Team Building

Summer is a great time for team building. The better weather gives you the inspiration and affords us the ability to get out and about in the beautiful Irish countryside. Although we love our data driven training management digital world, the virtual quizzes were growing stale and  fresh air was much needed by all. Although planning ahead is risky in Ireland, a date was set to take the team out for a morale building afternoon. The team was kept in the dark as to what exactly was being planned and that added to the sense of occasion. In the preceding weeks emails were sent dropping clues as to what the event was going to be. There were a few members of the team that had to be told for logistical reasons. They were contracted into silence. We take our staff events very seriously.

With instructions that included wearing comfortable shoes and a warm jumper (just in case) 9 of our team headed to the picturesque town of Graiguenamanagh. World famous as the home to Duiske Abbey and now also home to a fantastic series of statues of monks. The 12 of them depicting the various activities carried out by the original Cistercian monks of Duiske Abbey are dotted through the town and are a proud addition to  the already quirky streets. The heart of Graigue as it’s popularly referred to locally, is the river. The Barrow is an impressive 192 km long and is the 2nd longest river in Ireland after the Shannon. The big reveal was, we were taking a boat and cruising the Barrow while grazing on a charcuterie board and sipping on Shloer. The weather gods shined upon us and the conditions couldn’t have been more beautiful.

Training Management Success

There’s a plot twist in this team building tale. A few weeks previous, Noleen, from our branch in the North of Ireland and our CEO, Ann Marie were walking in Graigue, when they got chatting to the owner of River Boat Adventures, Eoin Bolger. He invited them aboard and it turns out that Eoin had attended a course that Veri had been involved with. The course was the starting point for him to access funding and training and developed his idea into what is now a thriving business.

The course entitled ‘Turn to the River’ was delivered by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership and funded through the Rural Development Fund 2014-2020. The aim was to facilitate riverside communities to restore and enhance their local waterways. There was a focus on enabling small tourism enterprises and communities to realise their potential. Participants were also given assistance on how to apply for funding to help them further develop their ideas. Eoin saw his vision through to the end and now offers a fantastic amenity for locals and tourists alike.

As we travelled along the river with Eoin as our helmsman and guide, kayaks passed us with adults and children both taking advantage of the perfect conditions. Rowers were putting themselves through their paces and there was even a paddleboarder with a dog at the front leading the way. It was an unforgettable experience.

It seemed only fitting that our staff event would include this success story. It was a full circle moment for many members of the team, some of whom might never have had the opportunity to meet anyone that had benefited from their skill and hard work. You can forget the real impact that effective training management can have. Behind every data entry on the Veri system is a real life person that is making changes in their life. The day turned out to be an inspirational team event that will be hard to top. But we do love a challenge.

You can find Eoin on Facebook!