How we helped a fast growing charity feel more cohesive and build a sense of belonging

An offsite retreat based at a yurt village, for a fast growing charity working in the field of sustainability and the built environment

Client: UKGBC - a charity working in the built environment
Location: Yurt Village, West Sussex
Group size: 26

Who they are
The UK Green Building Council is a membership organisation that aims to radically transform the  built environment.

This is a growing sector: there is a lot of work to do, and the team was growing.

Their context 
UKGBC’s team had been through a very busy time and were feeling stretched. Plus there had been some instability - several new people had joined, and several key people had left, and the team had been challenged by this.

There was a feeling that screen-based remote and hybrid working was creating barriers and as a result the organisation was missing out on creative conversations, people were not collaborating in the way they once were, and some people felt frustrated and that they couldn’t bring their whole selves to work.

There was also an issue with a few people being quiet and not speaking up in meetings.

Their challenge
“How can we support each other, feel connected, bring our true selves to work and be motivated/fulfilled?"
​
The aims and objectives
UKGBC wanted their team to reconnect, regroup and develop as a team, and be reminded that their organisation was a great place to work. They wanted a meaningful programme to give them:

• time and space to breathe and pause
• to reflect on how they were working together including looking at communication, integrated ways of working, getting out of silos, how they build trust, and removing barriers to bringing their whole selves to work. 
• to come up with collectively agreed actions that would make a difference to everyone feeling happy in the workplace.

What we did
Weaving together the team’s objectives with experiential Nature-based activities and meaningful conversations, we made it our mission to hear from everyone. 

It was a gorgeously warm summer. Starting around the fire, we held space for the team to spend the day outdoors engaging with Nature and each other. The programme was fun and productive. Activities included making symbols to represent what it's like when the team is working really well together. And games to connect and energise.

​After a freshly cooked lunch, we invited the group to think about what they could do to work together better. The group shared and listened and had different types of conversations. They had the space to think differently, and were supported to bring out the combined thinking in the team. 

Outcomes and results
The group came up with some great insights and actions together, including to stop working in isolation, to start cross-team communication and sharing positive personal and team wins.

They left feeling strongly connected and aligned.

After the retreat, UKGBC implemented many of the actions they had come up with, and there was an important shift in the way people speak to each other, and in meetings. 

The CEO said, “The door is open into a new era.” 

As experienced facilitators, we understand how important team building and development are for your organisation and are here to help. 

Our mission at School of the Wild is to help you transform your team and learn to work together better, by inspiring a positive and collaborative culture. We believe that Nature brings out the best in people so we bring hybrid teams like yours outside to help you reconnect and think differently.

Have a look at our outdoor team building away days, company offsites, and leadership development programme

Want something like this for your team?
Get in touch for more information.