Retail Trust reunites retail workers for second Together Fest as the industry’s biggest wellbeing event doubles in size
Industry charity tail Trust is hosting a second Together Fest – the retail industry’s biggest wellness festival for retail workers – at London’s Truman Brewery on Thursday (25 May).
- Over 1,000 retail workers from 200 big retail brands like H&M, Starbucks and Next will attend the second wellbeing festival for retail workers when it returns to London on 25 May
- Together Fest’s all-star line-up of wellness champions and celebrities include comedian Katherine Ryan, TV doctor Dr Alex George, football icon Stuart Pearce MBE, and influencer Anna Whitehouse aka Mother Pukka.
The event, which was launched by the Retail Trust last year to unite retail colleagues for a brilliantly restorative day out, is doubling in size and capacity for 2023 to accommodate 1,200 people from over 200 retailers, including H&M, Starbucks and Next.
Together Fest aims to bring to life the Retail Trust’s ethos of improving the hope, health and happiness of the UK’s three million workers with a full day of inspiring talks, masterclasses and interactive sessions featuring an all-star line-up of wellness champions and celebrities, including comedian Katherine Ryan, TV doctor Dr Alex George and legendary England footballer Stuart Pearce.
There will be talks on topics such as preventing burnout, making healthier lifestyle decisions and raising awareness of domestic abuse, masterclasses where attendees can learn how to improve their sleep, banish imposter syndrome and tackle life’s ‘tiny traumas’, and workshops and performances including a live poetry recital by mental health activist Charly Cox, laughter yoga, and healthy cookery demos.
Presenter, author and flexible working campaigner Anna Whitehouse aka Mother Pukka will host the event and Together Fest’s long list of wellbeing experts also include Burnout coach Jayne Morris, nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert, best-selling self-help author Jen Sincero, foodie pioneers Bosh! and sleep expert Dr Lindsay Browning.
Theo Paphitis, Chairman and owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas, Boux Avenue and London Graphic Centre said: “Together Fest was a big hit with the TPRG colleagues who attended last year, and I know this event will be no different.
“Together Fest is a day out of the office that personifies what the fantastic work of the Retail Trust is all about – good people, wellbeing, inspiration and taking a moment to breathe whilst understanding all the benefits of being in this fantastic retail sector and our part in it all.”
A spokesperson for The Entertainer added: “We’re proud to be a part of the Retail Trust’s Together Fest and hope that our colleagues who attend will enjoy coming together with others in the industry at the event, which champions improving the health and happiness of workers in the UK.
“At The Entertainer, we work with the Retail Trust to provide staff a range of company-wide benefits including virtual GP appointments, wellbeing support and much more which we hope enriches the hope, health and happiness of each and every one of our colleagues across over 170 stores, distribution centres and head office.”
Research carried out by the Retail Trust last year found that a third of people working for the UK’s biggest retailers wanted to quit the industry, while eight out of 10 retail staff had experienced declining mental health due to financial concerns, abuse from customers and post-pandemic fatigue.
Retailers from across the sector work with the Retail Trust to improve the hope, health and happiness of their staff and Domino’s, River Island, Dunelm, Pets at Home and Waterstones (who will also host a pop-up bookstore at the event), are some of its other partners bringing their employees to Together Fest 2023.
Staff from other brands including Harvey Nichols, and Oxfam will also attend Together Fest event is also being supported by B&Q, Dentons, Everlast Gyms, Fiorucci, Hobbycraft, Holland & Barrett, Kärcher, Newton Europe, Nutun, Oracle Retail, Revolution Beauty, TwentyCi, TJX Europe, Usdaw and Wagestream.
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust said: “Together Fest represents everything that the Retail Trust has always stood for, both by equipping people with the essential tools to improve their wellbeing and by fostering a real sense of pride in working for the retail industry.
“We’ve built on the success of last year’s event and all the amazing feedback we received from the hundreds of retail workers who attended to make this year’s Together Fest even bigger and better.”
For more information, visit retailtrust.org.uk.
Other brands taking part in this year’s Together Fest include:
- Ann Summers
- Booksellers Association
- Bravissimo
- Domino’s
- FatFace
- Harvey Nichols
- HMS Host
- Holland and Barrett
- Kering
- Lipsy
- Loaf
- Mamas and Papas
- Mulberry
- Neal’s Yard
- Oxfam
- Paul Smith
- Sally Beauty
- Shiseido
- Space NK
- Specsavers
- The Perfume Shop
- The White Company
- Theo Paphitis Retail Group
About the Retail Trust
The Retail Trust has been caring for and protecting the lives of people working in retail from 1832 onwards. We believe the health of our colleagues is the foundation they need to flourish in both work and life. It will also help create a more sustainable and successful future for retail. We put people at the heart of everything we do, from colleagues just starting out, right through to those at the end of their careers.
We like to remember how our very first chairman, Thomas Helps, described the purpose of the charity: “To promote the happiness and interests of those engaged in the trade….” This still holds true today. In fact it guides everything we do, why we do it and what we believe in. We believe in it so passionately, our charity has become a movement with a very clear cause: to create hope, health and happiness for everyone in retail.
We create hope, health and happiness for everyone in retail by giving them the foundation to flourish. A foundation that provides help, humanity and feeling to all our colleagues. One that gives them the opportunity to flourish, to grow and develop now and in the future. And feel happier in everything they do.
