Housing professionals and community partners are invited to take part in Routes to Resilience, CIH’s presidential outdoor initiative for mental wellbeing on Wednesday 9 September.
Led by CIH president Julie Haydon, and building on her Rooted in Resilience campaign, Routes to Resilience celebrates the strength found in individuals, communities and the housing profession. Through spending time outdoors together, participants can support their wellbeing, strengthen resilience and create their own routes to feeling focused, connected and refreshed.
Routes to Resilience is not intended to replace wider action on workplace wellbeing. It provides a simple and accessible opportunity for individuals and organisations to put the principles of Rooted in Resilience into practice.
This page gives you everything you need to get involved in the initiative, including ready-to-use social post copy, graphic templates and simple ways to get involved at whatever level suits you/your team.
Why it matters
Housing is a people-first profession, and the people who deliver it make a difference every day. Julie’s presidential campaign, Rooted in Resilience, makes the case for mental wellbeing as a strategic priority and a core part of healthy, high-performing workplace cultures.
Routes to Resilience turns that message into action. Walking and spending time outdoors is free, accessible and easy to adapt to different needs and schedules. It supports the same goals as the Rooted in Resilience toolkit: building resilience, supporting mental wellbeing, and creating workplace cultures where people can thrive.
The initiative is designed to encourage both individual wellbeing and organisational reflection on how working practices can better support people.
Reap the benefits of improved mental wellbeing by encouraging your teams to try:
- Meetings outside, where practical
- “Walkie-talkies”: taking a meeting or work call while out for a walk or sitting outside, rather than at your desk
- A team or organisation-wide route to resilience in a way that suits you – walking, cycling, horse-riding!
Suggested internal communications copy:
You may have seen that CIH has launched Routes to Resilience, a UK-wide initiative encouraging housing professionals to spend time outdoors in support of their mental wellbeing. It builds on CIH president Julie Haydon’s presidential campaign, Rooted in Resilience.
Routes to Resilience takes place on Wednesday 9 September, and as a team/organisation, we're getting involved by:
- Taking meetings outside where possible – if it does not need a screen, take it outside
- Trying “walkie-talkies” – swapping a work call or catch-up for a walk, rather than sitting at a desk
- Attempting to walk XX miles/steps between us on our lunch break.
Why does this matter? Small changes, like stepping away from your desk for ten minutes, can help reduce stress, improve focus and boost energy. It is a simple, positive way to build resilience, support mental wellbeing and create a workplace culture where we can thrive.
Small steps can make a big difference. Find your own route to resilience and give yourself a boost by:
- Taking a walk on your lunch break
- Sitting outside for ten minutes before you start your working day
- Trying a “walkie-talkie” for a call or catch-up that does not need a screen
Post about why you are taking part, whether it is to ease stress, support a colleague, raise money for an important cause or simply get some fresh air between calls. Take a picture, share your route and help spread the message.
On the second day of the Housing Community Summit, taking place in Liverpool on 8-9 September, CIH President Julie Haydon is leading a scenic morning walk around Liverpool's waterfront.
Setting off bright and early at 7.30am, this is a chance to connect with fellow housing professionals in a relaxed setting, share experiences from across the sector, and enjoy meaningful conversations as you walk.
It’s the ideal Route to Resilience! If you take part, be sure to take pictures and share your route on social media with the hashtag #RoutesToResilience.
More information on the walk and the rest of the Housing Community Summit is available here.
Suggested LinkedIn posts
Feel free to use these as they are, or adapt them with your own name, team or story.
- “I’m taking part”
🚶 I’m taking a Route to Resilience to support my mental wellbeing.
Routes to Resilience is CIH’s UK and Ireland-wide outdoor initiative, created as part of CIH president Julie Haydon’s Rooted in Resilience campaign. It encourages housing professionals to take time outdoors, connect with others and make wellbeing part of everyday working life.
Every step is a reminder that resilience is something we can build together.
Join in and share your Route to Resilience! - "I’m taking a walkie-talkie meeting”
📵 Swapping the screen for the outdoors.
As part of Routes to Resilience, I’ve turned today’s work call into a walking meeting, or a “walkie-talkie”.
Even ten minutes away from the desk can help clear your head, support focus and make the working day feel better.
It’s a small step, but it supports a bigger message from Julie Haydon’s Rooted in Resilience campaign: wellbeing matters, and resilient workplace cultures help people thrive.
Step outside and share your Route to Resilience! - Team/organisation walk
🌱 [Organisation/team] is stepping out for Routes to Resilience.
We’re taking part in a [team walk / step challenge / outdoor meeting / lunchtime wellbeing walk] as part of CIH’s UK-wide outdoor initiative for mental wellbeing in the housing sector.
A few minutes outdoors can lift our focus, energy and connection, and that is exactly what this is about.
Together, we’re supporting a culture where wellbeing is part of how we work. 🤝
