This time last year at FinTECHTalents, while I was hosting a pop-up photography exhibition for MQ Mental Health, I had one of my big ideas. Some of you will remember it as I did my usual thing when I get an idea and bounced around like Tigger telling anyone who would listen.
Now, one year later, it’s happening – and where better to kick things off than the FinTECHTalents festival again? So, drumroll….
Comms for Good is about to launch the biggest ever Fintech charity campaign, Break the Cycle.
Break the Cycle is a workplace race to cycle round the world in 80 days on exercise bikes and raise £80,000 for four Mental Health charities. The big race will run from January to March 2020.
Competing companies will race against industry partners, peers and competitors to pedal around the world – that’s 18,000 miles – without leaving the office. Using exercise bikes in a lobby, break-out space or a meeting area, company employees and visitors will cycle a virtual round the world route, which will be tracked online for all to see. During the 80 day challenge there will be pop up competitions and fundraising activities to raise vital funds for mental health charities. More about the race at commsforgood.org
To kick off we’re hosting a warm up event at the FinTECHTalents Festival on the 11-13 November. Festival goers will be challenged to race each other on exercise bikes and we’ll track progress on screen via an online map.
***Extreme competitive behaviour, underhand tactics to stay ahead in the race, and fundraising by any creative or unusual means is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED.***
Get involved with the launch – sponsor a bike at FinTECHTalents
Sponsoring a bike is a great way to raise your profile, attract people to your stand, start new conversations and build sustainable relationships with other festival-goers.
You’ll also help us showcase the challenge and promote the campaign to the wider industry. By January we want to have as many Financial Services companies signed up to compete in the 80 day race, and make as much noise and vital funds for mental health charities.
For a £250 donation, #BreakTheCycle sponsorship package at FTT includes:
- an exercise bike on your stand or in the networking area
- a branded avatar and distance tracking on the online race map
- inclusion in the Break the Cycle promo video
- inclusion in launch marketing and social media campaign content
- free entry and head start in January’s 80 day challenge
- a charity donation to our charity partners
Donate to sponsor a bike here: https://www.givey.com/btclaunchfund or contact Kate Bolton at comms4good@gmail.com for more details.
Break the Cycle Charity Partners:
Beat – The UK’s Eating Disorder Charity
Young Minds – Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Together we can #BreakTheCycle of Mental Health Issues and increase wellbeing for ourselves and our families. Our aim is to:
- Change the conversation about mental health issues amongst our colleagues, friends, and family members to ensure that stigma no longer prevents people getting the help they need
- Promote a healthy lifestyle, a sense of community, and a culture of generosity at work and at home
- Raise funds for the charities that reflect our values and enable people to access vital support when they need it
- Help organisations reach new audiences and build new connections by taking part in an industry-wide online campaign that will bring together financial services organisations and industry partners in support of good causes.
Kate Bolton
Founder, Comms for Good
