A UK recruiter is set to help tens of thousands of people with mental health problems access life-changing support in 2023 after a series of daring fundraising feats by its staff which raised £30,000 for the mental health charity, Mind.

Colleagues at Acorn by Synergie have spent the company’s 30th year in business climbing mountains, running half marathons, getting down and dirty at mud challenges, cycling the length of Wales, organising golf challenges and more.

The money they have raised will go towards supporting Mind’s Infoline in answering more than 3,525 enquiries this year or to ensure its ‘Side By Side’ website can remain an open, safe, and supportive space for more than 642 hours, allowing around 35,010 people to interact on the site in the process.

Bernard Ward, Managing Director of Acorn by Synergie, said: “It's been another challenging year for everyone as we emerge from the pandemic only to be hit by the rising cost of living, and the number of adults and young people experiencing mental health problems is unsurprisingly on the rise.”

“Our team felt strongly that no one should have to face mental health problems alone, deserving respect and the best support available, and as such we appointed Mind as our chosen charity during our 30th year in business.”

Acorn by Synergie is one of the UK’s leading recruiters with a global outlook and 40 branches operating nationwide, with mental health awareness and support remaining at the top of the company’s wellbeing agenda.

In rolling out associated activities, its Mind fundraising initiative has also helped contribute to Acorn by Synergie’s pledge in signing the Mental Health at Work Commitment, which it also achieved in its 30th anniversary year as a demonstration of its intent to actively achieve better mental health outcomes and a genuine longer term positive impact on all employees’ wellbeing too.

“As an organisation deeply focused on the emotional wellbeing of our own employees, supporting this cause has pulled us closer as colleagues whilst also boosting the physical and mental wellbeing of those taking part in the various challenges involved too,” Bernard added.

Staff from Acorn by Synergie have raised £30,000 for Mind to help mark the firm’s 30th anniversary in business

“We’re incredibly proud of all of our colleagues at Acorn by Synergie that have joined forces to mark its 30th anniversary in such a poignant and meaningful way, therefore, but more importantly who have raised an incredible amount of money that is going to make a real difference to thousands of people’s lives in the process.”

It is estimated that only 1 in 3 adults with a common mental health problem are currently getting treatment in the form of talking therapies, medication or both, and around one in six people currently experience a mental health problem of some kind each week in England.

Mind has spent more than 60 years working to improve the lives of all people with experience of mental health problems, through public information campaigns, government lobbying and the 1000+ services Local Mind’s deliver in communities across England and Wales.

Rebecca Hastings, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Mind, said “We are so grateful the Acorn by Synergie team not only for their fundraising efforts, but also for encouraging one another to have conversations around mental health.

“The pandemic, and now the cost-of-living crisis, has had a devastating effect on the nation’s mental health, especially for those of us with existing mental health problems. It is vital that everyone has access to the right support, advice and information when they need it. The money raised by staff at Acorn by Synergies will help support our Infoline, and the campaigning we do to ensure that the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem each year, do not face it alone.”