How Corporate Memberships can strengthen workplace wellbeing in 2026 and beyond

As organisations start shaping their people strategies for 2026, one message is clearer than ever. Wellbeing is no longer a nice to have. It’s an essential part of how modern businesses attract, retain, and support their people.

Over the past few years, wellbeing has moved from a quiet side project to a strategic business priority. For HR and Wellbeing Managers, that shift brings both opportunity and pressure. Expectations around mental health support have grown, but internal capacity, budgets and time often haven’t.  

The question for many leaders now is:

How can we deliver meaningful wellbeing strategies that make a real difference, without adding to the workload?

At Arthur Ellis: Mental Health Support, that’s where our work begins.

A Partner for prevention and support

Arthur Ellis: Mental Health Support is a multi award winning mental health charity based in Milton Keynes and delivering mental health support for people across the UK. The charity partners with businesses through its Corporate Membership Programme, a model designed to make mental health support better, faster and more sustainable within workplaces and in the wider community.

Founder and Chief Fundraising Officer Jon Manning explains: “Our goal is to bridge the gap between prevention and support. We work directly with businesses to strengthen wellbeing from the inside out, while ensuring those outside the workplace can access the help they need without delay.”

Through its corporate partnerships, Arthur Ellis delivers wellbeing training and education to teams across sectors and industries. Each membership directly funds free one-to-one sessions for people who need support, while equipping workplaces with the tools and confidence to look after their own people.

Why HR teams need trusted partners

Most HR and wellbeing managers know exactly what their teams need: Time, connection, and genuine understanding. But often, there is a struggle to deliver consistent support at a larger scale. The pressure of retention, rising burnout rates, and complex mental health challenges can sometimes make wellbeing feel like a moving target.

At Arthur Ellis: Mental Health Support, their Corporate Membership model was built to tackle this. By combining evidence-based workshops, training and resources with expert delivery, the charity gives HR teams ready made support that fit seamlessly into existing people plans. It’s proactive, it’s measurable, and it’s designed for long-term impact.

Three levels of partnership support

Arthur Ellis’ Corporate Membership Programme offers three levels of support, each tailored to the needs of the business:

• Positive Wellbeing Sessions – £100/month
  Support at this level entitles your business to a 90 minute interactive workshop which helps colleagues understand their wellbeing and build positive coping strategies. This session uses Arthur Ellis’ well known Bananas and Doughnuts Framework, a simple, science backed model for everyday mental health.

• Positive Wellbeing Champion Training – £300/month
  This level of support also gives businesses a regular three hour training session which develops internal Wellbeing Champions, meaning colleagues are trained in leading wellbeing initiatives and driving cultural change across their organisation

• Wellbeing Conversation Podcasts – £500/month
  An innovative approach to training through our Wellbeing Conversations, a series of filmed discussions between our Founder Jon and employees from your business. Designed in collaboration with each business, these sessions allow teams to share experiences and build a library of learning resources which live well beyond the workshop.

Planning for 2026 and Bbyond

As HR leaders plan their wellbeing strategies for 2026, the focus is increasingly shifting from reaction to prevention. A growing body of research shows that organisations with proactive wellbeing strategies experience stronger employee engagement, lower turnover and improved productivity. But prevention doesn’t happen by accident! Rather, it’s achieved through planning, structure and high quality partnerships.

The Arthur Ellis membership model makes that possible. By embedding their regular sessions, training and access to practical frameworks into the calendar, businesses move far beyond tickbox wellbeing days towards lasting, evidence based strategies.

Jon adds: “When wellbeing is consistent, people notice the difference. You can feel it in how teams communicate, how they support each other, and how they show up at work each day. That’s what real cultural change looks like.”

A shared commitment to better mental health

The strength of the Arthur Ellis approach lies in the partnerships between workplaces, communities, and the individuals they serve. Every membership helps to create a ripple effect which improves mental health support inside organisations while ensuring no one outside of them is left waiting for help.

As 2026 approaches, HR and wellbeing leaders have the opportunity to turn good intentions into structured, measurable action - and to do so alongside a partner that understands both the business and human sides of mental health.

To find out how your organisation can become a Corporate Member and join the movement towards better workplace wellbeing, visit www.arthurellismhs.com or email hello@arthurellismhs.com.

I'm sure it's no surprise to you that since the pandemic, those accessing our services has increased by 806%, and this figure continues to rise.  Adapting to support the most vulnerable in our community is needed and as ever, we are grateful for your support in partnering with us to achieve this.

This change brings us one step closer to achieving our mission - to help the estimated 1.7 million people across the UK who struggle to access support, without long waits or high thresholds.

We’re committed to making prioritizing mental health as effortless and effective for you as possible. If any other questions come up, please don’t hesitate to reach out!