CARE Challenge Sponsor focus

We asked Matthew Lindsey-Clark, MD of CARE 24 Peaks Challenge sponsor company LEXICON PARTNERS, to provide insight into the role played by our sponsors and a company’s motivation for getting involved…

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Matthew Lindsey-Clark taking on the Challenge
What made you decide to support the CARE 24 Peaks Challenge?
 
We had really enjoyed our previous CARE events (both 3 and 24 Peaks) and been delighted by the support we had got both internally and from our clients. We managed to persuade a couple of our clients to participate alongside us last year and realised that, with a better organised effort this year, we could generate a lot more interest and help CARE to get as many teams as possible to enter the event.  We were delighted when the sponsorship opening came up.

You have been supporting CARE for three years now.  With such a huge range of charities out there, why CARE?

It started out as a team-building thing for us - we wanted to have a crack at the 3 Peaks and CARE seemed to offer one of the best organised events for a really worthwhile cause with a fantastic ethos. It was the year after the Tsunami, which had really emphasised the critical role played by the larger international relief and development agencies.
 
Can you outline what your support of the event entails?
 
We see our main role as trying to attract teams into the event, and then helping CARE to spur them on to ever greater fundraising efforts. We took on the task of directly targeting our network and trying to steer them towards registering a team.  We will also try to help CARE keep everyone on track and minimise any drop outs.

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Matthew with his team in 2007
What are your three top tips to any sponsor who would like to engage their network in support of a CARE Challenge but finds it awkward to make the ask?

1. Get your initial emails or letters out in good time - five or six months ahead of the event. We sent ours out in early January, when people's New Year's resolutions are still fresh and they haven't yet made lots of plans for the summer.
 
2. Involve as many people in your own firm as possible so your network can see that there is a real commitment to the event on the part of the sponsor.
 
3. Don't be shy! People responded brilliantly to the idea.
 
Will you folks at Lexicon be entering a team yourselves?!
 
Four teams - with helpers etc, over a third of the firm will be involved.

If so…How's your training going? Are you confident about completing the challenge?
 
We have a twelve week programme and we're all at week one. Seriously, we are being quite strict on people this year, insisting that everyone puts in some proper training including a number of practice walks over the weeks leading up to the event.  Everyone is very determined to complete, particularly me, as I had to leave last year's event on the Saturday night to be a godfather at a Christening in London on the Sunday.
 
Would you recommend CARE Challenges as a good form of team building amongst colleagues and corporate networks?

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Discovering the Lake District
Absolutely. The teamwork aspect is really important when you're out on the hills, with everybody looking out for their fellow team members, but it also gives lots of opportunity throughout the year for reinforcing the team aspect, whether it's fundraising activities, planning the logistics, training together or reliving the highs and lows over a few beers afterwards.
 
What would be your advice to any company considering taking up one of CARE's Challenges?

Just Do It, to coin a phrase.

The CARE 24-peaks Challenge, supported by Lexicon Partners, will take place on 28-29 June and is open to participants from every sector. As part of one of the most gruelling events in the CARE Challenge Series, the 24 Peaks Challenge will see participants aim to climb 24 peaks in the Lake District all within the target time of 24 hours!

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for a number of CARE Challenge Events, ranging from title sponsorship to sponsorship of post-event receptions, t-shirts and more, all with fantastic branding opportunities. To find out more about how your company can go that extra step to support CARE, visit the Partnerships section of our website.

Interested in the CARE 24 Peaks Challenge supported by Lexicon Partners? More information here

 
 

CARE International UK Reg. Charity No. 292506. CARE International UK, 10-13 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0RB. Registered company limited by gurantee (England & Wales): 1911651. Website by Joomkit.

CARE challenge are an in-house charity fundraising team. We offer many exciting charity events that you can join. All our charity challenges offer amazing adventures outdoors and lots of our activities take place over adventure weekends. If charity runs are your thing, then we have lots to offer - 10K runs, half marathons and many other running events. Or, how about cycling events for charity? We certainly have lots to offer in the charity cycling department. There are charity rides where you can cycle London to Brighton or you can even do a charity bike ride from London to Paris, if London to Brighton isn't far enough! We also have some charity walks and hikes. Later this year we have a sponsored walk that is 25 miles long in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of CARE International's UK office. If activities outdoors and adventure weekends get your adrenalin pumping, then why not sign up for one of our mountain challenges? We have numerous charity challenges on mountains over the year from three peaks challenges to 24 peaks challenges - if you think you're up to it! For many of our charity fundraising events you can register as a teamleader or part of a team. We believe our charity challenges offer great teambuilding activities and are really great for team events. So if you're interested in corporate team building through a great charity challenge then the CARE Challenge Series is for you. Click here to see all our charity challenges.