INTENSITY, CONCENTRATION, dexterity and words of encouragement were needed to win at the Irish Business Teamwork Awards in Kildare yesterday. And that was just for the board-games.
A total of 38 four-person teams from around Ireland took part in a fund-raising day for the Irish Grocer’s Benevolent Fund at Carton House Hotel near Leixlip, raising €15,000 for the group.
Activities ranged from tag-relay kart-racing to team jigsaw puzzles.
“It was a bit of a shock to see the karts were pedal-powered, but it was good fun,” said Maeve Moynihan taking part for Glanbia.
Carolyn Conboy from Newstalk said: “The tree-climbing was the hardest. Some people were like little monkeys but it was really high when you got to the top. I screamed as I was going down.”
Two people from each team climbed the trees, with their colleagues working the safety ropes.
Event organiser Jim Barry, managing director at the Barry Group, said: “In the last 10 to 12 years the idea of teamwork has gone backwards in Ireland. But if you can have fun and trust your team, that goes far in the business world,” he said.
The charity gives financial assistance to the retail grocery trade, and this year has helped 300 families according to Jim O’Connor, executive secretary of the fund.
“Naturally the last few years haven’t been good. We collect between €600,000 and €700,000 a year but we’re giving out a bit more than that,” he said.
While not as physical as some of the outdoor events, the jigsaw tables proved exacting enough – with only two groups finishing the 100-piece puzzles, according to the Ernst Young representative presiding over the area.
But the highest intensity was reserved for Jenga, with team-members hovering protectively over their tables. It was only when the final blocks were stacked that Mr Barry could announce the winner, with Newstalk 31 taking the prize in a tight finish with Alcam and Britvic.
