Leading national mental health charity Change Mental Health has announced that its workplace health and wellbeing summit is returning next month for the second time.
The People First Summit will convene experts from Wellbeing at Work and all kinds of businesses, large and small, who want to learn how to create thriving cultures and workplaces. Topics will include enabling AI in workplaces and what that means for wellbeing. There will also be sessions on promoting a good work-life balance.
The key takeaways will be to find a way to foster a healthy workforce while building an effective and high-performing team.
The day will be hosted by NatWest Group at their Gogarburn HQ on 23 November 2026. It will include keynote speeches, presentations and roundtable discussions.
Anyone attending will come away with new business connections and valuable insights into wellbeing strategies, along with tips on using new technology to help.
Jonny Cobbold, Director of Development at Change Mental Health, said: “At Change Mental Health, we’ve spent over five decades supporting individuals, families and communities across Scotland. Much of that work has focusing on helping people during moments of crisis when they are at their most vulnerable. But what if people had the tools, confidence and culture around them to maintain their wellbeing before things reached breaking point?
“This is why we are partnering with Wellbeing at Work for the second annual People First Summit, ensuring that we are providing a platform for employers to learn, connect and engage, and to create thriving cultures and workplaces.
“We’re especially excited this year to have Natwest as the host organisation, who are providing their Gogarburn space on the day.”
Michael Macinnes, Wellbeing Manager at NatWest Group, said: “NatWest Group is honoured to be hosting the 2026 People First Summit in Edinburgh.
“As an organisation, we recognise the important role that Change Mental Health plays in breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and supporting communities across the country. We’ve seen their work firsthand, which gave us a valuable insight into their impact and it inspired us to become more involved in supporting their mission.
“We are delighted to welcome attendees to Gogarburn and look forward to the conversations, shared experiences and connections that will emerge throughout the Summit.”
Chris Cummings, CEO of Wellbeing at Work, who will deliver an introductory speech on the day, said: “We are delighted to bring a focused Wellbeing at Work event to the beautiful city of Edinburgh again this November. I’m particularly excited to be partnering and working with the excellent team at Change Mental Health once more, who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the event. It really will be a day not to miss!”
Organisations attending will include NHS Scotland, Aegon, SSEN, Robertson Group, Royal Mail, Scottish Government, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, and The University of Edinburgh.
Research from Deloitte shows that for every £1 spent on mental health, employers see an average return of £4.70 through reduced absence, turnover and improved productivity. During a time when 93% of Scots have experienced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the last year – as noted in the 2026 Burnout Report by Mental Health UK (a sister charity of Change Mental Health) – it has never been a more vital time for organisations to focus on the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Wellbeing at Work have put themselves on the map in delivering highly successful leadership summits around the world over the last 10 years, with many highly influential events from Canada to Australia and countries in between.
- https://wellbeingatwork.world/summit/people-first-summit-2026/
- An early-bird discount code of CHANGEMH50 can be applied at checkout.
