Outdoor retailer, GO Outdoors, has raised over £200,000 in funds for Mind, the mental health charity, through its winter hat campaign – #HatsOnForMind.

Kicking off in November 2022, the range of limited-edition hats were designed by a panel of GO Outdoors brand ambassadors, including TV presenters Julia Bradbury, Helen Skelton, Sean Fletcher, and ex-England goalkeeper David Seaman.

Available online and in GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets and Fishing Republic stores, the business pledged to raise at least £100,000 to support Mind. To date, that figure has more than doubled, with a grand total of £217,012 being raised.

To mark the launch of the #HatsOnForMind campaign, GO Outdoors and mental health charity Mind, commissioned research which revealed that nearly half of Brits are experiencing challenges to their mental health at least once a week.

When it comes to improving mental health however, the findings identified over two thirds of Brits (65%) claim that physical exercise and spending time outdoors has a positive impact on their overall mood.

As such, #HatsOnForMind encouraged Brits to get outdoors more often to help ease mental health challenges.

To mark the donation to Mind and the end of a successful campaign, brand ambassador and TV presenter Helen Skelton will be presenting a cheque to Mind for the grand total of £217,012 on behalf of GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets and Fishing Republic.

Helen Skelton, brand ambassador, said: “Getting outdoors and keeping active is so important to me, so it’s been my pleasure to support a campaign that’s going to benefit so many people.

“Everyone experiences challenges to their mental health, and the work done by Mind is so important in helping people to manage their mental wellbeing. I’m so pleased that we’ve raised such a large amount of money thanks to #HatsOnForMind!”

Lee Bagnall, CEO of GO Outdoors said: “We truly believe in the power of the outdoors on mental wellbeing, and the response to our #HatsOnForMind campaign has been nothing short of incredible. We’re so pleased to have doubled our pledge to Mind and knowing the funds will go towards making a huge difference to so many people is a remarkable feeling.

“We want to thank everyone that was responsible for bringing the campaign to life from our brand ambassadors, Mind volunteers, the teams at GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets and Fishing Republic, and of course our customers for getting their #HatsOnForMind this winter.”

Charlotte Porter, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Mind, said: “We are extremely grateful to GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets and Fishing Republic for supporting Mind in our mission to be there for everyone experiencing mental health challenges. And, of course, an extra big thank you must go to each and every person that has bought one of the #HatsOnForMind hats.

“The incredible support for this campaign has meant we’ve raised a huge amount of money to fund our services, at a time when they are perhaps needed more than ever, as the cost of living crisis continues to take its toll on our mental health. The campaign has raised awareness of mental health problems too, and we hope this will go some way in highlighting that you are not alone and that Mind is here for you.”