Swindon accountancy firm embraces RED January to raise money for charity

The team at Haines Watts Swindon are taking on an active challenge throughout January to raise money for the mental health charity MIND.

Team members will be encouraged to take part in ‘RED January’ as it’s known which stands for ‘run every day’. The campaign is aimed at getting people active on a daily basis, doing something they enjoy, throughout January which is often known as the bleakest month. The national charity partner for the initiative this year is MIND. 

Participants can take part in any activity they wish – as long as it involves movement. This could be running, swimming, cycling, walking, yoga, even dancing. 

Organised by office manager Anna-Marie Healy, the team aim to raise £2,000 as part of the Haines Watts Group. 

She said: “MIND is a national charity providing advice and support to people facing mental health challenges. They work tirelessly to improve services, policies and the stigma surrounding mental ill health. Relying heavily on donations, we have chosen to help each other while fundraising. 

“We are also supporting our local MIND branch, promoting the services we are fortunate to have here in Swindon  and we’ve been collecting items for our local MIND shop.” 

Throughout January,  team activities will take place including team walks, mindfulness, team quizzes and yoga to promote the importance of physical and mental health.  Team members will also be encouraged to personally be as active as they can be on a daily basis. 

Mike Lloyd, managing partner, said: “When everyone is working hard it’s very easy to be deskbound or glued to a phone or a screen – and then go home and do the same thing. Just taking time out daily to do some exercise, like walking your dog, can make a huge difference to a person’s mental health. It gives you time to think, breathe and just ‘be’.” 

RED January was created in 2016 by Hannah Beacham who was concerned about her own mother who was suffering from severe depression. She took a leap of faith and signed herself and her mum up for a walking marathon. They started getting out every day and gradually her mum’s wellbeing improved. Hannah felt that this would be a great way of helping people who needed an extra push to be active. 

“January seemed like the perfect month for such an initiative as it provides us with an opportunity to kick start the year in a positive way. Also people tend to be low on funds and motivation and there are less social occasions planned in January. This is something which can be done for free,” Hannah said.  

Nationally, Haines Watts is a top 15 firm of Chartered Accountants who specialise in advising and supporting business owners, individuals and not-for-profit organisations locally and throughout the UK. The firm has been at the centre of the Swindon and Wiltshire business communities for the last 25 years. To support the Haines Watts team during January visit - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/haines-watts-redjan

For more information about Haines Watts and its services visit https://www.hwca.com/accountants-swindon