Blog. It’s the final countdown!

June 6, 2022 | Author: Giuliana Vittiglio

Our 2022 #BackinBusiness Tour challenge goes live this Friday, June 10th and we couldn’t be more thrilled. So far, we have 60 teams comprised of 632 participants set to virtually travel the globe in our honour and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The challenge will raise crucial funds for all those whose lives went backwards during the pandemic and will see us travel an epic 50,000 miles in support. 

We caught up with just two of the teams taking part to see what they have in store: 

Tom Ross, Managing Director, THE PIG hotels: What inspired THE PIGs and Lime Wood to take part in the Back in Business Tour?  

Across THE PIGs and Lime Wood, we have always appreciated the fantastic work Hospitality Action do for our industry, so we jumped at the opportunity to help raise as much as possible for a cause close to our hearts. Over the years, many of our team members have benefitted from their help and support, and you never know when any of us may need their assistance.  

We loved every minute of last year’s To Hell and Back challenge, so we needed no persuading to sign up again! In hindsight, we felt it was exactly what we needed after a long period of separation (lockdown 3.0) - an incentive to get active again, give something back to an industry we are passionate about and to bring us back together.  

We were completely blown away by the generosity and support for our fundraising efforts by our guests, suppliers, friends, and family. It was a really fun and uplifting week for everyone, and it is amazing to see what can be achieved when a group of people are brought together with a goal.  
 

 

Can you let us know a little about what you have planned? 

Across THE PIGs and Lime Wood, this year we’re celebrating being back in business with our home-grown festivals - Smoked & Uncut - with four dates to look forward to this summer after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Plus, our first festival date just happens to fall on 18th June, just as we’re reaching the ‘Back in Business’ finish line.  

So, we’ve tasked ourselves with the challenge of covering the virtual mileage of a round trip visiting the hometowns of our four headliners. Starting at our base in the New Forest, our first stop will be Dennistoun (Lulu), then traveling across the North Atlantic Ocean to New Orleans (Earth, Wind & Fire), returning to the UK and arriving in Greenwich (Jools Holland), before passing through Oxford (Supergrass) on our route back to the New Forest; just under 10,000 miles and we’re hoping to hit our new fundraising target of £40,000.  

How does the team feel about taking part? 

We’re super excited to get going again, and our team leaders are already busy planning new activities and rallying the troops!  

We love a bit of healthy competition, especially when it’s fundraising for something we feel very passionate about, and this year we’re determined to travel more miles and raise more sponsorship than we did last time, both collectively and individually.  

The teams really enjoy being a part of planning and participating in fundraising events, getting together outside of work and meeting new people through cross-hotel activities (such as the five-aside football match we saw last year – team THE PIG vs. team THE PIG-on the beach) and secretly competing against each other to be the best sub-team. So, we’re all looking forward to more of the same this year!

Charlotte Shaw, Head Housekeeper at The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences: What inspired The Athenaeum to take part in the Back in Business Tour? 

Some colleagues and I participated in #HellandBack last year and agreed that we would like to do it again this time around. It was a great way to go outside and improve our fitness after going in and out of lockdowns. We pushed each other to keep going further and to fundraise more for an amazing charity that’s supporting our industry. Hospitality Action have done so much for our industry that it only felt right to do what we can to support them and to give back. 

 

How does the team feel about taking part? 

The team are really excited and motivated to be participating along with many others in our industry. They see it as a good way to bond, become fitter and raise funds and awareness about Hospitality Action. Some are even taking this opportunity to look in to different things that they wouldn’t usually do. So far it has created a real buzz between those participating, watching the donations come in and new ways for miles to be completed. It has allowed the team to discuss and distract their minds from something other than work and find out more about each other.  

  

Can you let us know a little about what you have planned? 

Before the virtual challenge starts we are taking advantage of social media, both within the workplace and outside, to spread the message and information about Hospitality Action whilst sharing the donation link. Currently we are looking in to different ways to rack up the miles and posting these ideas on our internal social media. We are using these as ways to recruit more team members to join by showing them unusual and unique ways that they could join in. An example that we have shared is learning how to ride a Penny Farthing, however no one seems brave enough to try this one! 

It's not too late to take part in the #BackinBusness Tour. Whether you enter as a team or an individual your miles, and fundraising, will make the world of difference. Click here to join in the fun.