The Leeds Mindful Employer Network is excited to announce that the first winner of the Mindful Employer of the Quarter Award of 2025 is…Abraham Moon & Sons!
Moon is a heritage textile mill located in Guiseley Leeds, established in 1837. It has been awarded the Leeds Mindful Employer Network accolade following the nomination below.
“I am nominating Abraham Moon & Sons Ltd for the Leeds Mindful Employer Network Member of the Quarter award. Their unwavering dedication to mental health initiatives and exemplary leadership make them a standout candidate for this recognition. Abraham Moon’s dedication to mental health, their supportive leadership, and their alignment with organisational values make them a deserving candidate for the award. Abraham Moon & Sons Ltd will continue to develop and improve their wellbeing support for all employees.”
Leeds Mindful Employer Network Project Coordinator, Leigh Staunton, has been speaking to Claire Burns, People Director at Abraham Moon & Sons, about the business’ approach to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of employees.
Claire Burns, People Director at Abraham Moon & Sons
Congratulations on winning the Leeds Mindful Employer of the Quarter Award! How does it feel to win and read that fantastic nomination?
Thank you so much! Winning the Leeds Mindful Employer of the Quarter Award is something we are incredibly proud of, and we’re delighted to be recognised for our commitment to workplace well-being. Reading the nomination was truly rewarding and motivating—it reinforces our dedication to supporting our employees’ mental health and fostering a positive, inclusive workplace. This achievement reflects the collective effort of our entire team, and we hope it inspires others to make meaningful improvements in their own workplaces.
Tell us a bit about you Claire, and your role at Abraham Moon & Sons Ltd.
I have been the People Director at Abraham Moon & Sons Ltd for nearly two years. I oversee all aspects of the people function, ensuring our employees feel supported, valued, and able to thrive. In addition to HR, I also look after Health & Safety and lead our sustainability efforts from a people and social perspective.
I am passionate about making a difference and ensuring that people enjoy being at work as much as possible. Everyone should feel safe, happy, and valued during their time in the workplace, and I strive to create an environment where employees feel recognised for their contributions. Celebrating our people and their role in the business’ success is at the heart of what I do.
Tell us a bit about ‘Moon’ and why there is such a dedication to supporting employee mental health and wellbeing
Established in 1837, we are a historic British textile manufacturer known for craftsmanship and innovation. We value our employees, recognising their importance to our success. We support mental health and wellbeing, believing a happy workforce is key to quality and excellence. Our positive workplace culture ensures employees feel valued and safe. As a Real Living Wage and Mindful Employer, we are committed to fair pay and wellbeing, making our company a place of pride and support. We can’t be as successful as we are, without the strength and dedication of our workforce.
Abraham Moon & Sons has a supportive leadership team that are aligned with organisation values. Why do you think this is so important to creating a workplace culture that prioritises mental health and wellbeing?
A supportive, values-led leadership team is crucial for prioritising mental health and wellbeing. Integrity builds trust, teamwork fosters a collaborative environment, continuous improvement ensures ongoing support, customer focus links employee wellbeing to customer satisfaction, and quality guarantees high standards of care. Together, these values create a supportive, ethical, and high-quality workplace where employees can thrive both personally and professionally.
Tell us a bit about some of the many ways that you engage with employees to increase their awareness of mental health
In the main, it’s making wellbeing and mental health discussions the norm, so we hold workshops and training sessions to educate employees on recognising and managing mental health issues. Sometimes we do this in a relaxed environment too, such as our tea & talk drop-in sessions. We encourage open chat about mental health through team meetings and one-to-one discussions. We opened our ‘wellbeing room’ last year where employees have a space to reflect and discuss concerns as well as collect information in private that they may need. We also offer an employee assistance program and links to counselling services if needs be. Linking with Mental Health First Aiders and holding events such as our quiz night and launching our book club, ‘a novel idea’, have proved popular to reflect the differing interests of our workforce.
During Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17th – 23rd March 2025) we also ran a quiz for all employees to raise awareness with a prize for every entry as well as a ‘star’ prize for one lucky winner who got all correct answers. It’s a bit of fun, but fundamentally activities like this help build knowledge around all aspects of neurological differences and celebrate “different minds”.
How do you support managers at Abraham Moon & Sons?
We support all people managers in addressing wellbeing and mental health through training, resources, and ongoing guidance. We provide Mental Health Awareness training to equip managers with the skills to recognise and support employees facing challenges. Regular check-ins, an open-door policy, and access to external support services such as an EAP ensure managers feel confident in their role. We also promote a culture of wellbeing by encouraging conversations around mental health and offering practical tools to help managers foster a supportive workplace. Our goal is to empower managers to create a safe, inclusive, and understanding environment for their teams.
Tell us about the steps you’ve taken to make Abraham Moon & Sons an inclusive employer
Abraham Moon & Sons is committed to being an inclusive employer, ensuring all employees feel valued and supported. We have introduced a new Equal Opportunities Policy to reinforce our commitment to fairness and diversity. Currently, we are delivering training on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), with a focus on LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse employees, with the aim of building awareness and understanding across the business. Additionally, we have implemented a new pre-employment survey to identify the needs of potential employees, allowing us to create a fair and inclusive recruitment process, this hopefully ensures candidates feel comfortable throughout the process. These steps reflect our ongoing efforts to foster a truly inclusive workplace. We are also working closely with support services and groups such as Bradford District Care NHS Foundation and the Cellar Trust who support people back into work and to move forward in their recovery with mental ill health.
You’ve set up a fantastic team of Mental Health First Aiders. Why was it important to do this and how do you support them?
Mental Health First Aider Shaun hosts a session for colleagues
At Abraham Moon & Sons, we understand the critical role of dedicated support for employee wellbeing. That’s why we’ve established a fantastic team of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs). This initiative ensures employees always have someone to turn to for support, helping to break down stigma and encourage open conversations about mental health. To support our MHFAs, we provide ongoing training, regular check-ins, and access to external resources. By equipping them with the right skills and support, we empower them to make a significant impact on our workplace culture.
We also host an annual away day for our MHFAs, offering them the opportunity to reflect on the year, acknowledge positive changes, address any struggles, review progress on the Mindful Employer 10 steps toolkit, benefit from guest speakers, and simply thank the team while fostering mutual support.
You have put a lot in place to bring people at Abraham Moon & Sons together both inside and outside of the workplace to tackle loneliness. Why did you prioritise this?
We prioritise tackling loneliness because it remains a significant issue affecting employee wellbeing, even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Our tea and talk sessions and general wellbeing discussions revealed that loneliness is still a concern, with employees bravely sharing their feelings. To address this, we have implemented several initiatives, including regular tea and talk sessions for open discussions, establishing social clubs like the Moon Social Club and a book club to foster community, organising team-building activities to strengthen relationships, and training employees as Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) to provide support.
These efforts have had a positive impact by increasing awareness and encouraging more open conversations about mental health. Employees have formed stronger connections and support networks, leading to improved wellbeing and reduced feelings of isolation. Overall, these initiatives have contributed to a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture, helping to address loneliness and promote the overall wellbeing of our employees.
Abraham Moon & Sons signed the Mindful Employer Charter last year. What would you say to an employer who is considering taking this step?
Signing the Charter reinforces your commitment and dedication to supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. You’re demonstrating to your employees that their mental health is important, and fostering a culture of support and openness. For us, it has led to increased employee engagement, reduced absenteeism and a more positive work environment.
Tell us a bit about how you have utilised the Leeds Mindful Employer Network 10 steps toolkit
It’s a structured approach for us, making sure we’ve not missed anything and helping us to identify further ways we could improve. Also, the case studies are really helpful to put ideas into context. We’ve not gone through the steps in order in all cases, as once you take stock of your workplace mental health (step 1), this can lead to break-out projects which, on some topics, has led straight to step 7 – supporting each other. The steps are a great guide and showcase good practice going on within businesses and organisations across the city of Leeds.
You became a member of the Mindful Employer Steering Group last year. Why did you decide to become involved in the network at this level?
Employees from Abraham Moon & Sons at the Leeds Mindful Employer Network Conference in 2024
I wanted to contribute to shaping strategies to help all employees within the region. It’s great to collaborate with like-minded professionals and share best practices, but most importantly for me, it’s about driving positive change. For Abraham Moon & Sons, it ensures we keep up to date and do our best for every team member.
In terms of employee wellbeing, what are your priorities for the next 6 months?
We are in the process of training additional MHFAs firstly, to share the workload a little, but secondly to reach out more often. This is in part due to NHS waiting times, and we are finding more employees are struggling due to waiting for diagnosis therefore delaying medical help and leaving them in challenging situations. In relation to the 10 steps toolkit, we are focusing on ‘Educate’ and steps 5, 6 & 7 for the next 6 months.
Thanks so much to Claire for contributing to this blog.
Find out more about becoming a Mindful Employer Charter Signatory here.
Check out our 10 steps toolkit for building a mentally healthy workplace here.
