Month: November 2021

There are moments in agency life that go well beyond briefs, deadlines, and design work. This is one of them.
Our designer Emily Smith recently completed a five-day mental health first aid training course with the wonderful Wendy Garrett of Garrett Learning. The course, accredited by MHFA England, covered some genuinely tough subject matter. Important stuff, though. The kind of knowledge that can make a real difference to the people around you.

Emily put herself forward for the training off her own back, which tells you everything you need to know about her. She’s one of those people who genuinely cares. She brings a warmth and a level of maturity to the Eighty3 studio that, frankly, we’d be lost without. Our vision statement is “To create opportunities that fulfil potential” and when Emily showed an interest in taking this on, it felt like exactly that kind of moment. She was the right person at the right time, and we couldn’t be more proud of her for seeing it through.

Wendy Garrett, who led the course, had this to say: “She was a wonderful delegate. I hope she has taken away a lot from the course.” High praise from someone who really knows her stuff.
Mental health matters. It matters in life, and it matters in the workplace. Having someone in the team with this level of knowledge and this much genuine compassion is something we don’t take lightly. Taking care of the Eighty3 family is something Rebecca and the team feel strongly about, and knowing Emily is here with the skills to support that means a great deal.

We’d recommend MHFA England’s mental health first aid training to any business, no matter the size. It’s practical, it’s powerful, and in the right hands, it’s transformative.
Our mantra is Positivity Through Creativity. But the office mantra right now? Be More Smithy. Well done, Emily. We’re dead proud of you.