagues on the shop floor, boosting engagement and communication.
The event was promoted to employees using an email campaign and via the organisation’s in-house communications board. It forms part of a wider commitment to corporate social responsibility; as part of this, Heal’s is also in the process of developing a volunteering programme, where staff will have the chance to help at a local soup kitchen.
Here at Employee Benefits, we agree that this event would be a great antidote to a ruff day. However, while it would certainly boost our wellbeing, we are not sure if having access to cute canines would work wonders for our productivity…