Colombia’s calling – will you answer? The Venari Partners Challenge is back!
- Isabelle Hanby
- Jun 13
- 4 min read
This November, our flagship CSR initiative returns for a third time. Read on for more details about the destination and how you can nominate someone who deserves the chance to push their limits for a good cause.
The Venari Partners Challenge is now such a part of our company culture that it’s almost hard to remember a time before it. Yet – if this doesn’t sound too much like a contradiction in terms – it also seems like just yesterday that our first group of intrepid travellers was setting off for Petra. Where does the time go?
We launched our flagship CSR initiative in 2023 to underline our commitment to corporate social responsibility as well as our passion for changing lives for the better. Since then, we have taken the Venari Partners Challenge to Jordan and Norway, raising over £30,000 for a number of wonderful causes including the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), My Name’5 Doddie, and The Grand Appeal, among others.
Building on past successes
Venari Partners has won and been nominated for awards including Communitas, International CSR Excellence, Better Society and Charity Times on the back of the Challenge. Most gratifyingly of all, the initiative has changed the lives of past participants, many of whom are still in contact after the initiative provided a boost and a distraction from frequently challenging personal circumstances.
After all this good work, quitting while we’re ahead is simply not an option. We’re eager to push the Venari Partners Challenge to new heights. That’s why we’re bringing the trek back in 2025 for the most – well, challenging – edition so far.
That’s right – welcome to the jungle! The Venari Partners Challenge is going to Colombia.
As ever, we will select our team from open nominations, which are free to enter and which began on 1 May; you have until 18 July to send yours in, but don’t leave it until the last minute! You are free to nominate yourself, of course.
Once you’ve sent in your entry form and your selected nominee has confirmed interest, they will be invited to complete a questionnaire providing further context about their circumstances and the charity they intend to fundraise for. This is a great opportunity to tell us about yourself, so please share as much detail as you feel comfortable with!
We have space for eight nominees to embark on an incredible journey through untouched rainforest from 22-29 November. Each team member will choose a charity to support and fundraise for. In keeping with last year’s Challenge to the Fjords, the Venari Partners ambassadors on the team will raise money for CALM.
What is included, and what’s the itinerary?
Everything from airport transfers and kit will be provided, not least thanks to generous support from the Challenge’s official travel partner, Avianca. It’s especially meaningful to work with an airline based in Colombia, so our warmest thanks go to everyone at the airline for getting involved.
This year’s trek is designed to be more challenging than ever before, so participants will need a good level of physical fitness and endurance to take part. The full schedule is:
Day 1
Welcome to Medellín! Time to settle in and explore this fascinating city before preparing for the upcoming journey.
Day 2
Into the wilderness: the Challenge gets going in earnest with a seven-hour hike. 22km – 200 metres up, 800 metres down!
Day 3
Journey through the jungle with another tough seven-hour hike. This time, 23km – a 700m climb and 300m down.
Day 4
The fourth day will be the Challenge’s big push. The team will hike 18km over six hours (600m up, 500m down), followed by three hours of rafting!
Day 5
The Challengers will then raft to the Samana Bridge. Seven hours and 32km – no joke!
Day 6
Through the Grand Gorge on the way to the finish line. Another seven hours, but just 22km as the trip winds down towards...
Day 7
One last paddle! The Challenge team will wind down with a four-hour, 18km trip by raft towards the village of Narices, the finish line for this incredible journey.
Of course, such a serious trek needs someone truly inspirational to guide the participants – and this year, we’re delighted to welcome a familiar face. Leighton Smith was part of our first ever Challenge to Petra in 2023, where he was selected for showing real resilience when his baby daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease. Leighton fundraised for The Grand Appeal and plans to do so again when he returns as team leader for this year’s group. It’s great to have Leighton on board!
Nominate someone for the adventure of a lifetime
If you know someone you think would benefit from pushing their limits for a great cause on an amazing journey, then what are you waiting for? Nominate them today – and remember, you can nominate yourself.
Click here to enter the Venari Partners Challenge, and be sure to follow our social media for further news about the initiative. Please share the Challenge with your network, also!
We will share further news about how to donate to the participants’ chosen charities after the trekkers have been selected. If your company would like to sponsor the Venari Partners Challenge formally, please do get in touch.
