A big thank you to everyone who participated and supported in this year’s £10k board challenge. It has been a challenging year and more difficult than ever to spend time planning, engaging and carrying out activities for the bear.

In spite of this, we witnessed great enthusiasm from everyone who took part and managed to cycle, run, canoe, sail, fly, space hop and bake our way to raise a grand total of:

 £21,098.69 

Your efforts are greatly appreciated and are a key element to us getting such an incredible result. As well as our Kier Foundation charity partner Alzheimer’s Society, we will be sending cheques to the Huw Thatcher Trust, Manchester Children's hospital, Samaritans, Kidscan Children’s Cancer Research, Macmillan Cancer Support, Air Ambulance Cornwall, Air Ambulance Devon and Serv Blood Bikes.

 This year we have:

• smashed our target of £10,000 
• engaged over 150 of our staff
• travelled over 1,400 miles – mainly by bike, foot, boat or space hopper 
• volunteered over 1,000 hours 
• used BIM to track the bear 

A great result has been bringing the Infrastructure and Utilities teams closer together.

Congratulations Huge congratulations to our Capenhurst site who have raised the most money (£3,745) and who will be receiving the much coveted trophy to proudly display.

Prize winners have been selected and their prizes are currently being delivered. This year there was such a great effort that we felt we had to award more than one prize in some categories. 

Congratulations to all our winners and thank you again to everyone who supported, donated and took part in making this challenge a great success.

Hopefully you’ve all met someone new, done something different, learnt something and had a little fun along the way!

Now winter has landed with some freezing cold weather, what better way than to take to the icy waters for a spot of wakeboarding. Our bear devil Niall slipped into his short wetsuit for an hour and a half of jumps and turns with the bear.

All in the name of raising money for The Kier Foundation.

Niall (Centre front) supported by his Tempsford colleagues (L to R) Joe Brain, Ben Howlett, Raju Khalique, Chris Nicol, James  Moran and Tom Morgan.

Before our mascot settled into our Tempsford trophy cabinet he took a trip with Project Director Rakesh.

Travelling a shade under 8,000 miles to our Al Mutrafiah Primary Infrastructure project in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The only shade that was available was that under the project sign where the temperature was in excess of 40 degrees centigrade.

Following a team photo and before concluding a discussion on whether, in light of the ambient temperature, a “fur cut” was required for safety reasons he was rushed back to the territory office for a photo with our Saudi Arabian office staff.

 After meeting our Saudi Arabian office staff and, with his visa clearances confirmed, our bear was back on the flight back to Blightly. The return journey saw the bear introduce himself to the flight crew where he reviewed the cockpit from the jump seat.

The final handover was completed by Alex Hitch and his team of bikers. Alex had chosen to raise money for the Serv Blood bikes so thought it fitting to get his managerial team together on their bikes for the trip.

Paul Wilson, Infrastructure Technical Director receiving the bear.

They were welcomed with tea and cake and cheers from Infrastructure staff based at Tempsford Hall. They had collected a lot sponsorship money and enjoyed an afternoon on their vehicles giving the bear a thrill!

Tempsford Hall was excited to take the bear out and about on more adventures.

He went on a sponsored 10 mile run with Brian, Andrea and Tom for ‘run to work Friday’.

Sandy Birch organised an amazing afternoon of Golf with donations from the team members.

Went up with Jim in his plane, and flew over Tempsford.

Visited our new print contractor Paragon at their Rotherham offices, and even cheekily asked Angus Campbell Paragon UK General Manager for a fundraising boost.

As it was Halloween, the team hosted a pumpkin carving competition and cake sale.

The bear enjoyed his flight so much, he couldn’t wait to go back into the sky. So Jess and John once again took a little trip and even made a video of their adventure.

Niall embraced his inner bear devil, and took the bear Wakeboarding.

So far the bear has been busy raising money with lots of activities…but we’re not finished yet! We’re so close to doubling our initial target. So please help us with that those final few pounds so we can help many more of our favourite charities.

Prior to this sites efforts, the Rail Regional manager, Sean Hebden took part in a London to Brighton cycle race.

This ‘bear devil’, took the bear along for the ride, and managed to keep him fairly clean!

He rode shotgun on an adrenaline fuelled mountain bike expedition from Roehampton to Brighton. A total of 75 miles, from steep forest inclines to tricky technical descents, rocky paths to muddy single tracks. Starting early at 8am, he crossed the wild savannahs of the Surrey Hills, and negotiated the mountains of the South Downs to finish by the sea just in time for tea!…..and stopped at Hampton Court for a photo opportunity.

Oulton Broad is one of our newest rail projects, and their team of eight, led by champion Andy DeCastro-Bunce, decided to take to the water for an adventure.

They travelled from Oulton Broad harbour to Reedham.

 They even marked the occasion with homemade cake.

 Then cycled from Reedham to Brundall, some 12 miles.

 They completed their journey to the Trowse office by canoe, from Brundall.

On top of all their other fundraising antics, the Deephams team took to the skies with their Bear Devils challenge.

Liam Naughton jumped out of a perfectly good plane for a sponsored tandem skydive.

 The official video will be shown on site in the near future.

Well done Liam!

Bear and the team from Farringdon arrived at the Deephams STW Upgrade Project and a number of the AMK JV team were there to welcome them all to site.

After a good night’s sleep Bear was introduced to the team from Skypower, the company who produce all the aerial photos, videos and 360 virtual tours for the project team at Deephams.

Bear was lucky enough to take to the skies for his very own ‘b-aerial’ site tour.

Once Bear’s paws were back on the ground, the BIM Coordinator, Mandeep Gill, explained, in ‘bear’ terms, one of the ways BIM could be used at Deephams.

 

 The following morning started wet and windy, but Phil Hobson, the Project Director, along with apprentice Harry and document controller Jim, walked Bear and his chaperone Sam Stock, PA to the Project Director, down to the CEMEX UK Edmonton depot, where their first lift to the East Coast awaited.

After having a look round the depot and meeting their driver Mihail it was time for Bear and Sam to leave and make their way to their next stop, Camfaud Concrete Pumps’ offices in Epping, 11 miles away.

John Adams, AMK JV’s H&S Manager (and bear support) along with Kieran and Adrian from Camfaud Concrete Pumps were there to welcome Bear.

Bear was given the opportunity to have a go on the pump’s controls to see what they were all about and was made to feel very welcome by Brendan Murphy, the Managing Director, and his team.

All too soon it was time for Bear, Sam and their driver Adrian to continue their journey to the IWJS Ltd depot in Woolpit.

After a very comfy ride Bear and Sam arrived at IWJS, where they were met by Ivan Clarke, the Depot Manager. As it was getting late in the day it was decided that Bear would spend the evening with John Adams and his family who lived close by.

Nice and early the next morning Bear had a chance to look round the IWJS yard, seeing how everything worked and having a good look at their new rescue vehicles, which are kitted out to enable all types of rescue, including those from confined spaces.

Then it was time to meet Scott, the tanker driver, who would be taking Bear and Sam to their final destination on the East Coast.

One final stop for a photo opportunity at Oulton Broad...

and they were at the end of their journey. Darren Corbett and the team based at the Lowestoft Depot were all there to meet them.

Over their two day trip Bear and Sam enjoyed learning about, and riding in, some of the vehicles that had been used on the Deephams Project.

A big thank you to all the companies involved for making us feel so welcome and giving their time and vehicles to make this leg of Bear’s journey around the UK possible.