With support from our friends at Soar, Voluntary Action Rotherham and The National Lottery Community Fund, Endeavour have been running an exciting and enriching holiday activity programme.  By ensuring that strict social distancing guidelines are adhered to and by working in small groups and bubbles we have been able to continue offering safe and secure activities during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Our activities improve mental and physical well-being by reducing isolation, encouraging physical activity and challenging people to step outside of their comfort zone. This creates a golden opportunity for personal development, empowering young people and their families to build self-esteem, confidence and aspiration, as well as develop their team work and communication skills.

December half term saw Endeavour deliver a huge variety of outdoor activities for our participants. We had SO much fun working with groups of all ages! We explored caves in Stoney Middleton; took a paddle down the Sheffield canal in canoes; scrambled and weaselled around rocks at Higger Tor and Surprise View; adventured in the snow; challenged ourselves with obstacle courses and climbed loads of trees!

We'd like to thank everyone who came along this half term, your enthusiasm and willingness to have a go (even when it was cold and rainy) helped make the programme so enjoyable. We hope you had as great a time as we did, and we're proud of you for being so brave! Cant wait to see you again in February half term!

There was a lot of stuff that initially she didn't want to do, but then with the encouragement and help you guys gave, well she must've felt the ability to do it because she went and did it, and that was really surprising for me, to see her go through that little challenge, you know have that little minute with herself and pluck up the courage to do it. It just goes to credit you guys really, how you create that kind of atmosphere where people feel comfortable and they’re willing to do things that initially they don’t think they can do.

Brandon, who attended our caving day out with his niece and nephew.

If you want to know more about our Healthy Holidays programme and register your interest for February half term, get in touch with our friendly team!

The Geeks on Peaks:

Endeavour and a group of staff at HSBC HQ have built up quite a personal relationship over the last 8 years raising significant amounts of money for Endeavour and having fun along the way. 

The partnership began accidentally in 2012 when a team of "Geeks" were looking to attempt the Three Yorkshire Peaks and raise money for a local charity who would also provide logistical support to the challenge. In stepped Endeavour! The relationship has morphed over the subsequent years with a variety of the challenges involving wheels and feet. Many of the original team no longer work for HSBC but they keep coming back. 

Challenges began with the 3 Yorkshire Peaks in 2012. The following year we attempted the 3 National Peaks in 24 hours over the hottest weekend of the millennium. Then we graduated to two wheels with an attack on the Way of the Roses, 170 miles of beautiful cycling from (as the name suggests) Lancashire to Yorkshire - specifically Morecambe to Bridlington taking in the minster towns of Ripon and York. In 2015 we went big with the London to Paris Cycle over 3 days starting at HSBC flagship offices in Canary Wharfe and ending at the HSBC France HQ at La Défense in the Paris business area. This was a challenge for riders and support staff alike, a lot was learnt that would benefit future activities and the team raised a significant amount of money for Endeavour. There followed further extended cycle challenges across Ireland (2016) - possibly only 40 minutes of riding were not troubled by torrential rain!; Wales Hollyhead to Cardiff (2017) and Scotland (2018) where the weather gods truly smiled on the adventure with over 300 miles of riding over 3 days in beautiful sunshine and not a midge in site. These main events were interspersed with some more gentle events like sections of the Lyke Wake Walk and a return to the 3 Yorkshire Peaks in 2017 for a mix of new and old aimed at keeping the core team together and interested. 

We have had stunning scenery, developed great team spirit which benefits everyone in the office, been provided some remarkable food by "Chef Pat" and raised money for a great local charity.

Gerry Hounsell

In 2019 we returned to the roots of the "Geeks on Peaks" challenges offering 3 smaller duration challenges which catered to a range of tastes and aimed to be inclusive with a long distance walk and two one day cycle challenges. 

2020 saw a multiactivity challenge over 3 days planned with a canoe, cycle, hill climb (Ben Nevis) and an open water swim to truly test and inspire participants. This will now take place in July 2021. Find out more about this event by clicking here.

Endeavour provides the logistics, organisation and technical support and the participants fundraise for Endeavour with key staff at HSBC rallying support and circulating information. The style of challenge is decided by consensus.

All the events culminate several weeks later with a cheque presentation and social. 

Endeavour are enthusiastic and professional about their work with young people. This translates in to the events they have organised for "the Geeks". These are a lot of fun even if very challenging at times but I also like the sense of contributing to something bigger when I hear about the benefits the money we raise brings to the local community.

Dave Mckenzie

So - we have experience of organising and supporting a wide variety of events for teams of colleagues. Training together for events and repeat participation have developed strong friendships across the group that extend to Endeavour staff. 

Partnerships like this one are hugely beneficial to the beneficiaries that Endeavour aims to support as it allows us to develop what we offer for example contributing towards our teaching kitchen or our outdoor teaching space or enabling us to jump the hurdles required to become a registered exam centre or providing additional tutoring to enable youngsters to have the best possible chance when they sit their GCSE exams.  

If you're interesting in working with us to organise an event like this for you and your colleagues or friends, get in touch!