Why would you want to hike across 55 miles of sand and rocks you may ask? Well, the answer is simple. It wasn’t just about raising much needed funds for a very deserving and needy cause, but also about the personal things we learned on that inspiring journey.

I found that taking on real and honest challenges, shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues, brings a sense of true accomplishment and connection, at the deepest of human levels.

Some people give their time, some their money. Some jump out of planes and some bake; but here at Ink, we very much encourage all of our colleagues to give back in anyway that they can. And we have a long and proud history of action.

Over the years we have had colleagues who ran, biked, walked and climbed Kilimanjaro (well done Michael), lost 22 kg whilst walking and running for charity (Herbert) and funded mosquito nets for children in Africa (Piet). In London, our bake off has become a regular thing.

Through giving back I have learned not to take the simple things in life for granted and also realise that we must seize the opportunities we have been gifted – that is why, from all of our offices around the world, we are committed to help those who need help.

Message from the Sahara team:

“After grueling days struggling through the 100c heat, the “Sahara 10” crossed the line in darkness at 19:30 after 23 hours of walking – blisters galore, sore limbs and joints.” But we did it. The final 5 miles were through the sand dunes making the already tired legs feel like blocks of concrete.” But the sense of accomplishment was complete.

I am proud (and sore) to have helped lead (and be led) through that desert by a dedicated and driven bunch of colleagues. It’s a personal journey and what we do here is inspire and motivate people to go on their own travels and have their own stories to tell. And, as I see it, if you can achieve all of that AND give back to the community – then the challenge is worth grabbing with both hands.

Today Marcus and his family visited our London office to tell us his story first hand and I can say that it was the most inspiring talk I have heard in a long time.

We are proud to be fundraising for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity’s “Make It Possible Campaign”. And we hope to see them raise enough money to expand their Spinal Cord Injury Centre (SCIC) to help people with spinal injuries get the specialist help they need.

Click on the link and help them “Make it Possible” by following the instructions.

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