Publish date: 19 March 2025
Step into Summer with your team! Join the Trust wide step challenge
Are you with us? Lace up those trainers and step up for Mersey Care today!
With warmer weather on the way, there's no better time to join forces with your colleagues and take part in our trust wide, Step into Summer challenge — coming soon in May!
Our dedicated charity, Mersey Cares, has partnered with our Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team and NHS Northwest Games to bring you an exciting month long challenge.
Timed to coincide with National Walking Month and Mental Health Awareness Week, this challenge is a fun way to improve your fitness, enhance your wellbeing, and connect with your Mersey Care colleagues - all while raising funds to support staff wellbeing across the Trust.
There’s a healthy bit of competition too – as you go head-to-head with other teams across the Trust!
Did you know the Workforce Wellbeing Fund—created by Mersey Cares—helps support wellbeing initiatives for staff and volunteers? Every penny raised from this challenge will go directly to initiatives like Wellbeing Through Wildlife and Wellbeing on Wheels, supporting staff wellbeing and offering a much-needed break for staff. Funds will also help support campaigns such as our award-nominated Pause for Thought initiative, which tackles menopause awareness, and much more!
The wellbeing initiatives we’ve funded so far have had brilliant feedback -- and we’ve had plenty of requests to do more. One way we can make this happen is through fundraising – and so our Step into Summer step challenge was born!
- When: The challenge runs for the entire month of May (31 days total).
- Team size: Teams can be made up of 1–12 people. More than 12 in your team? Simply split into smaller groups.
- Cost: It’s just £5 per person to register. All donations go to the Workforce Wellbeing Fund.
We’ve teamed up with NHS Northwest Games to add some extra excitement. After each day, submit your steps to your NHS Games account (details to follow) and watch as your progress is displayed on a live leaderboard! You can track both personal and team progress, as well as see how you stack up against other Mersey Care teams.
To log your steps, you’ll need a pedometer or a suitable app on your smartphone or smartwatch. More details on how to track your steps will be shared with you closer to the challenge start date.
Everyone who registers will receive a Step into Summer Fundraising Pack, which includes a handy poster to track your steps, plus fun activities to do with your team, family, or friends.
Imagine the impact of your team’s collective steps! For example, if each person in a team of 12 walked just one mile a day, you’d collectively rack up 372 miles in May - that’s like walking from V7 to London and back! If each person walked 3 miles a day, you could cover over 1,100 miles, equivalent to walking from V7 to the Colosseum in Rome!
There will be a weekly prize for the team with the most steps, plus a grand prize for the overall winning team
If your team accumulates the most steps in May, you’ll be crowned our first ever Step into Summer champions and will be rewarded with a day out with your team to Knowlsey Safari Park to enjoy one of our hugely popular Wellbeing Through Wildlife sessions!
The prize includes getting up and close with the animals, relaxing in nature and enjoying restorative activities such as mindfulness. It’s a great way to connect with your team and spend some time away from your typical day.
