Shop owners have been urged to take advantage of NewstrAid’s package of free brand discounts, well-being advice and health tools that can help motivate and retain shop staff.

The Fed-backed charity’s Wellbeing Suite allows users to plan and track fitness, diet, health and wellness routines.

It also provides a roster of discounts on items and services in areas such as healthcare, breakdown cover, cinema tickets, travel, electronics and restaurants.

NewstrAid chief executive Neil Jagger explained: “We are delighted to be able to offer independent newspaper and magazine retailers all the benefits of a workplace well-being programme with no cost to their business.

“We know staff retention in our industry can be difficult in the current climate, and being able to provide employees with a range of resources that support their mental health and well-being is a great way to show that they are a valued part of the business.”

Fed member Shumaila Malik, owner of Costcutter Heathside Road in Manchester, added: “It sounds brilliant. With the cost-of-living crisis and energy bills, everyone can do with a bit of help in supporting their team. I wish it had been here years ago.”

NewstrAid provides free support to all levels of the news and magazine supply chain, from shop teams and owners to wholesale depot staff and printworkers. It can also provide grants of up to £250 to those in financial hardship.

In 2022, more than £797,395 was given out in support for households, and more than 1,100 people working in the news industry were helped.

They included an exshop owner, ‘Jay’, who was struggling to cope with a cancer diagnosis and bipolar disorder.

NewstrAid’s welfare team and Wellbeing suite helped to provide advice on dealing with cancer and mental health.

Similarly, when another retailer, ‘Christine’, was told she needed to prepare for surgery after breaking her ankles, NewstrAid advised her on exercises designed to help her.

The Wellbeing Suite is supported by publisher Hearst in memory of its former chief executive, Terry Mansfield, who died in early 2020 after contracting Covid-19.

NewstrAid is promoting the free service as part of its ‘Mindful May’ campaign.

How to use the service

Shop owners can register themselves and their team members by visiting the newstraid.spectrum.life website, clicking on the signin link and creating a username and password using the organisation code ‘news2021’.

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