Bespoke Challenges

The CARE Challenge Team offer fantastic bespoke teambuilding events for businesses in some of the most spectacular parts of the UK, visit our bespoke events page. Starbucks are one such company who took on a CARE Challenge and decided to combine networking and teambuilding with raising money for a fantastic cause.

CARE and Starbucks have worked together for the past two years to support coffee growers in communities in the West Harrarghe region of Ethiopia; a region where families are very vulnerable to drought and food shortages. The project supported by Starbucks aims to help communities to tackle the underlying causes of their vulnerability by improving their agriculture techniques and giving them the skills to irrigate their land and improve their crop yields.

The concept of a bespoke CARE Challenge event fitted perfectly into Starbucks’ agenda: it combined team-building for Starbucks partners as well as helping to fund their chosen project in Ethiopia- thus involving staff in the company’s support of communities overseas in a relevant way.

The CARE Challenge team worked closely with Starbucks to produce a bespoke challenge that was ideal for them. The day, based in the Brecon Beacons in Wales, saw Starbucks Partners divided into teams, in which they took on a demanding combination of a 25km mountain biking course, a canoe relay and a hiking challenge with a difference. The hiking included carrying a bucket of water for 2km, representing the struggle of many women in Ethiopia who often have to carry water for their families for as far as 10km. As Starbucks Partners found out, this isn’t easy!

A well-earned dinner was provided following the event, accompanied by speeches and a surprisingly energetic party! The day was enjoyed enormously by all involved, and most importantly, Starbucks Partners raised a tremendous £52,000 to support CARE’s work in Ethiopia.

CARE event manager Neil Munro said, “It was fantastic to see so many Starbucks Partners coming together from all over the UK to take part with such commitment and enthusiasm. There were great displays of team spirit throughout the day, and everyone overcame various obstacles with great humour to make the whole Challenge a rewarding experience for all those involved. The real achievement has to be the fundraising. Fifty two thousand pounds will make a huge difference to CARE’s work in Ethiopia.”

Starbucks’ David Argent said, “The CARE team delivered a truly memorable challenge event and were partnering with us right from the start, setting it up, helping with ideas on fundraising, communicating and then on the day itself. As a result of the CARE team’s support, planning and organisation, they were able to create a safe and secure environment where our Starbucks partners could be really inspired by both a sense of personal achievement, team working and importantly, through their fundraising, were making a real difference to peoples day to day lives in Ethiopia.”

A bespoke CARE Challenge is a unique and cost-effective way for a company to combine first-rate and imaginative team-building with a demonstrable commitment to supporting some of the poorest people in the world. For anyone interested in commissioning a bespoke CARE Challenge for their company, do get in touch with the CARE Challenge Team for more information.

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