Retail Trust’s wellbeing festival is just one week away

Industry charity the Retail Trust is all set to take over London’s Truman Brewery for the UK's first wellbeing festival for retail workers, Together Fest.

Nicola Roberts, Roman Kemp and Jamie Laing will headline the one-day event on 12 May, filled with masterclasses, music and motivating speakers to help boost wellbeing across the retail industry.

Actor, recording artist and songwriter Nicola Roberts, best known as part of the record-breaking group Girls Aloud, will talk about resilience and reaching out for help.

She will be joined on the event’s main stage by Capital FM host and TV presenter Roman Kemp who will perform a live DJ set and podcaster, entrepreneur and former Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing who will open up about learning to live with anxiety and overcoming panic attacks.

The programme will cover mental health, physical wellbeing and financial wellness, with talks on everything from handling anxiety and preventing burnout to managing money worries and getting a good night’s sleep. There will be classes in fitness, breathing and yoga, cookery and craft workshops, and live entertainment spanning music and stand-up comedy.

Presenter, author and flexible working campaigner Anna Whitehouse AKA Mother Pukka will host the event. Psychotherapist and author Anxiety Josh, AKA Joshua Fletcher, will explain how to overcome stressful scenarios and conflict to thrive under pressure while trans activist Charlie Craggs and the founder of social networking platform Peanut Michelle Kennedy will address the power of connection and how to find your community at work and home.

Together Fest’s line-up of more than 25 wellbeing experts also includes mental health advocate Natasha Devon, personal trainer and founder of Cell Workout LJ Flanders, and cook and food writer Georgina Hayden.

More than 600 retail workers from over 50 UK retailers are set to attend the event.

“Demand for our services has never been higher so we need to find new ways of supporting and connecting with retail workers across the UK as they continue to face ongoing uncertainty, stress and risk of burnout. Together Fest will bring together as many retail heroes as we can to support and celebrate everyone who works so hard to keep their businesses and the country itself moving,” Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said.

“We want Together Fest to represent everything that the Retail Trust has always stood for; both by inspiring and equipping people with the right tools to improve their wellbeing, and by instilling a real sense of belonging and pride in working for the retail industry. We hope it will leave them encouraged, inspired and entertained, with ideas and practical solutions they can put into practice at home, work and share with their colleagues. And we believe it will really prove that the retail industry is strongest when it comes together in this way.”