Business Breakfast Focus on Wellbeing

On Friday, Truro School welcomed parents, alumni, friends and local businesses to the Terrace for a morning of connection, conversation and collaboration, centred around the important theme of wellbeing.

The marquee was buzzing with lively conversation, charitable giving, and the chance to reconnect with familiar faces while making new connections. The morning began with networking over breakfast, alongside a fun basketball hoops challenge provided by the Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre.

The competition proved to be surprisingly fierce, with participants battling to score the highest number of baskets. Kate achieved the top score of the morning, but as a member of the Sports Centre team, she graciously handed the crown to runner-up Helen, who impressed with a score of four. A special mention must also go to Head Andy Johnson, who may not have managed to score a basket but certainly entertained everyone with a spectacular shot that bounced off the hoop and somehow travelled all the way towards the girls’ boarding house!

Our very first guest to arrive wasn’t a parent, alumnus or business owner—it was a rather opportunistic seagull! Clearly just as excited as everyone else by the delicious breakfast spread, our feathered visitor swooped in before the event had even begun and managed to help itself to a croissant from an unattended plate. While Helen may have taken home the basketball challenge title, it’s fair to say our seagull was the real winner of the morning!

We were also delighted to welcome Mel from Healthy Cornwall, who not only showed a competitive streak in the netball challenge but also spoke with attendees about the wellbeing courses available to businesses and offered complimentary blood pressure checks throughout the morning.

Our programme of speakers began with a warm welcome and thank you from Head Andy Johnson before Ross Jackson-Hicks took to the stage to share the inspiring work of Man Down. The charity provides men with a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space to talk openly about their mental health, with the aim of reducing male suicide across Cornwall.

Having faced his own mental health challenges, Ross has dedicated himself to supporting others and is a passionate advocate for encouraging men to seek help and attend Man Down’s free, referral-free support groups across the county. Ross also highlighted the charity’s 383 Campaign, named after the average number of men who die by suicide each month in the UK, encouraging businesses to support this important initiative. He also spoke about Man Down’s expanding work with schools, delivering specialist programmes to support teenage boys and promote positive conversations around mental wellbeing.

If you would like to find out more about Man Down’s 383 campaign, you can do so HERE

Lisa Telfer-Brunton, Managing Director of Cornwall Pride, followed with an inspiring talk about the importance of belonging and the role community plays in supporting wellbeing. Lisa shared how Cornwall Pride’s work extends far beyond its annual celebrations, creating safe and welcoming spaces for people throughout the year. She also reflected on returning to Truro School for the first time in over 30 years since playing hockey here as a student and invited attendees to find out more about the organisation’s work.

Midway through the morning, Pilates coach Tonya Berrington reminded everyone of the importance of taking time for themselves. She led guests through a simple chair reset, demonstrating stretches, breathing techniques and gentle movements that can easily be incorporated into a busy working day, whether at a desk or even whilst travelling. The session was thoroughly enjoyed by attendees and provided a welcome opportunity to pause, recharge and refocus.

Continuing the theme of wellbeing, Vanessa Matthews, Founder and Director of Sekhem Wellbeing, introduced guests to the Zone Technique, a specialist healing modality designed to support the body’s natural ability to restore balance across its six core systems: glandular, eliminative, nervous, digestive, muscular and circulatory. Vanessa explained how the treatment uses gentle touch along the spine to encourage the body’s natural healing processes, supporting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. She also shared the exciting news of her forthcoming wellness destination in Truro, which will offer a range of hot and cold therapies alongside her existing treatments.

This event was kindly sponsored by Handelsbanken, whose generous support enabled us to offer complimentary tickets to our community, making the morning accessible to as many people as possible.

Throughout the event, attendees also had the opportunity to support Man Down through donations to a collection box, helping to raise funds for the charity’s vital work supporting men’s mental health across Cornwall.

For the second time, we were delighted to welcome Sixth Form pupils to the Business Breakfast. The event provided them with a valuable opportunity to meet members of our wider community and take their first steps into professional networking in a supportive environment alongside school staff. It allowed students to develop confidence, engage in meaningful career-focused conversations, and build communication skills by connecting with people from a wide range of professions, backgrounds and experiences.

We hope everyone who attended the Business Breakfast enjoyed the morning and left feeling inspired by the conversations, connections and insights shared. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our speakers, partners and businesses who helped make the event such a valuable and enjoyable occasion for our wider community.

Details of our next Business Breakfast will be announced soon. To be the first to hear about future events, make sure you’ve joined our mailing list HERE