SQW combats the winter blues with an athletic challenge in support of Mind

2020 has been a challenging year at multiple levels, including in relation to well-being. To help navigate the winter, look after our own well-being and contribute to that of others, SQW is today launching a challenge...

We have four main offices (London, Stockport, Edinburgh, Cambridge). A Grand Tour of all four would involve a round-trip of about 1,500km. During the pandemic we have mostly been working from home and – despite the extensive use of video-conferencing – we have missed both our offices and each other. 'Normally' we also spend a lot of time meeting clients and completing fieldwork all around the UK. It's an enjoyable and interesting part of our job, but since March, most of that has been virtual too.

To try and address several of these issues, we have decided to embark on a 1,500km 'Virtual Office Grand Tour', and we're doing it to support the mental health charity, Mind.

SQW staff have volunteered to take part and they have been randomly divided into five teams. Between Friday 13th November and Friday 4th December 2020, the aim is to smash our target of 1,500km. SQW will make a donation to Mind for each team that reaches 300km. This will be doubled when (not if) we collectively we reach the total of 1,500km.

Each of the five teams has a captain and a group of (very slightly) competitive team members. There is going to be an internal prize for the team that runs, walks or cycles the furthest...

Keep track of our progress here and on Twitter.