Wales’ largest repairer won the Bodyshop Staff Wellbeing Award in the NBRA (National Body Repair Association) Greener Bodyshop Awards which celebrate excellence, innovation and sustainability in the accident repair industry. The honour was announced at an awards event held at the Coventry Building Society Arena, the home of Coventry City Football Club.

iRG, which employs 130 staff across six sites, was lauded for the wide range of programmes and benefits that it has put in place to assist staff in the workplace and their home lives.

Martyn Rowley, the NBRA’s Executive Director, said that iRG fully-deserved to be recognised as a bodyshop group for the LKQ-sponsored Staff Wellbeing Award after demonstrating outstanding dedication to supporting its workforce. From health to money matters, initiatives launched by the company include employee assistance programmes, staff perks, and cash plans, as well as additional holidays, internal newsletters, and access to useful health and wellbeing resources - from playlists and podcasts to self-care guidance.

"iRG stood out for going above and beyond to create a positive, healthy, and supportive workplace,” he said. “In a category that saw a record number of entries, they impressed the judges with a comprehensive and genuine approach to staff care. 

“Their management team also championed peer support by appointing mental health champions and delving into MHFA training and, beyond this, they have introduced flexible scheduling, home working where possible, and strong support for work-life balance.”

Martyn added: “Practical help such as budget planning for staff, alongside thoughtful policies, pledges, and engaging team-building days, made iRG’s entry truly stand out.”

Claire Jones, iRG Repair Group’s HR Director, described the NBRA award as an “incredible honour”. She said that whilst the extensive package of initiatives put in place helped to strengthen company culture and boost productivity, ultimately they were designed to ensure that colleagues were happy in their work and their home life too.

“At iRG, we recognise that wellbeing looks different for everyone, so our approach is to ensure our initiatives are broad to hopefully, help meet the diverse needs of our staff and provide everyone with access to support, regardless of their individual circumstances,” she explained. “We believe that when people feel safe, supported, and valued, they can do their best work and live their fullest lives. 

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but we also know that such work is never complete, we need to continue building wellbeing into our culture at every level.”