With nominations now open for the 2026 Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards, we’re continuing our Winners Interview Series, where we sit down with past recipients to explore what winning has meant to them — personally, professionally — and to learn more about the strategies that earned them recognition.
In this edition, Wellity’s James Sharples chats with Antoinette Farrell-Jones, Director of People at Birmingham Airport, whose team were crowned Wellbeing Team of the Year: Large Company at the 2025 awards.
What stood out about Birmingham Airport’s submission was its focus on rebuilding trust and engaging employees in a meaningful way. Faced with low survey response rates and a lack of confidence, the team decided to place employees at the heart of wellbeing by creating a Wellbeing Forum a group dedicated to driving initiatives and representing colleague voices across the business.
This collaborative approach has had a transformative effect. With around 1,000 people working at the airport itself, and over 10,000 across the wider campus, the impact of employee-led ideas has been far-reaching, improving not just engagement but also the sense of community and pride in the workplace.
One of the standout initiatives has been the creation of Headspace Gardens quiet, restorative areas where staff can take time out from the busy terminal environment. These spaces have been so effective that other organisations working on-site, including Border Force and airport police, have made use of them. Border Force were even inspired to explore launching similar initiatives for their own teams.
Wellbeing at Birmingham Airport also extends to the everyday moments that bring people together. From surprising staff with ice cream vans on hot days, to the launch of the Proud Festival, a summer celebration designed to connect and recognise colleagues, the focus is always on building belonging and pride in line with the airport’s values.
For Antoinette, the passion of employees driving initiatives on top of their day jobs is what makes the difference:
“They’re the winners. They do this because they care. From organising bootcamps to finding plants for the gardens, the pride they take is what makes all the difference.”
Winning the award was a milestone moment, shining a spotlight on the team’s work and elevating wellbeing on the leadership agenda.
“It felt like the Oscars,” Antoinette recalls. “The reaction when we won showed just how much it meant to everyone. That passion and belief is half the battle in making wellbeing initiatives a success.”
The recognition has not only celebrated the progress so far, but also strengthened commitment to the journey ahead. For Birmingham Airport, wellbeing is not a one-off initiative but a continuous effort to embed care and pride into workplace culture.
Their advice to others thinking of entering? “Do it. Don’t do it for yourself, do it for the impact it has across the whole organisation. The recognition shows employees how much they’re valued, and the journey itself creates pride and motivation.”
You can watch the full interview below:
If Birmingham Airport’s story inspires you, now is the time: nominate a colleague, team, or initiative that’s redefining workplace wellbeing!
Nominations close 26th September 2025.