On Thursday June 5, more than a dozen local leaders, managers and business owners will be gunged in bright red slime by young people and staff – all to raise vital funds for youth mental health support across Wigan and Leigh.
The event is part of Wigan Youth Zone’s wider Paint the Borough Red campaign, aiming to raise £8,000 for life-changing wellbeing services that support over 5,000 young people every year.
From one-to-one counselling to group activities and a safe space to talk, the Youth Zone’s mental health support relies entirely on community donations.
“This is your chance to throw red slime at your boss – and do it for a brilliant cause,”said Emma Safo, Funding Coordinator at Wigan Youth Zone.
“It’s fun, it’s messy, and it’s all about making a real difference to young people in crisis.”
The mental health crisis among young people is growing at an alarming rate. Globally, one in sever young people aged 10 to 19 is living with a mental disorder, with depression and anxiety among the leading causes of illness. Even more tragically, suicide is now the third leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 29.
By getting involved in Make Your Boss See Red Day, local Wigan businesses such as Laltex, Brabners and Clearview are showing their commitment to tackling this crisis head-on, one bucket of slime at a time.
And it’s not just bosses getting messy: red-themed bake sales, dress-down days and creative fundraisers are popping up across Wigan. Local company Biffa is even taking it one step further, plunging into a Biffa Bin full of baked beans in support.
“Mental health issues often go unseen,”said Alex Salt, St Helen's Depot Manager at Biffa.
"But this campaign makes it impossible to ignore. It’s bold, brilliant – and it shows young people we’re here for them.”
Every penny raised during the campaign will help Wigan Youth Zone continue offering free, accessible mental health support, ensuring no young person in our borough is left to face struggles alone.
To donate or find out how to get involved – including nominating your boss to be gunged please email Fundraising Coordinator Emma Safo at [email protected].
