In the rush of everyday life, how often do we notice and appreciate the little things that give us joy? A Lancaster-based accountancy firm have turned everyday smartphones from distraction and stress enablers into the key to creating a mood-lifting ‘Gratitude Gallery’.
Located at Lancaster Business Park, off Caton Road, ICS Accounting specialise in providing accountancy and payroll solutions to support independent professionals, recruitment agencies and business owners. Established in 2002, their work demands exacting attention and compliance.
Recently placed in the top 25 of the prestigious Financial Times’ top 500 UK’s Best Employers, they invited professional photographer and former Occupational Therapist in NHS mental health services, Ginny Koppenhol, to bring something different and meaningful to their employee welfare programme.
The idea is deceptively simple: seeking and sharing what makes us grateful helps us pause, notice the positives in our day-to-day lives, and build resilience. Adding a creative twist to the idea of ‘gratitude journaling’, participants take spontaneous smartphone snaps capturing informal moments of appreciation: a favourite view, savoured cup of coffee, or family dog-walk.
It was lockdown that inspired Ginny to look for ways to use photography to promote mental health and positive wellbeing. “It was clear people were struggling to cope and connect,” she says. “By using our ever-present smartphones to capture positive micro-moments, we create space to breathe in the middle of our working lives- and train our minds to look for more of them.”
A year of rolling workshops coordinates with ICS’s existing Social Values programme, where inter-office teams work together on local volunteering, awareness and fund-raising projects. With all sessions inclusively scheduled within the normal working day, did the first team find taking, sharing and discussing gratitude snapshots outside their comfort zone?
“Understandably, some were unsure at first- I, too, was worried my pictures wouldn’t be ‘good enough!’” says Helen Callaghan, ICS Accounting HR Manager: “But Ginny soon put everyone at ease. This isn’t about judgement, competition or the perfect photo, but simply capturing a moment. Sessions quickly become full of laughter, stories, and windows into one another’s lives.”
For some, they were a rare chance to slow down and reset during the busy working day. For others, it was about discovering a new skill with their smartphone camera. Everyone appreciated the opportunity to see colleagues and be seen differently: not just as ‘accountant’ or ‘payroll manager’, but individuals with unique stories, families, and passions.
Favourite images chosen for printing now light up the office. While not as visual, other changes are proving just as noticeable: “The atmosphere is so much more congenial and supportive; people are sharing more of themselves, and the sense of connection across teams is stronger,” says Helen. “Colleagues tell me they now take an extra moment on walks to look up at trees, the sky, hug their family, and feel much happier for it. This investment in our Gratitude Gallery shows how our directors value their staff: it’s already made such a positive difference beyond anything we envisioned at the start. I recommend it to everyone.”
