Healthy Success for Kwik Fit Insurance

UDDINGSTON, Scotland, May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading UK insurance intermediary Kwik Fit Insurance has been awarded the Gold Award from the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, confirming them as one of the safest and healthiest employers in the UK.

The awards encourage employers to promote a healthier workforce and covers a wide range of topics including health promotion, occupational health and safety, employability, mental health and well-being, community involvement, and health and the environment.

Kwik Fit Insurance, based in Uddingston, Scotland, received the Gold Healthy Working Lives Award following the introduction of a series of projects aimed at improving the health and well-being of its 900 staff and is the first private sector organisation in its region to be recognised in this way.

Workers benefit from regular health checks including weight, cholesterol levels and heart health, as well as being given the opportunity to take part in a blood donation programme.

In addition, staff enjoy a wide selection of healthy food options at the on-site bistro, while the appointment of a dedicated Environmental Manager has helped the company reduce its carbon footprint by lowering its paper, plastic and energy wastage.

Brendan Devine, Managing Director of Kwik Fit Insurance, said: "We're delighted to have picked up the Gold Healthy Working Lives Award. It's a testament to the commitment of all our staff who have really taken the Healthy Working Lives objectives to heart and have made a big effort to work together to achieve this recognition.

We're proud that we've been able to make Kwik Fit Insurance a safer and healthier place to work."

Dorothy Sneddon, Occupational Health Advisor at Kwik Fit Insurance, was responsible for co-ordinating and delivering the initiatives that contributed to the award.

Dorothy said: "The Gold Award is the culmination of two years hard work and we're delighted with the recognition. Our staff have embraced the initiatives introduced into the centre and I'm delighted that we've been able to have a positive impact upon their lives."

The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives was established in April 2005, and is playing a key role in helping to reduce work-related ill health by 20 per cent and days lost to ill health by 30 per cent.

Steve Bell, Strategic Director of the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, said: "I'd like to congratulate Kwik Fit Insurance on their achievement of the award, which demonstrates they have made safe and healthy working practices a key priority.

Encouraging workplace health should never be a chore or a second thought - a healthy workforce is the key to success for organisations in all sectors. The Healthy Working Lives Award programme provides a clear framework to creating better workplaces, and our nationwide networks of advisers are always on hand to provide all the help and support organisations require to achieve the Award."

Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Kwik Fit Insurance.

For further information, please contact Bryan Garvie or Charles Cameron at The BIG Partnership on 0141 333 9585

Note To Editors:

Kwik Fit Financial Services was launched in 1995 and has now grown to become one of the UK's leading car insurance distributors, and also has a major presence in home insurance and other insurance market places.

The company's excellent award-winning call centre in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, now employs almost 1000 people, and was also named top insurer (17th overall) in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for 2009.

Since it was launched in 1995, Kwik Fit Financial Services has grown and developed into one of Scotland's most dynamic contact centres.

SOURCE Kwik Fit Insurance