In October, Graham Plumbers’ Merchant used its Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Day to promote the importance of health and wellbeing to its customers and staff. The annual event, introduced in 2000, also provided the opportunity to support the work of Alzheimer’s Research UK and SANE – Graham’s charity partners for 2016.

At Graham branches across the country, customers were reminded of simple ways to stay healthy and reduce stress. The EHS day also gave visitors the opportunity to check their blood pressure and complete a lifestyle health check to identify any areas where improvements could be made. The focus of the day was to inspire small changes that could have lasting health benefits. For example, swapping an unhealthy snack for a piece of fruit or walking short distances instead of driving.

The advantages of healthy eating and keeping active are well known as a way to maintain a healthy weight and prevent conditions such as heart disease, but it also has an important role to play in protecting mental health too.

To support the work of Graham’s charity partners, both dementia and mental health were key themes for its EHS day. During the event, Graham teams helped raise awareness of the symptoms of dementia and a range of mental health conditions as well as providing information on how to protect mental health.

Fundraising activities also took place for Alzheimer’s Research UK and SANE.

Since 1992, Alzheimer’s Research UK’s mission has been to prevent, treat and cure dementia through research. In the UK, 850,000 people are currently living with dementia and this number is expected to rise to over 1m by 2025. Meanwhile, SANE aims to support and improve the lives of people affected by mental illness, both sufferers and their families as well as remove the stigma that is often associated with it.