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Smoke free award for Sheffield leisure company
Sheffield International Venues (SIV) has become one of the first organisations in the city to receive a Workplace Stop Smoking Scheme Employer Award.

The leading leisure operator has been awarded a certificate in recognition of its commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of its workforce by hosting stop smoking sessions.

Held at SIV's Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, the sessions are part of the company's Workplace Wellness Programme, which was established in 2008 to focus on different ways staff can become more active or do something positive for their health.
 SIV, which employs more than 1,000 people, operates one of the largest concentrations of diverse elite and community sports and entertainment venues in Europe including Ponds Forge, the English Institute of Sport - Sheffield and Sheffield City Hall.


Justine Foster-Davis, head of sport for SIV, said: "We are proud to become one of the first organisations in Sheffield to receive the Workplace Stop Smoking Scheme Employer Award.

"We are committed to creating a healthy environment that works and giving our employees the best possible opportunity to get involved in physical activity and access to information on health-related initiatives.

"As a leisure and sport provider, the link between being physically active and improved employee productivity is extremely strong and a healthy workforce has a direct impact on reducing levels of absenteeism."

This week marks the third anniversary of the smoke free legislation, which came into effect on July 1 2007, making virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in England smoke free.

Lucy Ball, health promotion officer for Sheffield City Council, said: "We have been recognising the work of individuals in their quest to stop smoking since the legislation was introduced three years ago, but this is one of the first awards we have presented to an employer.

"Stop smoking sessions are a great way to show to staff that their health is of paramount importance and SIV is setting an example to other organisations in Sheffield.

"Supporting staff to quit make business sense. Smokers take more annual days of sickness leave and in the UK smoking breaks account for almost £50,000 of lost time annually for every 100 people."