Middledale Foods expands workplace and mental health training

Supply partner Middledale Foods has entered into a community partnership with the charity Advance Brighter Futures to roll out expanded access to Mental Health First Aid and safeTALK suicide prevention training across North Wales.

The initiative is designed to create a supportive environment both within the workplace and across the broader local community. Under the programme, Middledale Foods is funding the training directly for its own workforce while simultaneously subsidising places for local community members who would otherwise lack access to these specialised skills.

To embed these positive wellbeing practices into its core business culture, Middledale Foods has enrolled seven of its own employees into the programme. These team members will be responsible for cascading the learning and embedding supportive mental health practices across the wider organisation.

The curriculum consists of two distinct functional pillars delivered in everyday community settings to normalise mental health dialogue:

• Mental Health First Aid: focuses on equipping individuals with the skills to identify the early signs of mental ill health, challenge associated social stigma, and offer initial guidance and support.
• safeTALK Training: provides dedicated suicide awareness instruction, teaching participants how to recognize when an individual may be at risk and effectively connect them with appropriate professional help.

Sarah Summers, managing director of Middledale Foods, highlighted the company’s approach to workplace and community wellbeing: “We’re proud to partner with Advance Brighter Futures and to invest in training that delivers real, meaningful impact. Creating a supportive environment – both within our business and in the communities we’re part of – is something we take seriously. By backing programmes like safeTALK and Mental Health First Aid, we’re equipping people with the confidence and skills to support one another and have conversations that can genuinely make a difference.”

This training expansion builds upon Middledale Foods’ established history of mental health advocacy. The business previously backed the 2025 Baton of Hope tour, the UK’s largest suicide prevention initiative. During that nationwide campaign, Advance Brighter Futures led the Wrexham leg of the tour with direct support from Middledale Foods and other regional partners.

Zoe Whitehead, business development officer at Advance Brighter Futures, noted that the corporate backing “enables us to reach more people, deliver more training locally, and support the long-term sustainability of our charity.”

Outside of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, Middledale Foods operates as an innovative ingredients supplier across the dairy, egg, plant-based, and functional food sectors, managing strategic sourcing and sustainable supply chain infrastructure for prominent UK food brands including Yeo Valley, Baxters, and Arla Foods.