“A big step in the right direction”

Europe’s largest life and pensions consolidator, Phoenix Group, is joining forces with walking charity Living Streets to further the movement for everyday walking through a flagship wellbeing partnership delivered across 2019 within the UK.

Phoenix Group takes the health and wellbeing of its 4,000+ colleagues very seriously and is building on previous joint activity with Living Streets to further embed a culture of walking across all of its UK sites.

Highlights of the partnership for 2019 include being headline sponsor of Living Streets’ National Walking Month campaign in May, extensive delivery of Living Streets’ new Walking Works programme for workplaces, and a community-facing programme that builds on the successful Walking Friends initiative, involving colleagues taking elderly residents on led walks within the community.

Joe Irvin, CEO of Living Streets said: “Evidence shows that businesses who invest in a walking culture are more productive, support staff wellbeing and operate more sustainably. Phoenix Group is a pioneer in its commitment to embed a walking culture, and through this partnership aims to deliver at a level that is unparalleled in the business community.

“The Group is an incredible support to our vision of creating a nation where walking is the natural choice for local, everyday journeys. Thank you Phoenix Group.”

This year Living Streets is celebrating 90 years of campaigning for better streets for people walking. With just 10 per cent of walking to work journeys being walked in the UK; the support from Phoenix Group is a big step in the right direction.

Jonathan Pears, Group Chief Risk Officer and ‘Wellbeing walking ambassador’ from Phoenix Group said: “It’s a privilege to be partnering with Living Streets this year to boost the wellbeing of colleagues onsite, and to collectively help spread the positive benefits that the simple act of walking can bring to all.”

Notes to editors:

Contact:

Kathryn Shaw,
Communications and Media Manager, Living Streets.
Kathryn.shaw@livingstreets.org.uk / 020 7377 4914

We are Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking.

We want to create a nation where walking is the natural choice for everyday, local journeys; free from congested roads and pollution, reducing the risk of preventable illnesses and social isolation. We want to achieve a better walking environment and to inspire people of all generations to enjoy the benefits the simple act of walking brings.

For 90 years we’ve been a beacon for walking. In our early days our campaigning led to the UK’s first zebra crossings and speed limits. Now our campaigns and local projects deliver real change to overcome barriers to walking and our ground-breaking initiatives such as the world’s biggest Walk to School campaign encourage millions of people to walk.

Phoenix Group

Phoenix Group is Europe’s largest life and pensions consolidator, specialising in the acquisition and management of closed life insurance and pension funds – known as heritage books. Phoenix is the largest consolidator of heritage life insurance books in Europe but also runs an open book underpinned by a strategic partnership with Standard Life Aberdeen. The Group is a member of the FTSE 250 index, and has over 10 million policies and £226 billion of assets under management – including the recently acquired Standard Life Assurance business. With operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany, the Group has four operating life companies which hold policyholder assets, and a distribution business, SunLife Limited.
www.thephoenixgroup.com