Store colleagues setting the pace

Katy Barley: fitness training and fundraising for Macmillan.
Part of a local press article, Chester

We are hearing some fantastic stories of store colleagues who are embracing the challenge. Here is an update from Katy Barley...

"Once I found out that I had secured my place on the Boots Kilimanjaro Hiking Challenge, I was SO EXCITED!

First of all I absolutely love anything to do with the outdoors and will take on any challenge, and secondly and more importantly, it is for a charity very close to my heart. Macmillan Cancer Support really do help those who suffer from cancer. 

So far I have raised almost £1,000 through family and friends’ sponsorship, car boot sales and sponsored cycles. I recently completed 75km on an exercise bike in Boots Plas Coch, Wrexham. This is the store I currently work at, everyone has been so supportive! I also have two more sponsored cycles at local stores coming up in the next month, all organised by getting in touch with store managers and finding out when they are holding Macmillan events. Upcoming events also include a raffle that I am holding, and a cake sale at my university.

In terms of training, I am lucky enough to live only an hour from Snowdon, so have dragged my friends up there a couple of times! I have also got a trip planned up Ben Nevis at the end of June with my uncle. It is all very exciting! 

I can’t wait to meet all the other members of Team Boots Kilimanjaro!"

...brilliant work Katy, and well done for getting some local press coverage too. See image above.

Neil Jones
Julie Lawrence

More fundraising successes

Brook’s colleagues have really been getting behind his fundraising. Their first baking challenge happened in the D90 building last week, raising £180. Brook commented, “This is a brilliant success and a great way for our newly extended team to come together. Over the rest of the year there are three more rounds and a Christmas final. We have people doing sponsored weight loss, gardeners selling plants, and ‘Big Night In’ events. All helping to hit the target. The team in D90 have set the target of £1,000 and are already well on the way with £480! With all the activity so far, the fundraising stands at £3,640 which is an impressive amount – and not possible from me on my own. It has been through the help and support of the wider team that this is possible. I might be the one walking up the mountain, but the team are the ones getting me to the start!”

In terms of fitness training, last weekend Brook completed the Clarendon Way challenge, walking between the cathedrals in Winchester and Salisbury. 30 miles over two days. 

Brook is now focused on an assault course challenge at the beginning of July. Although this does not raise money for Macmillan, he is using this as a key part of his training programme. He is also increasing his running distances so he can complete the half marathon in Nottingham and has signed up to some smaller running events closer to home. He said, “my personal trainer Lawrence keeps me on track and stops me just short of collapsing…most days!”

Morag has also shared an effective fundraising idea. At a recent work team building event she saw an opportunity and went for it: a quiz and a collection bucket resulted in £108 from the 29 people who were there! The prize was a box of chocolates which did not cost a lot.

Morag is happy to share the quiz with fellow trekkers.
 

Morag's quiz participants. £108 raised

Well done to everyone who has been fundraising recently. Keep up the good work.

We would like to share more ideas like these, so please get in touch.

Neil Jones
Julie Lawrence

Claire summarises her fundraising progress

Claire & Morag's fundraising event

Claire Nevinson recaps on an excellent fundraiser for Macmillan, with more to come...

Once I found out I had secured a place on the Kili Expedition my main fear was not the training but the mammoth task of raising a lot of money! However I continue to be amazed and touched at the generosity of local businesses, schools, artists, family and friends and am now thoroughly enjoying organising and hosting some fab charity events! 

Morag and I held a great charity dinner and auction, raising £3000. The trick with this was to keep it local, and involve local people including musicians, artists, and businesses who want to support Macmillan at the same time as well as promoting themselves.

Our next event is a cookery demo featuring seasonal berries and champagne and tickets are selling fast! I have also arranged a series of events at our village primary school in Wymeswold.  They have chosen Macmillan as their charity for this coming year!  We’re having a kids sponsored “Mile for Macmillan” followed by a Campout in the village field complete with BBQ, tuck shop and bar! They’re then taking part in the national Macmillan Dress up and Dance day. 

It’s worth looking at the national Macmillan events and seeing if your local school/village hall are willing to support you in this way. Not much organisation involved yet a good return! Another good idea is to contact Macmillan about local speakers who can help by holding an assembly at school for example. Closer to work, we are looking forward to our monthly cake sale and a few other things too.  Watch this space...!

Countrywide challenge

UK locations of all the Boots trekkers

This map shows the hometown locations of all our trekkers - north, south, east and west.

From Dundee to Devon, East Anglia to Cardiff, this really is a UK-wide exercise.

The Support Office group are naturally from the Nottingham area, but our store colleagues are spread throughout the country.

With fundraising for Macmillan and fitness training already in full swing, I wonder what proportion of the country will see our Boots/Macmillan t-shirts out and about by the time we set off in January?

Hopefully we will all get a chance to meet up before the trip. The training weekend in October being the best opportunity.

Neil Jones

Stepping up our fitness



Katie putting us through our paces

The sun was shining for our first outdoor group training session yesterday. Fitness instructor Katie Cook, ably assisted by Mel, took us through 90 minutes of cardio and core exercises. Plus there was a test half way through.

The boxing routine was a firm favourite with a couple of the group. They took to it very well and definitely punched above their weight. Hopefully no repeats of this on the mountain though!

Despite a few aches and pains this morning, we are all looking forward to the next session, and we will be encouraging the whole Nottingham Kilimanjaro group (and hopefully lots of other Boots colleagues) to join us.

And not forgetting that we have been left with a set of exercises to continue as 'homework'. Twice a week for the next month we will be working through the list below.

We'll all be fighting fit before we know it...

Neil Jones

Good news comes in threes

First Nottingham fitness session.
We fear that Kilimanjaro will be tougher than this!

Another key day in our build up for three main reasons:

1) The first fitness session for the Nottingham Team took place today:
Twenty of us had an excellent session with Rachel and Jo from Intelligent Training Systems. They took us through a series of stretches and exercises to get us moving freely, and we heard how their online fitness tool could really help us. This was a great start to our fitness programme and should make our training even more effective in the weeks and months to come.

2) Hearing about fantastic fundraising activities:
Morag and Claire seem to be blazing a trail with their fundraising for Macmillan. They ran an evening dinner event on Monday that raised £3,000. Wow!
We are hearing about other great individual and team activities that are raising crucial funds for Macmillan. Including how colleagues from across the country are making great strides with their fundraising.
We will share more examples, and hints and tips, on a regular basis.

3) Our first PR coverage:
A Nottingham website features a summary of last Friday's activities to celebrate some of our achievements so far with Macmillan. Read the report here.
Our Kilimanjaro challenge gets a mention too.
This is hopefully the first of many pieces of coverage that we will get as our challenge gets closer.

We look forward to hearing more stories from teammates across the country, and sharing them via this blog.

Neil Jones
Boots UK

Brook’s first thoughts

Having received my launch pack, it all became very real! I moved through a ton of emotions, starting with fear, but quickly moving to pride, and quiet reflection on my reasons for participating in the challenge.

Being part of the team to climb Kilimanjaro has already meant changes to my life, beginning with Personal Training sessions and long countryside walks. I have found myself really gripped with a new healthier lifestyle, so much so, that I have signed up to ‘Toughmudder’ (a 12 mile special forces assault course) in June, and the Robin Hood Half Marathon in September. My mindset has been, if I can climb Kilimanjaro, then why not a half marathon!

What has inspired me the most, is how the team at Boots has really supported me, and Macmillan. The team I work in, have donated money, time, baked (and eaten) cakes, set up mini project teams to continue to raise awareness and funding. I really am privileged to work with such great people.

I am delighted to have received pledges and donations totalling £2,850 with my family, friends, Anytime Fitness Gym, and walking group all getting involved. Whilst most fundraising has been achieved by donations and pledges, I have planned several 'big nights in' along with picnics, a Miles for Macmillan walk, a half marathon, and am keen to work with my local Boots shops in Basingstoke to raise awareness and further sponsorship. I have set up a Facebook group to keep people informed of progress and future events, along with a newsletter for members of the family, who are less technology minded. It already feels like we have many more people walking beside us, as we climb, and as we raise our much needed sponsorship!

Brook Edmunds

Boots UK Space, Locations, Layout and Property Programme