Aspiring to new heights

This initiative, the brainchild of Michael Wellborn of CIS Ltd and Kim Wager of Oxford PharmaGenesis, was launched last year with the aim of encouraging businesses to make a difference in their local area.

“It’s amazing what can happen following a casual conversation between two people in the gym,” said Michael Wellborn. “Michael asked for my support, which I immediately gave” added Kim Wager. “We soon approached local business leaders with the idea – they enthusiastically signed up to commit their time to training, fundraising and a weekend for the event itself.”

Trifecta team member and Group Communications Director at Oxford PharmaGenesis Paul Farrow explained, “We spent 1100 miles on the road, hiked 25 miles and climbed 10,000 ft to complete the extreme challenge. The feeling of achievement at the finish line on the summit of Snowdon was pure exhilaration, but Trifecta was much more than this – it was a 9-month journey of many hours, miles, emotions and memories shared with amazing people who were all determined to make a difference in our community.”

The name Trifecta is imbued with the notion of threes: three great challenges, three sponsors, three peaks and three charities. Trifecta is noteworthy because it brings together the founding sponsors CIS Ltd, Oxford PharmaGenesis and B4 Business with a wider group of business professionals to demonstrate leadership in social responsibility.

Michael explained the rationale behind the selection of charities, which also makes this initiative special. “We chose three local charities – Oxford Children’s Hospital, Headway Oxfordshire and the Mulberry Bush School – because they often get overlooked in the face of massive competition from well-resourced charities. We wanted to see the benefits of our work in the local community. The charities were chosen because the money raised could make a big difference to their budgets; smaller charities who could really benefit from the funds raised. Also, charities were chosen because they were in Oxfordshire and they dispensed their services locally, in Oxfordshire. It was an event by and for Oxfordshire.”

Michael Wellborn, founder of the Trifecta three-peaks Challenge, said: “‘Business Leader’s Leading Charity’ is a key element of Trifecta. It’s the leadership in organisations who drive the organisations and employees to specific behaviours, and by participating in Trifecta themselves, the business leader is sacrificing themselves for the good of charity. This hopefully leads to more developed corporate social responsibility, and inspiring the employees of the company to go out and do more in the community.”

Jamie Miller, CEO Headway Oxfordshire, said “As the public purse continues to draw tighter, it is the charities that are meeting the real-world human need within our communities. The organisations that have joined together in a partnership to support the Trifecta Three-Peaks Challenge understand this. It is these forward thinking and committed individuals and organisations that will make our community a fairer and better place to live. Headway Oxfordshire are enormously grateful for their support of both ourselves and the other beneficiaries of this great challenge. The funds raised will go towards a brand new project that we are launching – Oxfordshire Acquired Brain Injury Support Service – that will help support many more people across Oxfordshire who have been devastated by the effects of brain injury”.

Damon Boughen, Head of Fundraising for Oxford’s Hospital Charity, said “I’m so pleased that the businesses of Oxfordshire have come together to make a massive difference to their local children’s hospital. It is only through the support of the local community we are able to help support the new parents’ accommodation and the amounts raised by the Trifecta challenge will make a real difference helping to provide a safe, comfortable space for families to stay when they need it most”.

John Diamond, CEO The Mulberry Bush School, said “My physical journey on the Three Peaks Challenge reflects and celebrates the struggle and adversity that children at The Mulberry Bush School face on a daily basis. The challenge has been difficult and arduous, but it has been a fabulous fundraising opportunity to further support our important work with some of society’s most emotionally traumatised children”.

Last week, all 18 members of the Trifecta team celebrated their achievement at TrifectaFest, which was hosted by B4 Business at the Weston Library in Oxford. The audience of over 100 business leaders from across Oxfordshire heard from the beneficiaries about the life-changing work they do, and the Trifecta team was proud to present the charities with funds raised by all the team members to help continue their work. The Trifecta team are now fully recovered and planning the next event for 2020, so keep an eye out if you would like to take up the challenge!

The total fundraised was and incredible £22,500, which was split between the three charities. If you would like to make a donation to any of the three charities, you can do so by visiting their website.

www.t3pc.org
www.pharmagenesis.com
www.cisltd.com
www.b4-business.com
www.hospitalcharity.co.uk
www.headwayoxford.org.uk
www.mulberrybush.org.uk
www.warpline.co.uk
www.xist2.com