THE current state of the global climate is a stark reminder of the consequences that follow when we fail to place wellbeing first. As the ferocity of floods, droughts and other natural disasters have escalated over the past few decades, we need to ask what more should have been done to safeguard our planet.
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It’s not an easy question to face. It’s not unfair to ask: could we have changed the direction of climate change if we had placed Earth’s wellbeing before our own? The answer is almost certainly yes.
And if failure to care has produced this result, one then must also ask what the costs are of failing to care for other aspects of our lives. It is for this reason that wellbeing sits as one of our focus points within all that we do.
‘We recognise that unless we care for those in our organisation, unless we care for clients and their families, and unless we care for the future of the globe, then we have surely failed,’ says Charles Harper, head of business management, investment services, at Melville Douglas.
‘Wellbeing is a multi-faceted, multi-layered undertaking that we pursue though a number of strategies, interactions and business operations.
‘The devastation being wrought around the world by disasters from wildfires to floods is a daily reminder that we dare not falter in our efforts to reduce harm. Because if we do falter, then our very existence is under threat.’
We believe that our long-standing track record of more than 30 years in Jersey and multiple industry awards validate our approach. The most recent recognition we received was being named winner of the Excellence in Private Banking Award and runner-up in Excellence in the Sustainability Award at the International Investment Awards.
We also believe that our performance would not merit recognition were it not for our commitment to wellbeing in our organisation, of our clients and the planet.
For instance, we have adopted the Five Ways to Wellbeing, a set of evidence-based public mental-health messages that aim to improve mental health and general wellbeing. This took on greater significance during the Covid pandemic when we responded by prioritising staff and client welfare.
We have subsequently undertaken initiatives such as resilience training and mental-health awareness, all of which is delivering improvements in our approach and understanding of wellbeing while reducing our teams’ stress and bolstering mental, emotional and physical resilience.
Melville Douglas is a subsidiary of Standard Bank Group Ltd. Melville Douglas Investment Management (Pty) Ltd. (Reg. No. 1962/000738/06) is an authorised Financial Services Provider. (FSP number 595). Melville Douglas is a registered business name of Standard Bank Jersey Ltd which is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Registered in Jersey No. 12999. Standard Bank Jersey Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Bank Offshore Group Ltd, a company incorporated in Jersey. Standard Bank Offshore Group Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Bank Group Ltd which has its registered office at 9th Floor, Standard Bank Centre, 5 Simmonds Street, Johannesburg 2001, Republic of South Africa.
