M&S staff raise £14,900 for Young Minds at Leeds charity football tournament
M&S staff have raised £14,900 for youth mental health charity Young Minds after their performance at a 19-team charity football tournament at Powerleague Leeds Central last week.
Now in its third year, the tournament saw members of M&S’ property team compete against partners such as Audas Project Management, construction company The Wates Group, and demolition specialists BibbEgan, who help to build and renew M&S stores across the UK.
Repair and refurbishment contractors APA Group Services were the winners of the trophy this year, with asbestos removal contractor WestCross Environmental Services coming in second place. The tournament has raised a combined £31,500 since it launched in 2023.
Subscribe to TRBThe event marks the end of this year’s M&S Big Fun-Raiser campaign. The money raised will help Young Minds continue providing support for young people, parents and carers, including through the Parents Helpline and online resources. To date, M&S has raised over £7 million for Young Minds.
The Leeds tournament follows colleagues at M&S’s Pudsey store undertaking a ‘Pudsey to Paris’ 470-mile cycling challenge on an exercise bike in-store, and others scaling the Yorkshire 3 Peaks.
Marc Simpson, construction and global sourcing office safety manager at M&S, said: “The tournament is an amazing opportunity to come together here in Leeds with our brilliant partners to raise money for a fantastic cause – and to get a bit competitive. A massive thank you to everyone who joined in and all those who donated.
“When we first started three years ago, we had eight teams taking part, so to see that more than double to nineteen is a particularly proud moment.”
Kiran Ramchandani, interim director of policy and communications at Young Minds, added: “A huge thank you to everyone who took part.
“Their fundraising efforts will help support our work including our parents helpline, so we can be there for parents and carers and the young people in their lives, at a time when more young people than ever are struggling with their mental health.”
