How

 

Faye

 

Cobb

 

made

 

wellbeing

 

support

 

visible

 

from

 

day

 

one

2025 WINNER · Mental Health Champion of the Year

Faye Cobb’s nomination described a consistent approach to championing mental health at A&O Shearman. Working in the HR team, she connected listening, practical support and leadership sponsorship so that wellbeing had a place in the working day.

What they did

Faye used employee feedback and patterns in support-service use to shape topics and resources. Monthly communications highlighted practical information and routes to help, while events responded to interests raised by colleagues.

New starters received an introduction to the Employee Assistance Programme, training and resources, followed by direct links they could return to. She also worked with an external organisation to develop a regional network of 25 Mental Health Allies, supported by toolkits and signposting materials.

What the entry shows

The nomination documented the ally network, onboarding process and recurring communications. Colleague feedback described greater openness and confidence in knowing where to turn.

These accounts support a picture of consistent, trusted support. They do not provide a quantified measure of clinical improvement, and the story does not depend on claiming one.

What others can learn

A named person, a clear introduction and a useful follow-up can make an existing benefit easier to access. Champions also need practical support, training and leadership backing to sustain the work.

Faye’s example shows how repeated actions across onboarding, everyday conversations and team networks can help turn wellbeing from a resource people overlook into support they recognise.

Based on the original 2025 mentl awards submission. Figures and observations are those reported in the entry.

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