Let’s get through this together

This article was originally published in The MJ.

At Tile Hill we have been inspired and humbled by the exemplary response that we have seen up close from both our local authority clients and some businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. 

First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to all of Tile Hill’s interim managers and to our clients and wider candidate community who are currently working in local authorities, in the care sector and in other parts of the public sector on the COVID-19 response. 

We are all incredibly grateful for the decisive action, commitment and, in lots of cases, the innovation you are showing in order to keep us and our loved ones safe. 

This is an incredibly challenging time as well for businesses across the country and the recruitment sector is always one of the first to feel the effects when the economy slows. 

Nevertheless, we have seen many businesses respond and react positively and decisively to the effects of our country’s lockdown, refocusing their provision, flexing their offer and in some cases, offering services for free. 

Here are a few of the things that we have found that might go a small way to helping us all weather this storm: 

• The MJ is being provided as an enhanced ebook, available free for anyone who wants it. 

• Amazon Kindle is offering two free months of unlimited reading

• Audible has made hundreds of titles completely free to help people unwind during the coronavirus crisis. 

• Barry’s UK, a fitness studio famed for pushing participants hard, is bringing its workouts free to Instagram Live. 

• Fly LDN is running free Instagram Live yoga classes on a daily basis, at 8am, 12.30pm and 6pm 

• Headspace, the mindfulness and meditation app, is offering free mental health tools in a ‘weathering the storm’ collection available for everyone during the COVID-19 crisis 

• LinkedIn is offering 16 of its online learning courses for free 

• Leon is keeping certain branches open to NHS employees and other key workers, and providing takeaway and delivery meals to NHS workers with a 50% discount. 

• Move It Or Lose It, an exercise company which caters for older adults, is offering live workout sessions on its Facebook page 

• Myinternalworld is free until the end of May. It provides tools, strategies and coaching by wellness experts 

• The National Theatre is streaming a free play every Thursday night

• NCP has extended its offer of free parking for NHS workers to include all key workers 

• Slack Technologies is offering free upgrades to paid Slack plans and consultations for anyone working on COVID-19 research, response, or mitigation.

At Tile Hill, we also want to do our bit while keeping our business running and keeping our team safe and well. One of the initiatives we are taking part in will be using our network to support local authority senior managers with free coaching, mentoring and guidance to help them to stay resilient and support mental health and wellbeing during the crisis.

If you are an experienced coach or mentor who works with local government senior officers and would like to be involved and offer pro bono support, please contact either myself at: david.weir@tile-hill.co.uk or anthony.lewis@tile-hill.co.uk so we can connect you with the initiative.