The campaign raises vital funds for Men Matter Scotland, a Glasgow-based men’s mental health and suicide prevention charity, while shining a light on a mental health crisis that continues to affect the construction industry.

Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry in the UK. Workers in the sector are nearly four times more likely to take their own lives than those in other industries, according to research conducted by Glasgow Caledonian University in conjunction with the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity.

In 2021 alone, 507 construction workers died by suicide, the equivalent of almost two every day.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, making it a fitting time for the industry to come together and take action. Roofing Advisors (UK) Ltd is using the challenge to not only raise funds but to encourage a wider conversation about mental health on site and in the workplace.

The 5K a Day in May challenge asks participants to run, walk or jog 5 kilometres every day throughout the month of May. There are no time targets, and no minimum fitness level required – the challenge is open to anyone, at any pace. Companies can take part as a team, with all donations directed to the Men Matter Scotland JustGiving page.

This year, Roofing Advisors (UK) Ltd is extending an open invitation to every construction business across Glasgow and the central belt of Scotland to get involved. Participants are also encouraged to join the official Strava club for the challenge, where collective mileage will be tracked throughout the month.

Danny Graham, managing director, Roofing Advisors (UK) Ltd, said: “Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry in the UK, and that’s something every business in this sector has a responsibility to face up to.

“We started 5K a Day in May to back a charity doing extraordinary work on our doorstep, and to give our team a daily, simple way of looking out for each other. Three years in, we want to take it further and that means asking the wider industry across Glasgow and the central belt to walk, run or jog alongside us this May.”

Fraser Devine, director, Men Matter Scotland, added: “Every penny raised through campaigns like 5K a Day in May goes directly into the support we provide.

“The counselling, the peer groups, the crisis intervention, and the everyday conversations that keep men alive. What makes this partnership particularly meaningful is that it’s coming from inside the construction industry itself. Men in trades are statistically among the most at risk in Scotland, and they’re often the hardest to reach through traditional channels.

“We’re hugely grateful to Danny and the team, and we’d encourage every business in the central belt to get behind this.”

How to get involved:

• Donate via the Men Matter Scotland JustGiving page.
• Find out how to get involved.
• Join the Strava Group.