How the merchant sector moved together and came out stronger.

There are months in the merchant calendar defined by product launches, market data, and trade show footfall. March 2026 will be remembered for something altogether different: 2,277,000 steps, taken one at a time, by 136 people across 20 businesses who chose to prioritise the wellbeing of their colleagues alongside the demands of the trade.

The Rainy Day Trust's Mad March Million challenge, delivered in partnership with Wellbeing People, brought together businesses from across the home improvement and home enhancement sector for a month-long movement challenge. The collective goal was one million steps. The sector delivered more than twice that.

For builders' merchants in particular, where long hours, physical demands, and the pressures of a sector facing cost and margin challenges can take a toll, the campaign offered something rare; a practical, inclusive, and most of all enjoyable way to invest in people.

The Builders Merchants Federation claimed the top fundraising position for the entire campaign, a result that reflects both the organisation's commitment to the Rainy Day Trust and the culture of its participating team. The prize presentation, made in person by the Rainy Day Trust, was a moment that captured how fully the challenge had been adopted beyond the registered participants, with whole teams and wider colleagues rallying behind the campaign.

IRSAP, the radiator and thermal solutions company, topped the leaderboard on points, a result earned through consistent commitment and, by all accounts, an infectious team spirit that spread well beyond those formally signed up. Its prize presentation was equally celebratory, with the Trust hearing directly about the pride the campaign had generated across the business.

"What we keep hearing is that this wasn't just a registered-team thing, whole organisations got involved," said Anna Skeats, CEO of the Rainy Day Trust. "That organic spread is exactly what we hoped for. And it tells us that the appetite for this kind of initiative across our sector is enormous."

The numbers show how the industry rose to the challenge. 86% of registered participants completed at least one day; 27 people sustained a 28-day streak; post-campaign satisfaction averaged 4.4 out of five; with 94% willing to participate in a future campaign. Participants reported improved mood, stronger colleague connections, new habits, and more energy during the working day.

Thousand Smiles: the September follow-up

The Rainy Day Trust is already in planning for Thousand Smiles, set to launch in September 2026. The campaign takes the same proven format, one simple, accessible daily commitment and applies it to human connection rather than physical movement. Participants will be asked to perform a random act of kindness each day, whether at work or at home.

The rationale is straightforward. The merchant sector, like much of the broader construction and home improvement trade, carries a heavy mental health burden. Suicide rates across the industry remain disproportionately high. Thousand Smiles is the Trust's way of using the power of collective action to address that, not through campaigns directed at individuals in crisis, but by strengthening the everyday bonds between colleagues and communities that make crisis less likely to occur.

If the size of the response to Mad March Million is any guide, Thousand Smiles could be the biggest Rainy Day Trust campaign yet. Register your interest early at www.rainydaytrust.org.uk.