Member Article

Critical Software Technologies completes 28,000 mile trek

Southampton, 25 October 2012 - Employees of Critical Software Technologies are celebrating after completing a 27,956 mile trek for a global workplace health challenge over the course of 16 weeks.They joined a 185,000-strong community of workers worldwide who took part in a corporate health initiative: the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC).

This health initiative also supported local children in a junior version of the scheme, and Critical sponsored 49 local primary school children to take part in the Global Children’s Challenge which started on 19 September. These pupils will be able to enter free of charge as a direct result of the company’s participation in the Corporate Challenge.

“We’re pleased to support children in our community in the junior version of the programme which will help them foster healthy lifestyle habits,” said Brian Luff, chairman of Critical Software Technologies.

The World Health Organisation recommends that all adults should take at least 10,000 steps per day, but the average office worker takes only 3,000. For the 16 week duration of the programme, Critical’s employees wore pedometers and recorded their daily steps. They were awarded step allowances for swimming and cycling too. Their daily step average was 12,877, more than four times the unhealthy norm. The company’s seven teams of seven entered their daily steps into a virtual trek on the GCC website, and competed with one another in a whirlwind adventure around the globe.

Collectively, Critical’s employees trekked 27,956 miles around the world. Visiting some of the world’s most exciting destinations this way helped keep employees motivated to continue their active efforts. It also provided a platform for some friendly competition.

“We encouraged employees to get out of their chairs as much as possible throughout the work day, to engage with office colleagues face-to-face instead of over email or telephone, to take the stairs wherever they could and to leave their desks and walk during lunch breaks. Small actions like these really helped our employees to achieve, and in many cases exceed, their 10,000 step goal for the day and to create lifestyle habits that will stick for the long term,” states Luff.”

As well as the personal challenge aspect of the programme, our employees really enjoyed the friendly rivalry in competing against workmates as well as other companies to race around the world,“ Luff said.

About Critical Software Technologies

The first company in the Critical Group, Critical Software SA, was established in 1998. The group specialises in design and development services relating to complex, software intensive, safety-critical systems. The UK subsidiary, Critical Software Technologies Ltd, is based in Southampton and focuses on safety and mission-critical systems in the avionics, space, energy and defence industries.For more information, visit www.critical-software.co.ukMore information about the GCC programme can be found at www.gettheworldmoving.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Critical Software Technologies Ltd .