We are delighted to share that our Annual Employee Ownership (EO) Day, held on 19th June 2024 at Pride Park Stadium in the heart of Derby, was an overwhelming success. The theme for this year’s event, “Bringing Our Purpose to Life,” perfectly captured our ongoing commitment to making Pennine not just a great place to work, but a great place to be, with an inclusive and purpose-driven workplace culture.
At Pennine, EO Day is more than just a date on the calendar—it’s a celebration of our collective achievements, values, and the shared journey of our employee-owners which contributes to building strong commercial partnerships. This year, we celebrated our colleagues and welcomed a selection of external guests who highlighted how Pennine has made a significant difference through our purpose of: ‘Protecting Life. Empowering Colleagues. Enriching Communities’.
After our CEO, Graeme Cameron, introduced the agenda for the day, and delivered our financial update for the last financial year, David Chabeaux was introduced to the stage to talk about the importance of execution in growth.
Mark Harwood from Camstent was next to join the party. Mark’s pioneering work in developing advanced medical materials aligns perfectly with our dedication to improving healthcare outcomes and driving forward-thinking solutions. His presentation was both enlightening and inspiring, demonstrating the real-world impact of our collaborative efforts.
Next on the agenda was the importance of ‘Empowering Colleagues’, and our Head of Marketing & Communications, Dan Wilson, hosted an enlighting Q&A with Sarah Staufenbiel, our Theatre Pack Development Manager & Clinical Lead. Sarah’s journey with Pennine highlighted the supportive and dynamic environment that we strive to create for all our employees.
It was time to break for lunch, and the team were treated to some hot food and drinks, whilst able to sit out in the Pride Park Stadium and take in the views of the pitch.
The afternoon session was kicked off by Simon Carnell from Derby County Community Trust, who spoke about the importance of community engagement and social responsibility, emphasising the role that Pennine actively plays in supporting their initiatives. Simon’s efforts in promoting health, well-being, and inclusivity through sports and community programmes, resonated deeply with our latest initiative, ‘The Heart of Life is Health’. His talk was a powerful reminder of the positive influence we can have on our community.
Finally, our Head of People and Culture, Mark Jones, delivered arguably the most powerful session of the day, with a raw and honest update on his Mental Health journey. Mental Health is no longer a stigma at Pennine, largely down to the great work that Mark has undertaken, and I know how deeply his session resonated with our colleagues.
The feedback from our employee-owners was overwhelmingly positive. They left the event with a renewed sense of motivation and unity, truly embodying the spirit of our theme, “Bringing Our Purpose to Life.” The sense of community and shared purpose was palpable, and it was clear that EO Day 2024 had a profound impact on everyone who attended.
We also want to say a huge thank you to James de le Vingne from the eoa for being our special guest throughout the day, you can capture James’ thoughts in the recap video below.
To conclude, we are incredibly proud of the success of this year’s EO Day and look forward to continuing to build on this momentum. Here’s to many more years of celebrating our shared purpose and collective achievements. Bring on EO Day 2025!
