It’s not your average team building day when you jump into Anglezarke reservoir and dress up as cowboys; but there is nothing average about our annual get togethers and this year was no different!
The day began at Farington Lodge where all the pub managers from 20 pubs came together to listen to a talk from our Managing Director, Chris Tulloch. The purpose of the talk was to look at how goals set at the end of 2022 had been achieved or not, and to decide amongst us all how we would continue to grow and build on the success as we enter the busiest period of the year in the hospitality calendar.
Then it was onto the Anderton Centre where we met our guides for an afternoon of raft building. We were split into 4 teams and set a task of orienteering to find the materials needed to build the rafts. This tested our communications skills and we had to work closely together to make sure we got everything we needed!
Some teams ended up with more materials than others, so our negotiation skills were tested as we had to ‘swap’ items to ensure we had the correct items to build our rafts. The building of the raft required listening to each other and going through meticulous steps to make sure the rafts were sturdy and able to float on the reservoir.
Then comes the best bit, racing on the water against the other teams! This brought out the competitive side in us all and again we had to use our communication skills to ensure we all rowed in sync and got to finish line as a team.
Once we were all dry, we were booked into local brewery, Rivington Brew Co for some award-winning and locally brewed beer plus amazing burgers from The Burger Capital! Once fed and watered, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for our western themed party! Ye-ha!
We rode the bull (yes we installed a rodeo bull in the pool room), played smart darts, danced to the incredible country and western entertainment, had some tasty pizzas delivered and drank the bar dry – it was an amazing way to round off a very special day!
Tony Thomas, manager of the Park View commented:
“I was quite nervous about the raft building as I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was fantastic! Completely out of my comfort zone but I had a great time and couldn’t stop laughing the whole day.”
Mandy Schon, manager at the Halfway House said:
“It was a great day and night and so nice to catch up with all the other managers. It feels like one big family when we all get together and I can’t wait to see what’s planned for next year!
Chris Tulloch, Managing Director of Blind Tiger Inns commented on the day:
“Our third annual company day was one to be proud of. Getting everybody together to thank them for what they do and share the visions of the business is a great way to spend a Wednesday. We’ve had a great year so far in 2023 and what better way to thank people than a day building rafts, drinking beer and dancing. We love investing in our teams as these are the most important people in the business. Hopefully the hangovers fade quickly, but the memories live forever!”
