Bradfords Building Supplies has been named global men’s health charity Movember’s #3 Business Fundraiser in all of Europe, following its fundraising efforts in November last year.
Bradfords, which launched its ‘MoBros’ fundraising team with England Rugby star Henry Slade as captain, and successfully raised almost £47,000 during Movember via in-branch fundraising activities and generous donations from partners and customers.
More than doubling its previous total of £17,000 raised for Movember in 2021, the Bradfords MoBros came together once more in support of their partners, fathers, brothers, sons, uncles, and friends who could all be affected by mental health.
Commenting on the achievement, Bradfords CEO David Young said: “It’s a real honour to have been named the #1 Corporate Fundraiser in the UK and #3 in the whole of Europe for what is an outstanding cause.
“I’m so proud of the entirety of Bradfords, who came together and worked so hard to raise close to an amazing £47,000. A big thank you must go to our partners and customers for their generosity and support, and a special thank you to Henry Slade for leading the MoBros team to such a fantastic win.”
Funds raised during Movember go towards supporting innovative world-class men’s health projects in their key focus areas – mental health, suicide prevention, prostate and testicular cancer.
Suicide is an issue close to home for many Bradfords staff, with construction workers four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average, making it one of the deadliest professions for mental health in the UK.
According to research from On the Tools, 73% of the country's 2.1 million construction workers have been affected by poor mental health at some point during their careers. In the UK during 2021, one in five men aged 16 to 29 experienced moderate to severe symptoms of depression, and worryingly a boy born in the UK during 2021 will be expected to live four years less than a girl.
Fundraising efforts at Bradfords are continuing into 2025, with the business hosting a Movember Charity raffle and auction to raise more funds at the Bradfords annual conference this February, where it hopes to break the £50,000 threshold.
For Amy Jeffries, a member of staff at Bradfords’ Worcester branch who participated in the fundraising activity to cycle 1770 miles, the challenge was a rewarding and meaningful one.
“The Movember campaign was something personally close to my heart, with men’s mental health and prostate cancer in my family, so for me it was all for a great campaign and charity.
“It really brought us together as a team to make sure we completed the challenge by the end of the month, and became very exciting towards the end as we reached the finish line. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience and we already can’t wait for next year.”
Anne-Cecile Berthier, Country Director UK & Europe at Movember, said: "We're proud of the awareness and fundraising Bradford has achieved to support our work to change the face of men's health in the UK. As a charity, we work tirelessly to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programmes for mental health, suicide prevention, prostate and testicular cancer.
"A huge thank you to Bradfords for your incredible dedication to raising funds, which helps us make more strides in closing gaps in men's health outcomes so we can stop men from dying too young. We look forward to seeing your 'MoBros' team take on 2025."
