Alan Osborn is set to shave his head at ScaffChamp 2026 as part of a campaign to raise £5,000 for men’s mental health and rehabilitation support.
The fundraising effort is centred on a simple message: not every scaffolder is ok.
Osborn, a well-known scaffolding and safety consultant and NASC committee member, said the campaign is aimed at highlighting the pressures many workers in the trade face, including long hours, financial stress, time away from family and the strain that can build up in silence.
Half of the money raised will go to Movember, which supports men’s mental health, suicide prevention and wellbeing. The other half will go to Free People Ukraine, the nominated charity of Scaffolding Heroes, which is helping fund a rehabilitation retreat for injured soldiers, veterans and their families affected by war.
In a statement to Scaffmag, Osborn said the campaign was shaped by both personal experience and wider concerns about mental health across construction.
He said: “I’ve been through my own rough periods with mental health, like a lot of lads in this industry, and I know how easy it is to keep it bottled up.
“Not every scaffolder is ok. The reality is, construction has one of the highest suicide rates in the UK. We’re losing people at a rate that should never be acceptable, with workers several times more at risk than the average.
“This isn’t just a campaign, it’s something that needs real change. The head shave is about starting conversations, breaking that silence, and showing lads it’s alright to speak up.
“Alongside this, I’m launching the Mensana Collective, a non-profit focused on men’s mental health in scaffolding and construction, because we need proper support, not just awareness. If this gets even one person talking or reaching out, then it’s worth it.”
Osborn has described the fundraiser as “scaffolders supporting scaffolders”, with the aim of standing beside people facing mental and physical challenges, whether on site or beyond the workplace.
The campaign will be carried out during ScaffChamp 2026, the international scaffolding competition which brings together teams from across the sector. Osborn said the event’s focus on skill, safety and solidarity made it the right place to make a public statement and encourage more open conversations around men’s mental health.
You can donate to the campaign by visiting Alan’s Just Giving Page here
