Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) will host the first of a series of webinars to help event and hospitality professionals protect their mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus crisis and beyond on 25 March.

The initiative is part of the HBAA’s mental health campaign to raise awareness and empower organisations to tackle the growing problem across the sector and to support its members during these tough times.

The first 40-minute webinar, which will be launched this week, will feature a range of topics, including how to manage the current pressures of working in the industry, how to cope during self-isolation and tips on working from home, followed by a Q&A. It will be led by mental health first aid trainer Gavin Percy, who is managing director of Balancing Edges Consultancy, which provides specialist mental health training courses for the industry. This first live webinar, which will be available for a maximum of 25 HBAA members, will take place twice, first at 1pm and again at 8.30pm.

Leigh Cowlishaw, past chair and board member of HBAA who is leading the initiative said: “It is now more important than ever to act quickly and support our members and the wider industry. We are all challenged right now, both personally and professionally, and we need to ensure that we have support and tool kits to look after ourselves and those around us. This situation is beyond us washing our hands.”