Durham, UK – 21 October 2025 – The Wellbeing Lead Academy’s Manbassador Programme and Active Teams have joined forces to launch the Take Ten Challenge, a nationwide campaign calling on employers to help men take ten minutes a day to move, connect, and prioritise their health at work.
With around 155,000 men dying each year from the five biggest killers – heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, and suicide – the campaign aims to help change that by turning awareness into practical, everyday action.
Why Men’s Health at Work Needs Urgent Attention
Across the UK, men remain less likely to seek help for physical or mental health concerns, yet are far more likely to experience preventable illness and premature death.
- 75% of all suicides are men.
- Men are 43% more likely to die from cancer.
- 76% of premature deaths from heart disease occur in men.
“These numbers represent fathers, brothers, and colleagues – men we work beside every day,” said Emily Pearson, Founder of the Wellbeing Lead Academy and developer of the Manbassador Programme.
“We can’t keep losing them to silence and stigma. Take Ten is about making time to check in with ourselves and with each other, and showing that small, consistent actions can create real change.”
A Partnership Built on Action
Delivered jointly by Active Teams and the Manbassador Programme, the Take Ten Challenge combines movement, connection, and conversation to embed wellbeing into everyday working life.
The initiative encourages teams to take ten minutes of any activity (walk, run, swim, or dance around the kitchen) in teams of 5 across November. Teams will win prizes and bragging rights for the team with the most points. Each participating workplace receives a toolkit with resources and ideas for running their own Take Ten activities.
“Heart disease alone claims around 170,000 lives in the UK each year, and one in eight men will die from it,” said Nairn Robertson, Founder of Active Teams.
“The Take Ten Challenge helps men reconnect with their wellbeing through something simple and accessible – moving together and talking together. When we make time for those ten minutes, it can genuinely save lives.”
Together, Active Teams and the Manbassador Programme aim to reach 50 workplaces and spark 1,000s of meaningful conversations during Movember and Men’s Health Month.
Workplace Impact: Voices from the Challenge
Michael Hunt, Executive and Business Manager at Nexus, said:
“We’ve had a great response to our Manbassador programme so far, with engagement from across the organisation – including teams that have been traditionally harder to reach. Having colleagues promoting the Manbassador brand and activities has massively helped us as we can reach everyone and encourage people to talk about why we’re doing this without it feeling corporate.
The key message about the Take Ten Challenge is that everyone can do it. Whether you’re training for a marathon or just wish to go for a walk for ten minutes, this challenge is for you. It’s inclusive and a great way to boost not only physical health but mental wellbeing too. We’ve already seen a shift to men engaging more openly and knowing it’s ok not to be ok – that’s exactly the culture we want to build.”
Neil Jones, from Active Leeds at Leeds City Council, added:
“For me personally, anything that influences positively around the moving more agenda – I’m fully on board with. We sit far too long each day and as a health, wellbeing and sports organisation, this is right up our street.
Eighteen months ago, before the Manbassador approach, our male teams didn’t talk or reach out for support in the way they do now. We’ve already supported around 50 men across Leeds City Council and having a team of 12 Manbassadors out talking to teams makes a real difference.Initiatives like Take Ten give people permission to be active. We shouldn’t apologise for taking activity breaks during the working day – we should encourage them. It’s simple, effective and easily rolled out in any workplace.”
Get Involved
The Take Ten Challenge is open to all UK employers and £30 per team to join. Participating organisations receive campaign materials, resources and guidance on running activities that encourage men to open up and look after their health. Workplaces can register via activeteams.co.uk/take-ten or manbassador.uk/manbassador-challenge.
About the Manbassador Programme
Developed by Emily Pearson and accredited by OCN Credit4Learning, the Manbassador Programme equips men to lead on wellbeing and mental health within their workplaces. Through accredited training, campaigns and peer networks, it helps organisations build psychologically safe, inclusive environments where men can talk, seek help and thrive through male friendly activities that build camaraderie and trust. Learn more at www.manbassador.uk
About Active Teams
Active Teams is a workplace wellbeing platform helping employers build healthier, more connected and active teams through movement-based challenges. Its mission is to create workplaces where physical activity and wellbeing are part of everyday culture. Learn more at www.activeteams.co.uk
