The Wednesday Challenge starts again this week.
Three years after starting as a Tauranga pilot, organisers are keen to see the business programme hit the 100 mark and are asking local businesses to meet the challenge.
Founder and co-director Heidi Hughes said with 62 businesses already in the challenge, the next target was to hit 100.
“Businesses lead by example and that’s exactly what we are challenging them to do this year. By joining the challenge they are encouraging better health and wellbeing in their teams, contributing to a reduction in traffic congestion and encouraging more environmentally friendly habits.”
Already some large businesses in Tauranga run the programme each year, including Mercury, Craigs Investment Partners, Zespri, Beca, Aurecon, Holland Beckett, Tauranga City Council, the University of Waikato and Robotics Plus.
To further entice businesses large and small to sign up, the Wednesday Challenge has a host of rewards and prizes up for grabs.
“Sign up as a new business before March 31 and you’re in to win $1000 cash for your social clubs,” explained Hughes.
“Plus, we’re giving away seven fitness trackers and two morning tea shouts worth $250 in the very first month, with prizes every month after that to keep business teams motivated.”
The Wednesday Challenge encourages participants to choose a different and better mode of travel to work each Wednesday.
Instead of taking a car, participants earn points for biking, running, walking, scootering or carpooling.
“Last year we had Hayley Nelson, general manager at Craigs Investment Partners, try 12 different modes of travel throughout the Wednesday Challenge,” said Hughes.
“Hayley even kayaked around the harbour one day to get to work. It was inspiring to see this level of leading by example in business.”
Staff from Craig’s Investment Partners and Mercury offices nationwide also took up the challenge to leave their cars at home on a Wednesday.
Competing businesses challenge one another, with points accruing each week on the Wednesday Challenge leaderboard.
“We all know the benefits of exercise for our health and wellbeing and there’s research to prove the positive impacts it has on productivity.
Wednesday Challenge founder and co-director Heidi Hughes. Photo / Supplied
“So, we find that participating businesses like that are encouraging and supporting their team’s health and wellbeing whilst also making environmentally friendly choices, and having some find battling it out to get to the top of the business leaderboard.
“Our partnership with Tauranga City Council, to enable Tauranga businesses to participate, is an important part of the challenge. Signing up is a simple process that takes a couple of minutes and is a simple yet tangible way that businesses can participate in a programme to make a positive difference in their teams and in our city.”
To find out more go to www.wednesdaychallenge.co.nz
5 comments
Hmmm
Posted on 24-02-2025 16:53 | By Let's get real
Even the cyclists that ride every day haven't got a clue about staying safe on the roads and getting home safely at the end of the day. And now these idiots are suggesting that more people ride a bike or electric scooter.
This is just a flag waving exercise that might result in time a trip to the doctors or the operating theatre.
It doesn't matter who is to blame, the cyclist, the truck driver or the mother dropping the kids at school... There's only one person who will carry the entire cost and that's the person with absolutely no protection.
You might well have your rights to use the roading, but you show your lack of respect for yourself and your family when you get on a bike and expect everyone around you to pay any respect to your rights. You're immediately a victim.
Are they for real?
Posted on 24-02-2025 18:57 | By Duegatti
Spend even half an hour at peak times at the intersection of Cameron Rd and 3rd Ave. Watch the lunatics exercising their death wish on bikes and scooters, then tell me alternative transport is a good idea.
Maybe for population reduction it is.
Usual comments
Posted on 24-02-2025 21:18 | By Futurefocus
Not surprised to see these comments as per usual. Most cyclists will say they want safer infrastructure to seperate from cars and trucks but lo and behold anyone spends any money building it. Can’t win.
Do they use the road rules??
Posted on 25-02-2025 07:42 | By Dee236
Cyclists don't even use the rd rules and expect people who use vehicles to just slow down for them or give wide berth because they think they're an automobile whilst travelling at a leisurely pace. No thanks if you're not gonna use the designated cycle lanes and paths. Use your commonsense.
car brains...
Posted on 25-02-2025 16:34 | By This Guy
Too thick to see that every person on a bike (or on a bus) is one less car in front of them at the traffic lights or taking their parking space at their destination... Instead, they sit in traffic and whinge about what's in front of them, so it ends up being the fault of "bike lanes" and cyclists... (Also, comical that people talk about "cyclists not being safe" when car drivers are so ridiculously hostile towards people on bikes it borders on sociopathy...)
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