Penny Brohn UK have begun a collaboration with Wessex Water on a Skillshare programme, supporting each other’s long-term development through shared expertise and experience.

Based just outside Bristol in Wessex Water’s catchment, Penny Brohn UK is the country’s leading charity providing free care and support to anyone affected by cancer, before, during and after treatment.

Techniques developed to help people live well with cancer, feel empowered and reclaim control of their health can also be beneficial to the wider public for general wellbeing. Wessex Water staff will be able to access specialist wellbeing services through Penny Brohn UK.

By piloting the programme with the water and sewerage company first, the charity will get constructive feedback and help develop a commercially attractive service which can be marketed to other organisations in the future.

In turn Wessex Water will support Penny Brohn UK by providing training workshops on specific business areas and facilitating a mentoring programme to help develop and nurture individual managers at the charity.

Andrew Hufford, Penny Brohn UK Commercial Director, said: “This is very exciting for us. As a small organisation it is difficult for us to develop the training and HR tools that we need. For instance, Wessex Water have knowledge and expertise that can help us with our appraisal system for staff.

“We also have a 40-year track record and skilled team that are supporting people every day with the emotional and psychological impact of cancer. We have fantastic gardens in Ham Green, near Bristol where we can host events for Wessex Water staff and provide them with the support they need.”

James Lovell, a cancer survivor and Wessex Water’s Head of Water Recycling said: “Penny Brohn UK do some fantastic work to support people living with cancer and their families, many of whom are our customers.

“Having benefited from the support Penny Brohn provided me, both during and after cancer treatment, I am thrilled to be working with such an established and beloved charity that has deep roots in the communities we serve.”

Skillshare is a development of the existing volunteer programme run by Wessex Water, which provides more than 3,000 hours of volunteer support to local charities every year.