Tracerco staff have been rowing for resilience with their latest fundraiser

Two teams of two from Tracerco’s headquarters in Billingham, England, have completed a successful indoor rowing fundraiser to support a local foodbank and Tracerco’s own mental health and wellbeing support programme, Manbassadors.

Over £300 was raised and over 250 items collected when the 4 staff members took part in an indoor rowing challenge for the two worthy causes earlier this month.

Two of the intrepid rowers, Joy Toner, and Danielle Ambrose, decided to torture themselves further by collecting tasty food donations for the local Foodbank whilst undertaking the gruelling physical challenge. They were delighted with the response and proudly delivered the items to the local food bank this week.

Rowing alongside were Simon Ashcroft and Daniel Dixon, in support of Tracerco’s Manbassador programme. Manbassadors launched over 18 months ago and is aimed at supporting male colleagues of the global company. The charity offers health and well-being support and advice to colleagues and raise awareness of the five biggest preventable killers of working-age men: heart disease, prostate cancer, lung cancer, bowel cancer, and suicide.

Tracerco is a company at the forefront of innovation with over 450 employees in 17 countries. Every employee is encouraged to participate in company organised events to foster employee relations, enhance personal development, and increase community engagement. Tracerco encourages its employees to make a positive impact together through their five values, to be driven, be safe, be united, be accountable, and be remarkable.

Joy Toner, Chief People Officer said: “It is really impressive what has been achieved today, and we are delighted to support these two very worthy causes. The Manbassador programme has been a great addition to the ongoing support Tracerco offers to all staff. The health and wellbeing of every one of our colleagues is at the forefront of everything we do – our dedicated staff are the foundation of our success, driving our mission forward with their hard work, passion, and commitment.

“It is widely known that men are statistically less likely to address their own physical and mental health needs.” She continued. “Part of what Manbassadors aims to do is reduce stigma by encouraging male colleagues to share their own experiences and to create a safe space for positive conversations around men’s health.

“The Manbassador team act as a confidential listening and signposting service to encourage our male colleagues access the help they might need. The funds raised will support us to continue making a positive impact on the lives of our colleagues and the people in their lives.

“Just this month Manbassadors arranged for a local medical team to come on site and do blood pressure checks for colleagues. Over 30 took the opportunity to get checked, and as a result 7 have been referred for further tests. Hopefully, spotting possible problems before they become a serious issue.”

“As a company we believe in giving back to the community that has supported us for so long. Partnering with the local foodbank allows us to make a direct impact on families in need, especially during these challenging times. By collecting items for the foodbank, we hope to not only provide immediate relief, but also raise awareness about the importance of community support. Our staff’s passion and commitment to giving back to the community is a testament to the values we hold as a company.”

Simon Ashcroft, Senior HSE Advisor at Tracerco, added: “We are fortunate enough to have a really well equipped gym at work, so the idea to use the rowing machines and aim for a marathon distance seemed like a great challenge for our fundraising plans. On the day of the challenge, we all soon realised how tough it was going to be, but we got through it by supporting each other to make sure we got past the finish line!

“On behalf of the rowing teams, I would like to say a huge thank you to Tight 5 active clothing for supplying us with a kit to wear for the challenge – it was hugely appreciated.

“We were very pleased with the amount collected for the local food bank – a huge thank you to the Tracerco staff who were donating goods as the teams were rowing. It was such a great sight and kept us all motivated. Our local community food bank is such a vital recourse for many, and to have the ability to support it through our rowing challenge was ideal.”

Claire Jennings, Assistant Manager at Billingham and Stockton Borough Foodbank, said: “Thank you so much to Tracerco for the generous donations to Billingham and Stockton Borough Foodbank. All donations that we receive contribute towards our work of supporting local people and families in need.

“Events such as the Tracerco sponsored row are invaluable to us as an organisation and we are grateful for all the support. We hope everyone is well recovered from the rowing and we truly do appreciate the muscle power!”