Q&A with Evan Judge

Evan Judge - Levy Partnerships & Projects HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) Manager, who has recently become Co Chair of YouMatter, Compass Group UK & Ireland’s mental health support network.

Tell us about your role and background.

I started with Compass 16 years ago, I did a graduate management role with Chartwells for a year before moving into a Unit Manager role with ESS. It was there that I found my passion for HSE and I became a HSE Champion before that evolved into a HSE Manager role. Since then I have had various HSE roles within the sectors of Compass Group UK & Ireland. In this time, I have worked with and been supported by Compass around my depression and anxiety. So, when the YouMatter Network came about I was very excited to become a part of it.

What is your role for YouMatter?

Having been on the Steering Group for a number of years I have worked with my peers to formulate campaigns, host webinar discussions and develop awareness material around mental health issues and support. Now as Co-Chair I am working closely with the other Chairs and the network to form a strategic and long-term approach to our mental wellbeing within Compass. We are working hard to ensure that everyone in Compass feels comfortable to talk about mental wellbeing and that they know that Compass has support resources available to all.

What is the aim of the network?

The aim of the network is to raise awareness of mental health as we all have mental health, just that for some of us it can be poorer at times. Understanding that we can all suffer from poor mental health and that we should all be able to talk about this in the workplace is a key part of the network. The YouMatter network brings together the various sectors within our business to share experiences, issues, concerns, and best practice to shape our approach to mental health in the workplace. 

Why is this important to you?

It is important to me because I know for a fact that Compass and my colleagues have been there for me when I have been struggling with my mental health and I want to pay it forward if you like.  I truly believe that Compass is a wonderful organisation for accepting people as they are and as long as we can encourage our people to talk and seek help when they need it, we can support them or find them the right help. By having a dedicated network of like minded people we are able to develop the right resources and approach to support those who need it, as well as raise awareness of these issues.

Any call to action

For those working within Compass, if you are passionate about mental health and would like to get involved in the YouMatter network I would encourage you to reach out to your Sector Lead Ambassador to find out how you can help. You can also find out more by visiting the YouMatter section of the Learning Portal. For those outside of Compass, I would encourage you to be open minded and proactive about supporting people’s mental health within a workplace situation.