Moving mountains: 150km ventured for global sustainability goals

Impact was founded in 1980 by owner and CEO David Williams, with the core values of leadership and adventure at its heart. This year marks my 25th year of working for Impact, and I wanted to do something memorable and meaningful to celebrate this occasion – something that would harness these values of leadership and adventure, and that would give everyone something brilliant to look forward to.??

In recent years, David has been preparing the old Kelsick Grammar School in Ambleside to be our new global HQ. Here was the perfect opportunity for this celebration: Kelsick may only be 5km from our current HQ on the shore of Windermere, but why move office the easy way when you can do it the Impact way! (i.e., via a 150km multisport epic.)??

The Lake District has a number of well-known ‘Rounds’, of which the Bob Graham Round is probably the most famous. I have personally completed the Frog Graham and the Frog Whitton Rounds, both of which are multi-sport events involving swimming. What better way, I thought, to create something memorable for our staff and celebrate our love of adventure, than by creating our own Round that ended at the new office!??

I sketched out a route that took in the ten swimmable lakes in the national park, journeying between them via a combination of self-powered transport methods. The challenge soon took on a life of its own and the Force4Good was created.

What I loved about the event was that as people joined the team, they each came up with fantastic new ideas.

The initial plan soon morphed into a unique adventure that became one of the most memorable weekends of my life.?

One of the best suggestions was from Sam Egerton in our Singapore office, and that was to structure the event as a Japanese-style ‘Ekiden’ (relay). In the Ekiden format, each leg of a long journey is completed by a different person carrying a ceremonial sash called a ‘Tasuki’. As Impact’s first international office was in Tokyo, this felt very fitting, and therefore became the format of the Force, with 21 legs, each led by a different member of staff via their chosen mode of transport. With this structure, the event flourished into an epic journey involving kayakers, runners, swimmers, cyclists, canoeists, fell runners, hill walkers, paddle boarders and mountain bikers.

It became a true celebration of adventure and that which is at the heart of our organisation: adventure education and development.??

I was also keen that the journey had meaning and purpose. With Impact’s core belief that business should be a force for good in mind, the event became known as the Force4Good, and its objective was to promote positive action for the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To help us achieve this, I enlisted a variety of collaborators from our wider network, ranging from Paul Rose of Natgeo Pristine Seas to John Maddy of Long Valley Yurts; from local wild swimming and diversity champion Winnie Poaty to our clients Scania UK and The Vita Group. I have interviewed all 17 of these collaborators on their views on the SDGs and why they are so important for our planet (read these here).??

We also decided to increase the impact of the event by raising money for a charity that resonated with many of us. We chose Mind Over Mountains, a charity that supports people of all ages with mental health challenges through therapeutic outdoor experiences.?

For me, the storytelling around the journey is as important as the journey itself. We want people and organisations to take action on the SDGs to make a difference – to make an impact and to ensure that the earth is in the shape we need it to be in for our children. It was also important to me that the event was inclusive. It wasn’t about speed or record-setting; it was about taking part, having an adventure, and soaking up the beauty of this special place we call home.??

The Force4Good became a major event to manage, with multiple stakeholders and a lot of dynamic risk assessment (especially on the day itself, as the weather was atrocious, with gale-force winds even at ground level). We were also committed to carrying out the journey in a traceless manner, minimising our impact on the national park and observing strict protocols on biodiversity.?

Over 100 people were involved in the event, including employees, ex-employees, family, and friends. The youngest leg lead was Archie Waple (7) and the oldest was David Williams CEO (66). The journey kicked off in Tokyo, with our Japanese team walking 15km around the city, proudly carrying the Tasuki.?

Despite the appalling weather, we completed the 150km journey without ‘breaking the chain’, with each leg handed over to the next and our Tasuki walked into Kelsick by myself and David at 4.30 pm on Sunday, after a celebratory pint in the Golden Rule, Ambleside.?

I was overwhelmed by the commitment, courage, love, and support shown by everyone involved. I was lucky enough to be joined on the journey by my wife of 30 years, Theresa. It was wonderful to go through this experience together in the beautiful place we have made our home.??

These are exciting times for an exciting place to work, and this is testimony to the vision David had back in 1980.

In the last 42 years, we have helped organisations all over the world to do great things, and we are now helping them to do those things whilst bringing the SDGs to fruition.?

We hope that this event will inspire others to celebrate the power of adventure and learning and to make a commitment to the SDGs. Please join us in taking action on the 17 goals, because our planet needs us.?

Andy Dickson is a senior consultant and customer solutions manager at Impact. You can connect with him here.??