Digital Media Centre

ALDI LAUNCHES NEW MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE FOR COLLEAGUES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM AND AWARE

ALDI is proud to announce a new partnership with the Elephant in the Room initiative (EITR), a mental health awareness campaign designed to promote open conversations about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

As part of its ongoing commitment to mental health awareness and to mark the launch of the new sculpture, ALDI will make an additional donation to its charity partner Aware. The elephant sculpture will be displayed across ALDI’s office facilities, starting off at its corporate headquarters in Naas, Co Kildare.

ALDI has partnered with Aware since 2022 to promote and enhance mental health and wellness support to colleagues. Due to the success of the partnership to date, it has recently been extended by another year over which time Aware will continue to provide advice, guidance, and information on key mental health topics to promote good mental health and remove the associated stigma. ALDI’s partnership with Aware supports its existing employee wellness programme, encompassing counselling, wellness coaching, financial wellbeing support, and more.

The Elephant in the Room initiative is an exciting approach to breaking down mental health stigmas by proactively promoting and encouraging safe spaces for open discussion around mental health in the workplace.

Centred on an impressive and eye-catching four-foot-tall elephant sculpture, ALDI’s personalised sculpture will reflect the brand’s commitment to supporting good mental health and wellbeing. The sculpture acts as a visual reminder of the value of addressing mental health head on and of not being afraid to confront the proverbial “elephant in the room”.

Brent Pope, Co-Founder of Elephant in the Room said: “We are excited to collaborate with ALDI as a new partner of this impactful initiative. Our vision is to help and support as many Irish people, businesses, and organisations as possible in promoting good mental health and breaking down the barriers to openly talking about our mental health in the workplace. We encourage more organisations to follow ALDI’s lead and show their commitment and dedication to raising awareness about mental health by starting these important conversations at work.”

Brian O’Shea, HR Director at ALDI Ireland said: “For ALDI, the well-being of our almost 5,000 colleagues is a top priority. They are the heartbeat of our business, and we want to ensure that they know that there is a safe space for employees to discuss any mental health issues or concerns, so that they feel heard and supported by the wider ALDI family. Our commitment to our employees mirrors our dedication to delivering for all those we serve, whether local communities at each of our 161 store locations, or the colleagues that work in every one of these stores and in our office settings. By embracing the Elephant in the Room initiative, we are taking another important step forward in cultivating a workplace culture that prioritises mental health and wellbeing, as well as a supportive environment that empowers colleagues to address the elephant in the room.”

Stephen Butterly, Head of Fundraising at Aware said: “As we extend our partnership with ALDI, we are excited to continue working with the business and welcome their continued investment in creating a safe space for all employees to talk openly and without stigma around mental health and well-being. We look forward to starting more important conversations with colleagues across the ALDI business and thank them for their ongoing support of the vital work that we do.”