Held on weekdays throughout April, 20 Days of Calm was designed to support employee wellbeing by encouraging people to take a break from their work day, meet new people, and engage with offerings from local businesses.
With over 550 event registrations, the initiative saw strong engagement and impact. A recent survey of attendees found that these events reduced stress levels, helped facilitate lunch breaks, and incentivised workers to come into the office. Attendee engagement was high with almost half of respondents attending multiple events and many taking part with colleagues or friends.
Community - Events
20 Days of Calm helps boost workplace wellbeing
Bristol workers embraced wellbeing through Stress Awareness Month campaign
15/05/2025
BID Lead
Sabrina Shutter
In April, Bristol City Centre BID and Redcliffe & Temple BID came together to deliver 20 Days of Calm, a specially curated event programme to mark Stress Awareness Month. The campaign delivered over 20 wellbeing focused events, from line dancing and squash, to sushi making and dried flower arranging, offering experiences to help attendees slow down and relax.
The survey revealed that:
- 86% of respondents said the events helped reduce their stress levels
- 99% would attend similar events in the future
- 72% viewed these events as an incentive to come into the workplace
- Of the 93% who attended a lunchtime event, 32% said they would not have had a lunch break without the event
- 39% attended with friends or colleagues
- 47% of respondents booked multiple events
Monika Sandhu, Workman LLP said:
“Myself and my colleagues from Workman LLP took part in the 20 Days of Calm campaign. I personally had positive feedback from every member of staff that attended one of the activities and it was also the highest workplace engagement we have had at Workman. Our staff took part in a variety of events encompassing exercise, hobby activities and volunteering work. The variety of events held meant there was something for everyone, and staff came back to work feeling rejuvenated and accomplished. We’re very grateful for the events put on by the BID and hope there will be similar schemes going forward.”Holly Francis, Environment Agency said:
“It was a really great idea – it enabled me to try some brand-new activities, see some new venues in the area where I work, have a sense of purpose and achievement in my lunch break and helped me to feel energised for the rest of the day. Thank you and I hope you’re able to run it again in future!”20 Days of Calm was powered by partnerships which saw us team up with 14 businesses from the BID areas and several local instructors and facilitators. We’d like to thank all businesses who took part in the campaign, including Bocabar, Double Puc, Workout Harbourside, St George’s, The Bristol Hotel, GolfBox Bristol, Bristol Folk House, PURE Spa & Beauty, Cass Art, TONIQ, Left Handed Giant Brewpub, Back in Action, Bristol Float, and Yakinori.
Double Puc Cafe said:
"At Double Puc, we’re all about bringing people together over creativity, comfort, and a bit of sweetness, so it was a perfect fit to contribute something fun and mindful to your initiative. It was fantastic to be involved in an event that encouraged mental wellbeing in such a hands-on and engaging way. We’re proud to support positive mental health and community-driven events like this, and we’d love to be part of future initiatives."Cass Art said:
“It was a real privilege to be invited to participate in such a wonderful series of events organised by the BID. As our company manifesto at Cass Art is 'Let's Fill this Town With Artists' this was the perfect opportunity to introduce so many people (it was fully booked!) to what we can offer as a business in order to help them with their creative and mindful journey. It was a pleasure to take part in from start to finish and we look forward to collaborating again in future.”Workout Harbourside said:
"Working with the BID on their Stress Awareness campaign in April was a fantastic experience. We ran group cycling sessions and squash taster classes. We loved the opportunity to showcase our inclusive gym and we had a brilliant turnout from people working in the BID area, many of whom commented on how great it had been to get moving during lunchtime.”April also saw us partner with local gyms, including Workout Harbourside, TONIQ, Anytime Fitness Bristol, and Nuffield Health Bristol, to offer exclusive deals and free trials that supported the physical wellbeing of our business community. Alongside our event programme, we also highlighted our ongoing partnerships with SeedL, Neighbourly, and Life Cycle, promoting wellbeing through mindfulness training, community volunteering, and free bike-maintenance sessions.
20 Days of Calm proved that small moments of calm can have a big impact on individual wellbeing, whilst also promoting a more mindful work-life balance.
Sabrina Shutter, Events Project Manager said:
“What began as a simple idea to offer free lunchtime wellbeing events during Stress Awareness Month turned into something truly special with countless moments of calm, connection and joy. From sushi making to sunset yoga, we collaborated with fantastic local businesses to help people take a break from work and experience something uplifting. I’m incredibly proud of how many people this series supported, and I’m so grateful to all the businesses who helped make it happen. The feedback has been overwhelming and it’s clear that Bristol is a city that values wellbeing, community, and a great lunch break.”To support employee wellbeing year-round, we launched our lunchtime event series in 2022, offering regular monthly events for our business community to enjoy. See what’s on and be the first to hear about new events by subscribing to our newsletter.
Images by Shotaway
