Rail Wellbeing Live

The online health and wellbeing festival for people working in rail returned.

Rail Wellbeing Live was on 5–7 November and as big as ever.

Headliners included former Special Forces soldier and director of StrongMen mental health charity, Ollie Ollerton, known for starring in Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins. Since his exit from the armed forces, and inspired by his experiences of depression and alcoholism, Ollie now guides others to reach their full potential through various mental strategies. Other headliners were Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes; football manager and former player, Stuart Pearce MBE; and the author, presenter, and campaigner Katie Piper OBE.

Attendees of the online festival could choose from 40 inspirational sessions. Highlights included:

• MasterChef’s Amar Latif (‘Being limitless’)
• Robert Hobson (‘Ultra-processed food’)
• Dr Supriya McKenna (‘The narcissist next door’)
• Dr Hannah Critchlow (‘The power of collective thinking’) 
• Dr Sophie Mort (‘A manual for being human’)
• Joshua Fletcher (‘Untangle your anxiety’)
• Prof Sam Wass (‘How the modern world is changing children’)
• Dr Gemma Newman (‘Get well, stay well’)
• Alex Holmes (‘Time to talk: how men think about mental health’).

The opening session focused on mental wellbeing in challenging times.

Evening sessions on 6 November focused on footcare for the rail industry, and the mental health toll of being on the road. This was hosted by former Boo Radleys lead singer and guitarist Dr Simon Rowbottom.

New for 2024: peer-to-peer sessions. Help each other learn skills, including how to support a colleague through grief, how to be an empathetic listener, and how to spot if a colleague’s struggling with mental health. 

The Wellbeing Hero Award was back too.

Find out more

CIRAS at Rail Wellbeing Live 2023: the power of listening for safety and wellbeing