In 2020, the Sport & Physical Activity Service (SPA) celebrated the hard work of all team members at its very first stand-alone staff away day. The day highlighted the significant impact and contribution made by SPA staff towards the service’s success.

A working group was established to organise the away day and comprised of a mix of colleagues from various departments within SPA to ensure the activities reached out to everyone. The group gathered feedback and suggestions from colleagues, asking teammates what they would like to see as part of their away day, all of which provided valuable insight into creating an engaging itinerary for the day.

The away day comprised of three clear sections which brought all colleagues together to participate in staff recognition, discussion and team games:

• A staff awards ceremony celebrated the work of all outstanding staff nominated and voted for by fellow colleagues within SPA. Following a robust nomination, shortlisting and voting process, the winners were announced on the away day.
• The senior management team shared key highlights for SPA over the past 12 months followed by interactive group workshops and an inspiring talk by an external guest speaker.
• Team games facilitated by an external company were hugely successful and ignited engagement amongst the attendees. The success of this was attributed to extensive planning and consultation that took place with colleagues that enabled everyone to contribute their ideas and take ownership of their away day.

The away day was a big accomplishment, and it was made clear by the attendance figures. More than 80 people attended, and everyone took full part in the activities feeding back that they thoroughly enjoyed the day. There were many award nominations of colleagues voting for each other and expressing kind words about their hard work and commitment to the service. The guest speaker and company running the team games also commented on how much they’d enjoyed working with SPA and how nice it was to see all co-workers having fun and working together as a team.

At Christmas, when staff were asked to share their favourite memories of working for SPA in 2020, many said the away day was one of their best moments!

Staff feedback:

“It has made me more confident in my own leadership abilities and has given me a confidence boost. It also cheered me up, I had a great day!”

“The day made me realise that when people are engaged they communicate much better and feel good. Working together to achieve is a great feeling.”

“Made me feel enthusiastic about working within SPA, I feel more part of the team and as a new member of staff feel valued for my work. I look forward to working within SPA in the future.”

Read about our customer focussed services, 2020 to 2021