Home improvement industry charity breaks fundraising target during month-long movement challenge

The Rainy Day Trust has surpassed its headline fundraising and participation target for its Mad March Million campaign with two weeks still remaining in the month-long movement challenge.

A team from the Bira head office, known as “The Sole Traders”, committed to adding at least 10 minutes of daily activity throughout March, taking on everything from dog walks and dance and fitness classes to running challenges and even climbing Pen Y Fan.

The sector-wide initiative, delivered with wellbeing specialists Wellbeing People, launched on March 1 and saw its collective one million steps goal achieved by Day 18, with companies including Toolbank, IRSAP UK, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), NBG, Horwood, AkzoNobel and several Bira members taking part.

Chief executive of the Rainy Day Trust, Anna Skeats, said: “Mad March Million has exceeded every expectation we had for it, not just in the numbers, but in what it has revealed about the character of our sector. These are people who show up. For their customers, for their teams, and now, through this campaign, for themselves and for each other.”

She added: “The Donations raised through Mad March Million go directly to supporting colleagues across our sector who are navigating real crisis, sudden illness, financial hardship, bereavement, moments when they don’t know which way to turn. The Rainy Day Trust has been there for those moments for 182 years. This campaign helps us stay there.”

Members of the Bira team taking part include Director of Marketing at Bira John Halliday, Sarah Ward, Executive Director of the Gift & Lifestyle Consortium, HR Manager at Bira Julie Elcock, Claire Holmes from the Bira Marketing team, Leanne Fallon and Simone Rose from the Bira Membership team, and Claire Leigh from the Bira Direct team.

(Left to right; top to bottom): Claire Holmes, Claire Leigh (middle right), Julie Elcock, John Halliday

The challenge continues until 31 March as participation and fundraising efforts across the sector keep building momentum.

Image credit: Rainy Day Trust