{"id":36794,"date":"2025-10-21T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/?p=36794"},"modified":"2025-11-06T09:29:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:29:19","slug":"from-steps-to-stories-how-the-ocs-125-challenge-brought-us-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/from-steps-to-stories-how-the-ocs-125-challenge-brought-us-together\/","title":{"rendered":"From Steps to Stories: How the OCS 125 Challenge Brought Us Together"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A Global Celebration of 125 Years<\/b><\/h3>\n

From the 15th to 21st of September, 736 OCS colleagues from across the globe took part in the OCS 125 Challenge<\/a>, celebrating our 125th anniversary<\/a> and raising funds for the four charities we partner with through our OCS Foundation.<\/p>\n

Teams of five people took part in a virtual race along a 125-mile route. The journey highlighted key locations from OCS\u2019s history and our modern-day partners. Whether walking, cycling, gardening, or simply staying active in daily routines, teams tracked their movements and converted them into steps.<\/p>\n

Turning Everyday Movement into Meaningful Impact<\/b><\/h3>\n

The challenge sought to raise \u00a330,000 for the four organisations our recently relaunched OCS Foundation supports: Teenage Cancer Trust, Scotty\u2019s Little Soldiers, Brighten the Corners and Irish Youth Foundation. As of today, the 162 teams participating in the challenge have raised over \u00a336,000.<\/p>\n

Raising Funds and Spirits Worldwide<\/h3>\n

Apart from the thrill of raising much-needed funds for deserving organisations, our teams came away from the challenge feeling revitalised. It offered a chance to connect with teammates, enjoy a bit of friendly competition, and refocus on their mental and physical well-being, all while breaking away from the usual work and life routines.<\/p>\n

For many colleagues, the event proved to be a brilliant way to bring people together. As one participant, Michael Combe, shared,<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \u201cIt was a brilliant way to integrate into the team with a bit of competitive spirit. Logging into the app and seeing everyone\u2019s progress in real time was a great motivator.\u201d He also noted how global updates and local organised walks \u201cwere a brilliant idea\u201d and how many people \u201cmiss it already and might try to keep it going.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Stories of Connection and Motivation<\/h3>\n

<\/b>That sense of connection and competition was echoed by Idris Morris, who said, \u201cIt brought out everyone\u2019s competitive side and quickly became the morning topic around the coffee machine.\u201d What began as a daunting goal soon became a friendly race to climb the leaderboard. Teams cheered each other on and shared encouragement.<\/p>\n

Building Bonds Beyond Work<\/b><\/h3>\n

For others, the challenge had an even deeper impact. Nicola Moon explained, \u201cHelping to raise money for the four charities was incredibly rewarding\u2026 sharing the goal of raising as much as we could while getting active and having fun brought us closer together.\u201d The experience revealed how small shared efforts could strengthen bonds and give colleagues a glimpse into one another\u2019s lives beyond work.<\/p>\n

Amber Leedham summed up the wider feeling across the organisation: \u201cIt was a brilliant way to get people moving and helped build connections across teams. The vibe was really positive, and even though it\u2019s over, many people want to keep up the habits they\u2019ve started.\u201d She added that the inclusivity of the event allowed everyone to take part in their own way\u2014\u201cmade it feel like a win for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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Lasting Habits and a Shared Sense of Wellbeing<\/b><\/h3>\n

By making movement fun, social and part of everyday life, the OCS 125 Challenge showed that being active doesn\u2019t have to be a chore. It encouraged lasting habits, stronger connections, and a renewed sense of wellbeing across our teams. More than just a celebration of our 125 years, it was a shared journey that brought our people together, strengthened our community and demonstrated the power of collective effort for a good cause.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

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\n Learn more about the work we do through our foundation <\/h2>\n \n\n OCS Foundation <\/a> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the 15th to 21st of September, 736 OCS colleagues from across the globe took part in the OCS 125 Challenge, celebrating our 125th anniversary and raising funds for the four charities we partner with through our OCS Foundation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":10000024164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[404,54,19],"tags":[321,53],"country":[],"class_list":["post-36794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ocs-foundation","category-our-people","category-news-type","tag-ocs-foundation","tag-our-people"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOCS 125 Challenge: How Teams Came Together<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In September, OCS colleagues took part in the OCS 125 Challenge, raising funds for charities through our OCS Foundation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/from-steps-to-stories-how-the-ocs-125-challenge-brought-us-together\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Steps to Stories: How the OCS 125 Challenge Brought Us Together\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In September, OCS colleagues took part in the OCS 125 Challenge, raising funds for charities through our OCS Foundation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ocs.com\/uk\/news\/from-steps-to-stories-how-the-ocs-125-challenge-brought-us-together\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OCS - 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