A Lowestoft tourism firm is showing its commitment to Mental Health Awareness Week by pledging to provide more specialist training for its staff.

Hoseasons in Raglan Road has held mental health training for 30 managerial staff, delivered by a mental health practitioner from East Coast College's Lowestoft campus.

And it was so well received by staff, the company will be spending Mental Health Awareness Week encouraging its 300 employees to talk about the issue.

Head of HR Matt Smith said: 'The training session aimed to raise awareness of mental health issues, signs to look out for and some general ways of dealing with these issues so anyone with line management responsibility could point their staff in the right direction if they needed help and it was hugely successful.

'So we're doing another session to keep the momentum going and provide the next stage of training about how to address these issues.

'With it being Mental Health Awareness Week we have various communications planned which will give our staff everything from people's stories to facts about the impact on the workplace.'

Mr Smith said it was the first time the company had provided this kind of training for its staff, but it felt like the right time for the firm.

'With the Royal Family and footballers talking about mental health more openly it has become more prevalent,' he said. 'Raising awareness is important, it's still a taboo subject and it just requires a change of mindset.

'We're big on inclusion and diversity and people need to be comfortable coming forward if they've got issues. They can come and talk to us, they can be brave.'

Mr Smith said he hoped the way the company was addressing mental health issues would lead to them being seen as a pioneer for the whole Wyndham Worldwide group.

Is your business doing something to support Mental Health Awareness Week? Email the details to lowestoft.journal@archant.co.uk