The 2022 Employee Away Day was the first two day full team event since 2019.
Building on the success of the Manchester 2019 Away Day, the 2020 online ‘In Day’, and the 2021 Houlton One Day Event, Johanne Thomas (U&C) and Katie Yates (Catesby) were once again tasked with leading the coordination and delivery of the day with assistance from across the business.
Held at Waterbeach, with over 100 people in attendance, the away day brought together employees from across the business. Being based lakeside, in a substantial tipi, the venue gave staff an opportunity to view of some of the key public open space and ecology works that are taking place on the site in readiness to welcome new residents.
Day 1 key themes included sustainability interspersed with wider business and finance messaging and a Waterbeach site update, along with a lively housebuilder discussion panel including Cala Homes, Stonebond and Morris Homes.
As ever, the in person sessions were interspersed with creative videos and employee participation activities throughout the day. Based on the Krypton Factor TV show, teams competed in observation, physical, intelligence, mental agility and response rounds to win points for their team.
The second day was all about health and wellbeing with a range of activities on offer for employees to try the active, stand-up paddleboarding and getting to grips with the repurposed onsite military assault course, to the more genteel with yoga and mindfulness to watercolour classes with a local artist.
Given the outdoor venue, the team were particularly impressed that the working group managed to arrange wall to wall sunshine for both days in September.