GGF Membership Raise £2790 for CALM!

GGF Membership Raise £2790 for CALM!

Let me just start with a massive thank you to Lauren Mawford, Director of the Glass and Glazing Federation, and to all our members who helped to raise money for a charity that means so much to me. Members Day events often focus on the previous year’s activities and updates to regulation and economic forecasts. However, the GGF Industry Connect 2026 offered something much more meaningful.

Alongside a new focus on networking and discussion, the honest words from Frank Bruno MBE around personal resilience and the raffle that followed showed how our members can come together for a cause that truly matters, supporting our chosen charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).

The day was without doubt a celebration of connection and strength in membership. For me a chance not just to see familiar faces but to welcome new members. A standout moment for many was the presence of Frank Bruno, whose warmth, honesty and unmistakable voice brought the audience to laugh whilst hanging on every word. His stories served as a reminder that strength is not just physical, but mental too.

In connection to this message was a charity raffle in support of CALM. Featuring ten pairs of signed boxing gloves. The raffle was incredibly well supported, and due to that generosity, an impressive £2,790 was raised, a sum that will genuinely help CALM continue its life‑saving work.

Following the event, on Thursday 2 April, Lauren Mawford and I had the privilege of meeting Luis and Izzy from CALM to officially present the cheque for £2,790. For me, this was a moment of immense pride as many years ago I did have to call their helpline, and it is great know that with that money raised there will be someone on the end of that phone to help many other people in their time of need.

Huge credit must go to the GGF team for delivering such a great event, and particularly to Lauren Mawford for choosing CALM as the supported charity. For many in our sector, this cause is deeply personal. The glass and glazing industry, like much of construction, continues to face deeply concerning mental‑health statistics, including unacceptably high rates of suicide.

This is why the message behind the fundraising is so important. Supporting mental health must extend beyond employee wellbeing policies. It also means recognising our own pressures as business owners, leaders and managers. Too often, those responsible for others feel unable to speak up themselves.

The words I shared on the day still resonate, when I once asked a member why he invested so much time into someone that was struggling and simply said, “he is somebody else’s son.” A simple reminder of our shared responsibility to look out for one another.

The money raised will help save lives, but perhaps just as importantly, it keeps the conversation going and hopefully raises awareness of the resources available from CALM.