TradeMutt’s eye-catching workwear set to spread nationwide

The Brisbane social enterprise is teaming up with Australia’s largest home-service franchise 

Jim’s Group is introducing “Funky Shirt Friday” for all its franchisees, as part of a new partnership with social impact workwear brand TradeMutt to help spark important conversations about mental health. 

Founder Jim Penman said his business felt strongly about TradeMutt’s cause and was “honoured to support their great work”. 

The social enterprise makes bright eye-catching workwear designed to start conversations about mental health among blue collar workers.

The partnership with Jim’s Group – which includes the iconic Jim’s Mowing brand – will spread TradeMutt’s workwear to more than 4,300 franchisees across 45 plus divisions nationwide.

Read more: The shirts bringing colour and mental health conversations to Australian construction sites

Penman has encouraged all of his franchisees to get behind TradeMutt’s mission by purchasing their gear.  

“By supporting TradeMutt we are helping them to fund and provide professional mental health support to tradies, truckies, and blue-collar workers through their mental health initiative, This Is A Conversation Starter (TIACS),” Penman said. 

“TradeMutt has been instrumental in initiating conversations around mental health in Australia by providing [through TIACS] a free text, chat and call back service direct to qualified psychologists, which is in line with our core values at Jim’s Group.”

Edward Ross, the co-founder of TradeMutt, has welcomed the new partnership as a way to further grow funding for TIACS.

He said in the last 12 months, TradeMutt has helped provide more than $500,000 worth of counselling to tradies and sole operators in Australia. 

“The state of mental health in this country is a real cause for alarm, so we are honoured knowing that these hours directly equate to blue-collar workers accessing mental health services that they may not have otherwise,” Ross said.

“Nobody deserves to suffer in silence, so when tradies put on our work wear in the morning they are potentially starting a conversation that could change somebody’s life.

“Jim’s Group is a trusted household brand which has feet on the ground all over the country. With their staff and franchisees wearing our gear, we will be spreading our message into more homes and businesses than ever before.”

You can access TIACS Monday to Friday 9–5 on 0488 846 988 or head to TIACS.org

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