Teambuilding Events in the Midlands
When
they talk about the importance of location, those estate agents should really
come and see the view from the top of Farncombe Estate. This secret corner of England, 320 glorious
acres on the Worcestershire-Gloucestershire border, is home to the Cotswold
Conference Centre, undoubtedly one of the best-located venues in the country.
For
delegates, trainers, event-organisers and staff, the setting at Farncombe has always
been the “wow” factor. As soon as you
pass the unassuming entrance at the top of the Estate, you are assailed by its inescapable
beauty: rolling hills followed by a long, high view that wraps around the land
and stretches out towards the Black Mountains of Wales.
“I
set out this morning with a thousand things in my head,” said one conference
delegate this week over his morning coffee.
“Then I drove onto Farncombe Estate and all my problems
disappeared. The countryside and the
views are just mind-blowing. I instantly
started to feel calm and relaxed.”
Relaxation
is the pre-condition for focus – and focus is what you need when you are
gathering for a corporate conference or company training. Over the years, trainers have chosen Cotswold
Conference Centre as an events specialist dedicated to the objectives of focus
and change in the workplace. These same
Learning and Development experts have also been instrumental in developing a
wide range of original teambuilding activities that make the most of the woods,
the water and the outdoor spaces of the Estate.
Benefits of fresh
air
According
to sports scientists, corporate meetings and staff training work best when
physical activity is included in the day.
Physiotherapists – who for years nagged us to walk or cycle to work –
now admit that it’s easier to motivate people once you’ve got them in the
office or training room. They suggest
that companies add a modicum of physical exercise to the conference day or training
agenda.
The
benefits of fresh air extend far beyond the obvious clearing of the head. Getting out and about implies a physical change
of scene – and metaphorically, a change of viewpoint.
Teambuilding exercises in outdoor spaces
allow trainers to encourage delegates to think differently, literally “opening up”
their minds. Then there’s more brain
space for under-developed skills like leadership, team-playing, problem-solving
and inventiveness.
“The environment is a big
part of what we do,” says experienced L&D expert Mark Higgins of BFL
Training. Mark has been coaching clients
at Farncombe for more than a decade. “At
Cotswold Conference Centre, there aren’t sterile
training rooms like you find in a hotel.
The landscape is stunning and we use it to create stimulating and
memorable events.”
Teambuilding Eye Openers
Cotswold
Conference Centre has always been innovative in its range of teambuilding ideas,
each with its own mysterious name, like Equipoise, Shape-Shifter or Arthur’s
Stone. These are collectively known as Eye
Openers: 13 easy-to-use outdoor activities that make full use of the geography
of Farncombe Estate.
Recent
additions include Kanw: an exhilarating 70-minute contest where teams compete
to build their own boats and paddle them across to an island on Farncombe
Estate’s small lake.
Other
unique ideas include allowing delegates to experience the traditional Cotswold
skills of Sheep-herding and Dry Stone Walling.
Popular rural skills are increasingly popular in an age of sedentary,
desk-bound office working. Equally
unusual is the opportunity for sushi-making in the Estate’s private Japanese
Garden.
“When planning meetings, conferences and
training, we always remind people to think about including some physical
activity,” says corporate sales manager Rachael
Buttery. “In our
experience, team building exercises are a chance to break the ice, stretch the
limbs and generally feel more inclined to concentrate.
“Many
companies find that people work smarter, are more relaxed and more engaged if
they are not just sitting down all day to learn.
“No-one
can accuse us of being unimaginative with our teambuilding programme. Perhaps it’s working in such an inspirational
place that makes us more creative than most!”
For more information on Eye
Openers, outdoor activities and unique ideas at Cotswold Conference Centre,
visit www.cotswoldconferencecentre.com
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