October 2017 – Tour de Office

1 Minute with a Tour de Office Host

So, you’ve heard of the corporate fundraising event, ‘Tour de Office,’ and you want to learn a bit more… You may know Tour de Office as simply the ‘corporate bike event’ or ‘charity cycling relay’ – but these words only capture a small part of what Tour de Office is all about.

Tour de Office brings together business leaders, Australian workers and charities to make a real difference both in and outside the workplace. On the ground, the event encourages Australian workers to make healthier choices at work, facilitates teamwork and improves employee morale. But with more than half a million dollars raised for Australian charities since 2011, the impacts of the event are felt by Australians far and wide.

Read on to learn about what it’s like to host a Tour de Office event from participating organisations themselves!

Lesley Griffin, Commercial Analyst at Origin Energy:

A Tour de Office first-timer, Origin Energy Brisbane raised $5,600 for Beacon in Tour de Office 2017.

How did you prepare for Tour de Office?
Leading up to the event, we put the Tour de Office posters up and sent emails weekly. Our business leaders posted on our internal workplace Facebook to get some excitement going.

What did the event look like in your office?
We set up the bike just beside the lunch room with huge banners behind it. We had our rider schedule and an updated leader-board by the bike – the competition was insane!

Why did you sign up for Tour de Office? To raise awareness about the importance of being active and the risk of a sedentary lifestyle. We’re an active organisation (we love our lunchtime yoga!), so Tour de office really fit in with our culture. Additionally, as Origin is a large organisation, we thought the event would facilitate interaction across parts of the business that don’t usually get much of a chance to spend time together. We also saw it as a great opportunity to raise funds for our charity partner that we frequently volunteer with, the Beacon Foundation, which does some amazing work with kids at disadvantaged high schools.

What did your team think of the event? The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive – our staff enjoyed the opportunity to get to know new people and build stronger connections around the business. We also had some very healthy competition between divisions – our high-performance culture was very evident in everyone’s approach to their rides!

What is your favourite thing about Tour de Office, from the perspective of a host?
The best thing about Tour de Office is how it enables different people from across the organisation to get to know each other. We have lots of people working across different teams so Tour de Office brought people together. With the feedback we got, it was evident that the social aspect was really important to our team.

Damian Woelders, Group Training, Motorama:

Motorama has participated in Tour de Office since 2015, and this year alone raised $14,800 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Motorama ensures all their workers in the Brisbane area have a chance to jump on the bike by moving the bike across their dealerships during the week.

Why did you sign up for Tour de Office?
Tour De Office works well for us. People seem to relate to it over, say, selling raffle tickets. I think it’s because it’s nice and tangible – people can see you ride and it can be fun with different themes. It takes place in the workplace and it’s a healthy activity – it ticks a few boxes really!

What did the event look like in your office?
We try to incorporate the event into a common area where people can chat and have morning tea and lunch while the bike is going. Music also helps to make the event a social focal point. We had different themes like 80s and Cowboys & Indians etc.

What did your team think of the event?
They loved the competitive side of it and kept their eyes on who rode the furthest and who had raised the most money. It was great to eachother jumping on the bike and giving it a go. Once the event starts going, you can really see the excitement build.

If you’re considering hosting a Tour de Office custom event or riding with us in August, September or October next year, please contact us – we’re now taking enquires!

October 30, 2017/0 Comments/by Emily Dickson

You and Your First Commuter Bike – 3 Steps to the Perfect Romance

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The sun is rising earlier every day and thermometers around Australia are reaching 30 degrees by noon…Yes, it’s almost summer and it’s time to make the most of the stunning morning sunshine. If you’re ready to spice up your morning commute but aren’t sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to help you as you take the all-important step of investing in your first commuter bicycle.

Welcome to the world of cycling, a place where lycra and sweat bands are your new best friends, and packets of baby food makes a wonderful snack (seriously – just ask an avid cyclist).

The benefits of riding to work are endless – from enjoying the fresh morning air, to ensuring you’re outside and active, as well as allowing yourself some ‘you-time’ each day. If you’re a first-timer cyclist, read on to see the checklist we’ve compiled for what you’ll need to look out for when purchasing your new wheels.

1. Ask for a ‘city/commuter’ bike.
• These are simple and reliable stylish designs. Commuter bikes are generally low-maintenance and have extra features such as rack and fender mounts, and an upright frame design.

• Decide which suspension you prefer. Cycling in the city is generally smooth, and bikes therefore require less ‘travel.’ The smooth ride requires larger, more stable wheels (around 27.5 to 29 inches).

• Get fitted. Seat height, saddle position, handlebar height, and reach should be tailored for your body. Find a store that will take your measurements, show you multiple bikes and will swap parts if necessary to fit your requirements. A bike fit with a trained consultant comes complementary with every new bike at 99 Bikes.

2. Take a test ride
Take a test for at least 15 minutes, wearing the same attire you would if riding to work. Perhaps bring your old bike in and explain what you like and dislike about it. Don’t be afraid to clarify any cycling jargon you don’t understand!

3. Budget
Quality commuter bikes can be anywhere between $340 to over $3,000 for an electric bike, depending on your preference of brand and additional features. Remember to budget for other essentials: a helmet, a pump, a water bottle and bottle cages, white and red lights for evening commuting as legally required. You may even like to add a basket.

When it’s time to hit the road with your new wheels, make sure you’re up to date about your state’s cycling laws, safety information and city cycling facilities – every state has their own website. With local governments investing more in cycling pathways and facilities, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a cyclist commuter in Australia. The key to getting the right bike for you is not being afraid to be specific, take a proper test ride, and budget for all the essentials that will make you as safe and comfortable as possible.

Editor’s note: This article was written in partnership with 99 Bikes.

Don’t just stop riding when you reach the office! To share you love for riding with your colleagues and raise funds for a charity of your choice, sign up to host a Tour de Office cycling event at your workplace! Custom events now available.

October 23, 2017/0 Comments/by Emily Dickson

Tour de Office 2017 – Highlights

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In Tour de Office 2017, over 1,100 riders raised more than $160,000 for 19 Australian charities. Congratulations to PwC Melbourne who took out the title of Tour de Office Fundraising Champion 2017, having raised $18,995 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. A special mention to Kristy Whitnell who raised from the team who raised $8,100 for Starlight! Well done PwC Melbourne – an incredible achievement for their first year riding in Tour de Office.

Read on to learn how riders across Australia jumped on the Tour de Office bike for a good cause and had a lot of fun along the way.

AUGUST EVENT

Tour de Office 2017 started strong with many of our hosts in NSW, VIC and WA returning for their second or third year in a row! Ferrier Hodgson, Wodonga Tafe and Commonwealth Bank and KordaMentha Sydney, Melbourne Perth showed us how it’s done – covering over 6,300 km. That’s equal to the distance from Cape York to Perth!

The KordaMentha and Commonwealth Bank Perth teams enjoyed a week-long party – with their bike alight with fluorescent lights and the room decorated in colourful balloons. Costume days across NSW and WA brought out the pirates, Simpson’s characters and crazy doctors among the teams. Two bikes set up side-by-side created some extra healthy competition between riders at Commonwealth Bank and KordaMentha Sydney and Melbourne.

SEPTEMBER EVENT

The Tour de Office September event kept up the almighty pace set by our August hosts. It was fantastic to welcome PwC Melbourne and Brisbane, and Origin Energy Brisbane, who rode in Tour de Office for the first time this year and had an absolute blast fundraising for Starlight and Beacon respectively. News Corp, Motorama, Employment Office, Staples, Advanced Traders, Optus and Coronis returned to ride in Tour de Office to have a go at smashing their previous fundraising record! September hosts raised a fantastic $98,598.

Employment Office Brisbane launched Tour de Office with EO Founding Director Tudor, taking the first ride – coffee in one hand, Chobani yogurt in the other. Needless to say, he didn’t break the record for the most distance covered! The team invited their charity partner to visit – Jaimi, Danny and Craig from Stepping Stone Clubhouse jumped on the bike, giving EO riders a run for their money.

Tour de Office event at Coronis, Brisbane

Down in Melbourne, the PwC team loved pedalling overlooking their beautiful city, accompanied by their trusty star – a lovely reminder that all their fundraising dollars would be helping sick kids from the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Meanwhile, the Motorama team shared the bike across their Brisbane dealerships throughout the week, enjoying in the warm sun as they have other years. Staples and Advanced traders put in a fantastic effort, covering a combined distance of 600km.

Thank you to our volunteers who kept our rider schedule running smoothly, and most importantly, smiling throughout their ride! If you know someone who would like to volunteer in future events, please direct them to info@tourdeoffice.com. We are always looking for bright and enthusiastic TDO volunteers.

Thank you to our sponsors! The wonderful prizes provided by Snackwize and Jason L Furniture and Chobani helped motivate our riders to raise as much for their charity as possible. Meanwhile, Chobani flips were spilling out of fridges across Australia for Tour de Office, to be enjoyed by hungry riders for a well-deserved pick-me-up.

Click to learn more about Tour de Office 2018 or email info@tourdeoffice.com to express your interest in hosting a Tour de Office event.

October 9, 2017/0 Comments/by Emily Dickson

How did they do it? Our top fundraisers tell all!

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For many, fundraising can take them out their comfort zone. We understand! But fundraising doesn’t have to be a hassle-a-thon of your colleagues, friends and family. Far from it. With the right attitude, fundraising is fun, brings people together and of course, will make a real change to the lives of those in need. Read on for how our top fundraisers got their friends, family and professional network all on-board to raise as much money as possible for charity in Tour de Office 2017.

Share your story – Kristy Whitnell, Top Fundraiser, August and September 2017.

Kristy Whitnell from PwC Melbourne was an outstanding fundraiser in this year’s Tour de Office. Her personal connection to the Starlight Children’s Foundation was pivotal when it came to rounding support.

Kristy was the highest fundraiser in Tour de Office across the August and September 2017 events, raising an incredible $8,100 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia.

What motivated you to fundraise?

My youngest child, of my 3 beautiful boys, has significant special needs and medical issues that have required and will continue to require him spending time in and out of hospital.

I’ve personally experienced the joy that Starlight brings to children’s lives in hospital through song, balloon-making and games. Starlight brings relief and joy to not only children required to be in hospital, but also their siblings who spend considerable time waiting around. This is a charity that is very close to my heart.

What is your fundraising strategy?

l recorded a video about why the Starlight Children’s Foundation meant so much to me and sent it around via email to various groups within PwC. I then also at the last minute shared the link to my fundraising page on Facebook.

What’s your advice for fundraising?

Be involved in something that is personal and meaningful to you. Be open and authentic and don’t be afraid to share your story with as many people as possible.

The Subtle Touch – George Georges: Top Fundraiser, August 2017.

George Georges from Ferrier Hodgson raised $6,205 for Beyondblue.

For George, fundraising is all about creating discussion about your cause, as well as being selective about the charities you support throughout the year to focus your friends and family on a particular cause they can support you with. When people close to you know you’re passionate about your charity, they are more than happy to reach into their pocket for you.

What motivated you to fundraise?

Beyond Blue is a very important organisation for mental health. There are sadly too many men who don’t share their feelings and periods when they are down. It’s important for men, in particular, to accept that speaking about these times is so healthy and helps you appreciate that things are never as bad as they seem.

What is your fundraising strategy?

My strategy was simple. Encourage family and friends whom I’ve supported in their fundraising activities over many years to support me in raising funds for Beyond Blue. It’s important to appreciate that people are inundated these days with organisations chasing our scarce resources, so selecting only one or two organisations to support where you can actually make a difference is key. Beyond Blue has really brought mental health awareness to the front of mind for many people and ensuring that talking about mental health is a good thing and not to be embarrassed about. Most people know someone who has been affected by mental health issues and can, therefore, relate to the organisation.

What’s your advice for fundraising?

Spread the net far and wide and follow-up at least twice without being overbearing. Remind people that donations are tax deductible. Encouraging supporters to donate by doing something in return such as the ride or walk or head shave etc. People generally are happy to support an effort by the fundraiser.

You can do it too!

Trying a different fundraising tactic, such as recording yourself talking about what your charity partner, as Kristy, is an effective way to demonstrate to your network how much your cause means to you. Focusing on just a couple of charities throughout the year, as George suggests, will help your friends and family stay focused too, and you will be more likely to be successful when you ask for support. Ultimately, it seems reaching out to your network in person, via social media and email is key. After all, no one can support you if they don’t know about your cause!

October 4, 2017/0 Comments/by Emily Dickson

Case study: How to fundraise as an entry to mid-level professional

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Fundraising can wrongly be perceived as difficult for junior staff members, who don’t have as many so-called ‘friends in high places’ than their senior counterparts. Yet, the following case studies from two fantastic staff members at Employment Office, a long-term participant of Tour de Office, reveal that you don’t have to be a Founding Director or CEO to be a top fundraiser. In reality, a number of this year’s most successful fundraisers in Tour de Office were entry to mid-level professionals. So how did they do it? Read on to be inspired by the fundraising superstars themselves.

A little competition goes a long way- Jemma Payne – Top Fundraiser at Employment Office

Jemma had never fundraised before but ended up taking out the title of the top fundraiser at Employment Office, raising $871 for the mental health charity Stepping Stone Clubhouse. What was her secret? It’s simpler than you might think. A few friendly pokes at her friends and family to fundraise, and encouraging a little donor-competition went a long way.

What motivated you to fundraise?

Raising money for such an important cause was my key motivator. Mental health is something that impacts all of us at some stage, directly or indirectly. You can’t see mental illness – it’s something that many people struggle with, without others noticing. That really made me want to raise awareness and fundraise.

What is your fundraising strategy?

I had never fundraised before, so I had no strategy going into it! I simply shared the link on my Facebook profile and was amazed at the generosity of my friends and family. I did send a few messages to certain family and friends, telling them it was compulsory for them to donate… And I also started a competition between two uncles to see who could donate more and therefore be the favourite uncle! (John donated $100, Robbie donated $101 to take the title!)

What’s your advice for fundraising?

Put yourself out there and share what you’re doing for charity across your social channels – even on LinkedIn! Don’t just limit yourself to Facebook. You could also talk to your workplace about updating your email signature to include a bit of information and a link to your fundraising page.

I know people don’t like to ask for money, but don’t be afraid to annoy your family and friends! When it’s for a good cause and one that is close to many people, you’d be surprised by the level of support from those around you.

Face-to-face Communication is Key– Karon Beattie, Among the Top Fundraisers at Employment Office

Karon Beattie raised a fantastic $690 for Stepping Stone Clubhouse simply by talking to those close to her about why mental health is so important to her.

What motivated you to fundraise?

I am a big advocate for mental health awareness and understanding and was really moved by Stepping Stone’s commitment to supporting members of the community with mental illness achieve their goals. I actually find it really challenging to ask people to sponsor things for me (no-one wants to be “that person!”), but when it was a cause I really cared about, I wasn’t afraid to reach out at all.

What is your fundraising strategy?

I don’t have a huge network of friends, but I do have some very close friends and family who I felt comfortable approaching for donations. I didn’t go to town with a generic message, but actually just took the time to talk to people about the charity, what it meant to me, what my target was and what I needed from them. What also helped was that my friends are generally really good people, and don’t hesitate when it comes to supporting a good cause!

What’s your advice for fundraising?

Be authentic – I’m not a fan of sending a generic message. Why would they make the effort to donate if you haven’t made the effort to really talk about what you’re doing and why it’s important? Also, be conscious that not everyone is in a position to donate right away and you may have to follow up. I would usually find this really difficult to do because I’m pretty low maintenance and don’t like to push things, but I don’t feel guilty about it when it’s on behalf of an organisation that really needs it.

Believe what you’re doing is going to make a difference. It doesn’t take a huge amount of effort on your part to help out, and those donations will be of a big help to organisations like Stepping Stone!

You can be a top fundraiser and make a real difference to those in need too.

As a young professional, it’s not uncommon that many of your friends will be at university and thus, won’t be in a position to donate large sums of money – and that’s okay! Ultimately, many small donations will have the same impact, if not more, than a few large donations. By reaching out to your network, and asking even just for small change, you won’t only reach the fundraising target equal to that of a senior, but you’ll spread the word about your charity to many more people in the process. Good luck for your next Tour de Office event!

October 4, 2017/0 Comments/by Emily Dickson