Mental health trainer marks decade in business with most successful year

A Lichfield businesswoman who turned her own experiences of workplace mental health into a training firm supporting major employers is celebrating 10 years in business.

Amanda Jackson (pictured) launched Beacon Learning and Performance Ltd in 2016 after a career delivering sales and performance training in the pharmaceutical industry.

But after being introduced to Mental Health First Aid England, she qualified as a mental health trainer and went on to establish Beacon Mental Health Training - combining her professional background with lived experience of workplace mental health.

A decade later, Amanda is working with clients including M6toll operators Midlands Expressway, banking group Capital One and food manufacturer Florette Salads.

She is also celebrating her most successful year to date, with the business expanding into areas including neurodiversity courses and Insights Discovery workshops.

The mother-of-two said: “When I worked in the pharmaceutical world, I was a trainer and performance coach for sales reps and managers, so that’s what I focused on for the first couple of years of the business.

“But I always had a real interest in mental health. Having had my own personal struggles around anxiety and depression, I wanted to understand more about what happened with me.

“I even had an employee assistance programme within the business where I was working, but I never used it because of the stigma.

“I came across MHFA England, qualified to be one of their trainers and started delivering mental health first aid courses.

“From there, it grew into delivering more bespoke training for different organisations.”

Beacon Mental Health Training now offers tailored sessions across a range of workplace mental health and wellbeing topics – including work-life balance, stress management, resilience and understanding the fundamentals of mental health.

The company is also accredited to deliver Insights Discovery workshops, designed to help people understand themselves and others while making the most of the relationships that affect them in the workplace.

Amanda said the growth of the business has come from building long-term relationships with clients and helping employers place wellbeing within their wider organisational strategy.

She said: “I come from a place of imposter syndrome so it’s been all about trusting the process and trusting in my own ability that they will keep coming back.

“This has been my most successful year since I started. I’ve been able to broaden what I do for those businesses and look at how what I do fits into their bigger strategy, particularly in areas such as neurodiversity, communication skills and stress management.”

Reflecting on the most rewarding part of her business journey, Amanda added: “It's knowing the difference that you are making and that it isn't just a tick-box exercise.

“It sounds dramatic but when I read some of the feedback from clients, a couple of people have said ‘this has saved somebody's life because I've known what to do’, or they've told me that a certain situation has happened and they now know how to handle it.

“When people have taken the time to write that feedback to you, you know you must have made a positive impact.”

For more information, visit Beacon Mental Health Training’s website.