In September, the Europe-based cohort of ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ (YST) convened in Coniston to take on the Adventurous Ewe ‘Lake District Triple Challenge’ in aid of Mind.
We came, we saw, and we successfully conquered our £1,000 fundraising target (£1,840 and counting)! Your support fuelled our determination and has made an invaluable impact on the lives of those facing mental health battles and disorders. Our choice to support Mind stems from a shared understanding of the profound impact mental health issues have on individuals and their loved ones. As a team, we decided to push our boundaries and fundraise with purpose to shed light on the importance of mental health awareness.
What was the challenge?
The Lake District Triple Challenge was no small feat. Despite persistent rain and low-hanging cloud, the YST team tackled a 10-mile cycle, 5-mile hike, and 2-mile kayak. By the time we pushed our kayaks out onto Coniston Lake we were soaked through, but somehow the team remained enthusiastic.
The challenge was designed to test our physical endurance as well as bring the team closer together. The unforgiving conditions and arduous terrain forged a supportive environment and even tickled our artistic side – the Lake District landscape was consistently hidden from view, so we distracted ourselves from our aching legs by imagining the rolling hills and dazzling lakes.
Getting to the Lakes
Other than the weather, the event was meticulously organised. Using our innovative travel demand management technology, we deployed a Coniston Charity Challenge travel assistant service. The travel assistant allowed us to plan the team’s journeys to the Lake District from Milan, Istanbul, Edinburgh, London, and the Midlands.
The YST team travelled by train, plane, London Underground, EV, and car, taking public transport and carpooling journey options where possible. Using the web-based travel assistant interface, we planned the car-pooling roots. Without advanced planning, the driving leg of multi-modal routes would have been taken in separate cars, increasing actual petrol car emissions from 153 kg of CO2e to 297 kg of CO2e one-way.
As well as nudging individuals towards sustainable, active journey options, the travel assistant service captures insightful data on distance travelled, modal split and carbon footprint. By capturing this data, we were able to calculate the carbon footprint our journeys generated cumulative, which was 841.86 kg of CO2e one-way, and then offset total travel-related emissions using the YST/Ecolobrium integration.
Thank you!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those who donated and offered kind words of encouragement. Your actions reverberated far beyond the shores of the Lake District, touching the lives of those battling mental health struggles across the globe. Thank you for supporting ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ in our endeavour to make the world a better, kinder place – one step, one pedal, one stroke at a time. #LifeIsaTripOut
And finally, massive shout out to our Director of Channel Partnerships, Simon Grieve. On top on the Lake District Challenge Simon (Messy) ran a half-marathon in aid of Mind.
