Founder Lucy Bennett-Baggs and ambassador Annabelle Bond tell of the transformative nature of the expeditions and how they help communities
Instead of splashing out on sponsoring events where champagne flows and big names schmooze, businesses have been reviewing objectives and putting their money to better use. It’s a trend Lucy Bennett-Baggs noticed while working in marketing, sponsorship and events at HSBC, and it’s what led her to set up Just Challenge.
“It was all about how we can nurture employees’ wellbeing, how we can provide experiences that are unique, how we can give back to society,” she says of what she identified companies were starting to look for. “And that’s where I saw the opportunity.”
Through Just Challenge, Bennett-Baggs tailors programmes and challenges for corporate entities that centre around employee engagement, corporate social responsibility, client relationships and leadership development, many of which harness the power of sport and adventure to allow companies to achieve one or more of these aims.
Corporate challenges and more
Bennett-Baggs has seen success first-hand on her corporate challenges, which have included walking part of the Great Wall of China and trekking in the Gobi Desert to raise money for a partner charity. Her programmes frequently involve the dissolution of hierarchy, the learning of valuable lessons and the forming of unlikely bonds. Her challenges bring out the best in people—and, at times, the worst—and, more generally, allow participants to disconnect from the world, reconnect with nature and get outside their comfort zone, often while doing something meaningful.
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Her challenges are not only for companies. Each year Just Challenge organises one grand expedition open to 100 members of the public. It’s an opportunity for people to challenge themselves, to go on a once-in-a-lifetime journey and to network with like-minded individuals from leading companies around the world. But, ultimately, such challenges are also about raising money for a good cause, as each participant must commit to fundraising for Just Challenge’s charity partner, Laureus Sport for Good.