Here at Bidfood we’re ready and set to take part in Springboard’s virtual race to Qatar and back to support Springboard with the amazing work they do for the hospitality industry, as well as team-build, exercise and have fun along the way!
With last year’s trek to Nicaragua being such a success, we’d like to walk, run and cycle you through the reasons why you should join us in this year’s race.
About Springboard
The Springboard Charity helps disadvantaged people achieve their potential, nurturing unemployed people of any age into work, and supporting the underprivileged into sustainable employment in hospitality, leisure and tourism. At this current time of uncertainty and strain within the Hospitality industry, the work they’re doing is more important than ever.
We have worked with Springboard for 30 years, and it’s been truly rewarding to see how our partnership has developed over the years and helped many people in different ways. We are excited to continue this support, and taking part in this year’s race is a great way to do this!
By joining the race to Qatar, we are also working towards one of our sustainability/ ESG aspirations, to care about and support our communities, and become a positive force for change in the industry.
So, why should you support them too? Here’s how we’ve found the previous races and some reasons why we think you should join us this time around!
You don’t have to be a professional athlete…
…although some of our team definitely had that fighting spirit!
It’s all about getting the miles in, but there’s no set way you have to achieve this. Not big on sports? Walking to the shops and back still counts towards that final goal. All you have to remember to do is make sure you have a way to measure your miles. The plus side is if you’re working as a team, miles are counted collectively to move your team along in the race.
We found this really encouraged our bunch to get involved, with the mind-set that every little helps. Balanced out by those of us who quickly got into that competitive spirit, of course!
“I loved being part of the Bidfood team for the Springboard Virtual Trek to Nicaragua. As cardio isn’t really my thing I was worried that because I was planning to walk that I wouldn’t be clocking up the miles as much as my other team mates that were cycling and running – but it really didn’t matter. Yes, I didn’t do as many miles but I was still proud to log my miles every day even if I’d only managed to do a couple, I still felt like I was playing my part in the team. As well as being for a great cause it gave me a reason to get out of the house and get moving and enjoy the team banter. I’ve signed up to the next one already!” (Gemma Benford)
Still hesitant about taking part? You can also get involved by fundraising and supporting the rest of the group! Why not set up a team WhatsApp group to share each other’s progress and cheer each other on with emojis and voice notes? There are so many options to get involved in a way that suits you.
We had fun doing it!
We found completing the challenge fun on so many levels. It was a great way to get into the team spirit, work together, have a chat and a laugh, all while supporting an amazing cause. You had the obvious boost of endorphins from the exercise itself too, and overall, the feedback from everyone was extremely positive…
“We were all part of a team so you wanted to ensure you could do your best. This challenge definitely made me more active and motivated to get on my bike or walk further than normal – I loved it!” (Sue Yates)
You don’t have to clock all those miles alone either – why not use this as a way to bond by doing a few of the walks or cycles together… and stopping for a pint half way of course!
It’s a great opportunity to challenge yourself
The race is really what you want it to be – you get out what you put in. Some of us went above and beyond and travelled around the world to complete previous years’ treks.
Here’s some feedback from the team and what they gained from the experience:
“Going on a Springboard trek to Nepal was a life changing experience for me, not only was it a difficult and a physical challenge to trek to parts of the world I had never been to, but also an opportunity to share this experience with like-minded people within hospitality industry.
The real bonus was being able to renovate a school alongside my colleagues to make a real difference to people less fortunate than myself” (Robert Ashcroft)
“I was lucky enough to be chosen alongside 37 other intrepid trekkers.
We undertook a gruelling trek off the beaten track in one of the most isolated regions of Peru, camping along the way and walking between 10km – 15km each day at altitudes reaching over 4000 metres above sea level, where the weather is ever-changeable and the thinner air can be tough! We finished at a remote school where we installed solar panels to bring light and electricity to the children.
It was an amazing trip and memories made for a lifetime. Planning, a positive mental attitude and a sense of humour are most important when travelling to places like Peru, and if given the chance for you to join a Trek it will be an experience that is unforgettable and extremely rewarding” (Sue Yates)
These quotes really speak for themselves! The races were challenging, enlightening and definitely an experience to remember.
We hope reading a bit about Springboard, team Bidfood’s positive past experiences, and our thoughts on why you should join us has encouraged you to get involved this year!
The race starts on the 1st October, so there’s still time to sign up – for more information and to sign up, click here. Hope to see you at the starting line!
