Craft Union’s North-West Team Celebrates Raising £2,400 For CALM Through Recent Car Wash And Charity Day
A team of Craft Union regional managers, operational directors and Droylsden’s Beehive pub are all celebrating after raising £2,400 for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – a suicide-prevention charity.
This comes as Stonegate Group have recently announced a two-year charity partnership with CALM, with an aim of bringing suicide prevention into the heart of Britain’s pubs, bars and venues.
The fundraiser, which consisted of the north-west team getting stuck in and handwashing almost 40 cars throughout the day where guests donated to CALM in return for a spotless car, helped significantly drive donations.
Eight of the north-west ODs and RMs were more than happy to put their hands up and get scrubbing over the weekend for a great cause, with the operations team discovering a newfound talent in washing cars.
Alongside the car wash by the operations team, The Beehive pub in Droylsden held a family fun charity day, helping push the final figure raised to £2,400 with Droylsden locals more than happy to put their hands in their pocket for a great cause.
The day consisted of a charity raffle with some huge prizes ranging from football coaching sessions to gallons of beer and a bouncy castle for the kids to enjoy. While later in the day, local singer, Steve Kenny, performed some popular tracks to keep the party atmosphere going throughout.
It was no surprise to see the Manchester community rally when operator Gary Cooney and regional manager Shelley Matier wanted to help raise funds to support suicide prevention – a tragedy that has effected so many of us.
Regional Manager Shelley Matier said: “To see the area come together to support such an important cause in CALM is a prime example of what makes our north-west community so brilliant.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who donated to CALM and continue to support our fundraising efforts, the car wash was a lot of fun and I’d like to also say thank you to the team at Craft Union who were more than willing to give up their Sunday to wash cars for a great cause!
“CALM is an incredible charity that is really close to our hearts, we have lost a number of guests in the last 12 months to suicide as well as personally losing my best friend so we want to help prevent suicide in any way we can.”
Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK dies by suicide. It’s the biggest killer of men under 50, and rates among young women under 24 are rising faster than ever. One in four people will experience suicidal thoughts in their lifetime, and within hospitality, one in two workers reports struggling with mental health.
As the UK’s largest pub company, Stonegate is uniquely placed to make a difference. CALM’s messaging and support will be visible across Stonegate’s pubs, bars and venues through in-venue signage and digital screens – reaching people in the social spaces where conversations happen.
Stonegate’s pub teams, head office colleagues and partners will take part in fundraising and awareness activities throughout the partnership. For anyone who may be struggling, seeing that support at the right moment could help them feel less alone and encourage them to seek help.
You can find out more information about CALM by visiting their website here.