With the year drawing to a close, we wanted to look back on our biggest CSR campaign of 2024 - the Venari Partners Challenge
At Venari Partners, when it comes to corporate social responsibility, we believe in deeds – not words. Helping others and making a positive impact on the communities in which we operate are key aspects of our business culture. Every year, we undertake charitable initiatives that encapsulate these values – and none does so more than the Venari Partners Challenge.
We have made it a tradition to send a group of deserving individuals, many of whom have had to overcome exceptionally difficult circumstances, on a fully paid adventure trek to raise money for charity. After the success of the first Challenge to Petra in 2023, we were keen to bring the award-winning campaign back for another year in another stunning location. The destination this time was the beautiful fjords of Norway – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – with all fundraising going to the campaign’s official charity partner, the suicide prevention non-profit the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
Eight participants were nominated to take part through an open process:
Matthew Evans
Jean Knowles
Agata Miskowiec
Liam Powers
Gareth Sanders
Luke Slater
Claire Stewart
Geraint Young
They were led by Paul ‘The Warrior Walker’ Harris, who joined the Challenge as team leader; presenter Richie Driss, as well as our own Dee Angelini and Isabelle Hanby, also took part as ambassadors for CALM and Venari Partners respectively. Flying with the initiative’s official transport partner Scandinavian Airlines and kitted out in gear provided by official equipment partner, Sea to Summit, the group travelled to Bergen on 7 September before an epic 70km hiking and kayaking journey through the fjords. The going was tough in parts, but it’s safe to say everyone smashed it!
The Venari Partners Challenge to the Fjords gave this year’s trekkers a break from their often-trying daily routines. The participants have made friends and memories for life, all while raising money for a noble – and sadly all too necessary – cause. The £13,000 raised from the 2024 Challenge is enough to fund 1,000 potentially life-saving calls to CALM’s dedicated phone helpline: something that everyone involved in the initiative should be proud of.
We’re already planning next year’s Venari Partners Challenge, so stay tuned for further details. In the meantime, you can check out our highlights video from this year’s campaign to see what our trekkers got up to in Norway!