November 2, 2006
One step at a time towards excellence
North Shore City Council's programme to improve the health and wellbeing of its staff is a finalist in the Massey
University North Harbour Sporting Excellence Awards.
The 10,000 Steps@Work and Next Steps programmes - which aim to inject more physical activity into each day - were
nominated in the Workplace Initiative of the Year category.
The awards ceremony is being held next Wednesday night (November 8), and this is the first time the council has been a
finalist.
North Shore City's chief executive, John Brockies, is delighted that the council's care of its staff is being
recognised.
"Close to 500 of our staff have been through these programmes and not only are they fitter and healthier, they've lost
weight, stopped smoking and are managing stress better," he says.
"The added benefits are that the number of sick days have gone down, and people from all parts of our workforce have got
to know each other better."
People taking part in the 12-week programme, run by local firm Health and Human Performance, wear a pedometer to count
how many steps they do each day, and receive a health assessment as well as advice on nutrition and injury prevention.
As well as the health benefits, 10,000 Steps@Work and Next Steps is about having fun. Teams taking part can often be
seen increasing their step count on Takapuna Beach at lunchtime. There are more than 140 council staff currently taking
part in the programmes.
The Massey University North Harbour Sporting Excellence Awards, run by regional trust Harbour Sport, aim to recognise
and celebrate the achievements of top athletes, coaches and administrators, and the contribution of others to sport in
general.
To find out more please visit www.harboursport.co.nz.
ENDS