The Hawke's Bay Blokes Book, produced and distributed late last year across Hawke's Bay is seeing an increase in demand, this time from local workplaces, with a focus on their employers' wellbeing.
Recently, Pan Pac Forest Products provided a copy of the Blokes Book for each of their on-site staff, including their female employees, with a note for them to pass onto a significant male in their lives.
Pan Pac health safety and wellbeing co-ordinator Wendy Chittock says with 405 staff working at Pan Pac, 376 were male. Wendy felt on seeing a copy of The Blokes book, it was an affordable resource with great impact for their organisation to obtain. The publication will be useful as a reference for staff who may seek guidance from one of the on-site peer supporters, with a possibility to integrate the book into the Pan Pac app for off-site staff to access, she said.
The Blokes Book has now circulated 10,000 copies into the Hawke's Bay and CHB communities.The book's first run was printed in September, with all copies circulated within six weeks through major supporter AMI, individual sponsors' own businesses, cafes, gyms, and council services including libraries.
Project manager Shayne Jeffares says with a focus in workplaces on wellness initiatives and staff wellbeing, he was seeing a sudden demand from organisations for their own in-house version of the book, particularly given the last few months.
