How did the team challenge start?
Working from home has so many advantages but it means your daily exercise, whether it be a commute or walking round the office/for a coffee/to a printer became obsolete. It was a great way to get some exercise into the daily routine as well as boosting morale and encouraging a little friendly competition. You’d be surprised how far people can walk when they are against their peers!! Sometimes you don’t realise you’re not feeling 100% during lockdown as all the days merge, “it is what it is”. When you are forced get out and do something you maybe don’t think you need, you realise how much better you feel. This is definitely the case for a lot of the team. Sometimes it takes trying something different with a little encouragement to make you feel better.

What did the team enjoy most about taking part?
Everyone advised that it was nice to have conversations on teams/Strava with a colleague that weren’t work related. The small office chit chat or nipping for a coffee with a colleague was no more and this gave them something to connect on. We made sure there was lots of regular (& fun) communications bouncing about which encouraged conversations (“banter”) amongst this team which was really needed. It brought the team together and really helped our new starts to the department integrate. We split the team into separate teams and they had communication channels independently which encouraged communication with some colleagues out of the norm, in a social capacity.  Other feedback was that it was varied, you could run, walk & cycle to get your points therefore it suited everyone!

How did the challenge benefit the team's wellbeing?
Fresh air and feeling better for doing so – some lost a good few lockdown pounds too! It’s not always easy to get your daily walk in when you are the only one accountable! Sometimes Netflix wins time and time again! However, when you’re part of a team challenge you feel like you need to get out. That little extra push helped a number of the team to get the fresh air they really needed to break up the day. It also broke up the isolation for the team. Like any team, a number of our team live solo which meant they could go a few days without seeing someone or getting out the house. Having a reason or the accountability for something really helped.

Why do you recommend organising  a team challenge?
It’s fun! Getting away from the house & computer in the fresh air does everyone the world of good. I’d encourage anyone to set up some active team challenges with their team as it really boosts morale and helps the team gel. It gives everyone a sense of achievement, which really makes the world of a difference is someone is feeling a little low. If you ask someone how they are feeling 9/10 the response will be “fine”. If you give them an opportunity to get involved in something that promotes their wellbeing then you are providing invaluable support (perhaps without even knowing it!)