Best foot forward for NGH employees

Employees of Northampton General Hospital are taking part in a global programme which will see them travel the world – virtually! 

Across the hospital, 147 employees in 21 teams of seven have signed up to the Global Corporate Challenge which aims to get workplaces active and healthy.

The target for people taking part  is to rack up 10,000 steps every day for 100 days starting on Wednesday 27 May - and the more steps a team accumulates, the further they travel on their virtual journey around the world.

Janine Brennan, director of workforce & transformation, said: “I’m delighted that interest in the challenge was really high and we actually entered three times as many teams as originally forecast. At the heart of the challenge, and the reason why we’re supporting it as an employer, is the health and wellbeing of our employees. 

"As well as increasing activity levels, the programme encourages healthier eating and hopefully, it will have an impact long after the 100 days of the challenge. There is a competitive element to the challenge because the more active a team member is, the further their team can progress on their virtual journey”.

The Global Corporate Challenge draws hundreds of thousands of employees from around the world to compete in teams of seven as the GCC takes them on a journey that will increase their physical activity levels and improve their diet and the quality of their sleep.

For each of the 100 days of the GCC, individuals enter their daily physical activity into the GCC website (be it steps, distance cycled or swimming distance). Steps/activity is then converted to a kilometre/mile distance, and the team’s progression is plotted along a virtual tour of the world. Participants are encouraged to aim for 10,000 steps per day – the World Health Organization recommended average daily steps for a lifestyle to be considered active.