Latest News

New Travel Insurance Policy With Cover For Covid-19

July 24, 2020

Your safety is one of our main concerns at Charity Challenge, which is why ensuring you take out extensive travel insurance is an essential part of every booking.

We are therefore delighted to announce that our travel insurance partners at Campbell Irvine have launched a new updated Campbell Irvine Direct travel insurance policy which includes Medical Expenses and Cancellation cover for Covid-19. This is a vital piece of cover for any intended overseas trip, so please do read this information carefully.

New Travel Insurance Policy

  • Medical emergency treatment overseas and medical repatriation due to an insured client being diagnosed with Covid-19.
  • Cancellation cover to reimburse your clients for any irrecoverable payments and charges made for travel and accommodation if they have to cancel their trip due to a doctor diagnosing either them, a close relative or their insured travelling companion with Covid-19 and as a result being advised not to travel. 
  • Cancellation due to either the client or their insured travelling companion’s direct exposure to a close relative being diagnosed with Covid-19 resulting in an order via the NHS Test and Trace programme for your client to be medically quarantined and not being able to travel.
  • Cancellation or Curtailment cover due to denied boarding of public transport if displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Additional T&C’s Applicable To The New Cover

There is no cover in respect of any travel to a region or country against British FCO advice. Should a client wish to travel to any area contrary to FCO advice then they will not be eligible to purchase this insurance and specialist cover should be arranged with Campbell Irvine.

There is no cover provided if due a second wave there is another ‘lockdown’, either locally, countrywide or in the destination country resulting in your client being unable to travel either from their home or to the booked destination. Likewise if the FCO subsequently advise against travel to destination there would be no cancellation cover under a travel insurance policy for such an event.    

New European only Annual Multi Trip Travel Insurance

Campbell Irvine are also delighted to announce the launch of a new European only Annual Multi Trip travel insurance policy providing cover for unlimited number of trips within the UK and Europe with up to 31 days cover any one trip. Winter sports cover is available subject to payment of an additional premium.

For further information on the new updated Campbell Irvine Direct travel insurance policy please see :

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the team at Campbell Irvine.

020 7938 1734 | info@campbellirvine.com | www.campbellirvinedirect.com

Charity Challenge Keeping you safe

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

Your safety when travelling with Charity Challenge is our main concern which is why it is a booking condition that you have a suitable travel insurance policy that will cover the adventurous nature of your challenge. We have chosen to partner with specialist travel insurance providers Campbell Irvine, who offer cover for an extensive number of adventurous activities. Cover is available directly from Campbell Irvine for most European residents and includes cover for emergency medical and repatriation and for your cancellation or curtailment of the challenge. Cancellation cover is very important as you need to consider protecting the charity you are raising funds for, as they may be contributing hundreds or thousands of pounds towards your challenge costs. 

You can view further details and buy the policy here.

We appreciate that whilst you may already have your own travel insurance in place, it is not administratively possible for us to vet each and every one of your policies.  It is therefore the responsibility of each client to check that the policy cover they have in place adequately meets their requirements. Please note you can have more than one policy covering the same trip as many of our clients do. If you are flying directly to join the group in-country, please ensure the period of insurance covers the full duration of your trip for the travelling time to and from your home.

What happens if I make a booking with Charity Challenge and the trip can’t run due to Covid-19?

Please rest assured that if Charity Challenge cannot operate a challenge in the host country due to Covid-19, we will offer you a number of options including:

  • the chance to postpone your challenge to a later departure (this year or next)
  • to join any Charity Challenge trip in another country (this year or next)
  • to receive a refund of monies paid for the challenge

Please note there are no admin fees to either postpone or change destinations, should we be forced to cancel your existing challenge due to Covid-19.

Challenges, Latest News

Exciting UK Challenge Update!!

July 8, 2020
Exciting Challenge Update

Following months of global lockdown, closed international borders and social distancing due to the outbreak of Covid-19, restrictions are starting to ease. Charity Challenge have therefore carried out a thorough review of how we operate our challenges and how we can adapt and respond to the new logistical challenge of being Covid safe.   

We are VERY pleased to share that we are looking to restart operating our UK challenges from mid-August in a safe and responsible way. International challenges will follow in time when safe to do so. 

For anyone booked on a National Three Peaks Challenge, we are still awaiting the latest government guidelines regarding transport and accommodation before we make an informed decision on when your challenge is safe to go ahead. 

LAKE DISTRICT 5 PEAKS CHALLENGE

Prepare for an epic challenge through the rugged and dramatic landscape of the Lake District, as you tackle five of England’s most demanding peaks, including its highest – Scafell Pike.

JURASSIC COAST CHALLENGE

This tough one day challenge has you trekking 30 kilometres along the dramatic coastline of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World heritage site.

SNOWDON AT NIGHT CHALLENGE

Beginning in the town of Llanberis, in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, this spectacular challenge will see you and fellow fundraisers trekking to the top of Snowdon….at night!

LONDON 10 PEAKS CHALLENGE

Discover ten of London’s often hidden peaks on this new marathon distance walking challenge through 42km of beautiful woodland, nature reserves and quieter spaces.

WELSH 3000S CHALLENGE

Take your challenge experience to the next level with this classic mountain challenge in stunning Snowdonia. All 3000ft mountains, in a single epic weekend. One incredible adventure to test yourself against.

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY CHALLENGE

This tough one day challenge has you trekking a marathon distance along the dramatic coastline of the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO World Heritage site.

Covid-19 – Keeping you Safe on your Challenge

The safety of our customers, leaders, doctors, local ground teams, and the communities we interact with on our challenges, is of paramount importance to us.  A large part of our safety system is ensuring that you, our customers, are fully informed and updated of the best practice guidelines and the measures that we have put in place to keep you  Covid safe.   

For the latest version of our Covid-19 Health & Safety Guidelines please visit here.

We understand that all the changes in the current environment can be extremely overwhelming and may leave you with many questions as we all adapt to the new way of being. To hopefully ease some of your concerns we have pulled together some Covid-19 FAQ’s

Visit Britain We’re Good to Go”

Covid-19-Keeping-you-safe

We are proud to have acquired the UK Industry Standard mark, “We’re good to go” in partnership with the Tourist Organisations of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This means that our business has followed government and industry Covid-19 guidelines, has a risk assessment in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

Booking with Confidence

We understand that there may be a little uncertainty around booking in the current climate so we
have created a Booking With Confidence policy to help you book your next Charity Challenge with
absolute confidence.

Book with the knowledge that:

  • We are putting significant measures in place to make your challenge Covid Safe
  • We have flexible payment options
  • We have ATOL and International Passenger Protection financial cover for your peace of mind*
  • We will offer you a number of options if we cannot operate your challenge due to Covid-19 :
    • postpone your challenge to a later departure
    • join any other challenge
    • transfer your place to another person
    • receive a refund of monies paid for the challenge

We hope that the above information has brought some cheer to your day as we know how eager everyone is (including Team Charity Challenge) to get back outside and raise some much need funds for charity! 

For now, we look forward to welcoming you back to an exciting challenge in a couple of months’ time.  

Latest News

Covid-19 : Keeping you Safe on your Challenge

July 7, 2020
Charity Challenge Keeping you safe

Last updated: 10th Sept 2020

The safety of our customers, leaders, doctors, local ground teams, and the communities we interact with on our challenges, is of paramount importance to us. A large part of our safety system is ensuring that you, our customers, are fully informed and updated of the best practice guidelines and the measures that we have put in place to keep you Covid safe.

This impacts on everyone and requires the active engagement and participation of everyone on every challenge, so please read this document in full and please get in touch if you have any questions. We will put in place control measures to protect our customers, leaders and staff by aiming to prevent anyone arriving on the challenge with Covid-19, by minimising the potential spread of the virus to others in the group or to the communities in which we operate, and by having clear guidelines for responding to anyone displaying Covid-19 symptoms during a challenge.

We ask everyone booked on one of our challenges to check this document carefully in the weeks leading up to your challenge, as it will be updated as guidelines change, so that you understand the latest advice and measures in place.

Downloadable version of our Covid-19 Health & Safety Guidelines available here

CLEAR & TRANSPARENT SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES

The nature of the virus, and the way in which the UK responds with specific social distancing measures and official guidelines, means that our response will be thorough and fully informed by a number of domestic, international and global health authorities, but as it is constantly evolving and changing, so will our response.

Please rest assured that we will remain connected to best practice guidance and advice and adapt our own processes and procedures to match the latest advice.

Social distancing guidelines about what additional safety measures might be appropriate and when they will apply before, during and after your challenge will be made available to participants in the ‘Final Details’ document we send out about a month before departure for UK challenges (two months for international challenges).

SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE

It is part of our duty of care to keep up to date with all the latest information from a number of domestic, international and global health authorities.

VISIT BRITAIN “WE’RE GOOD TO GO”

We are proud to have acquired the UK Industry Standard mark, “We’re good to go” in partnership with the Tourist Organisations of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This means that our business has followed government and industry Covid-19 guidelines, has a risk assessment in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

FREE CHALLENGE SAFE KIT

There may be moments on your challenge where it’s impossible to maintain a distance of 1 metre from other people. For example using transport, a group shelter, or first aid incidents. As a result we will be providing all participants with a Challenge Safe Kit to reduce the risk of infection on your Charity Challenge.

This includes:

  • A disposable face mask
  • 100ml alcohol-based hand sanitiser (72%)
  • Charity Challenge Buff – Buffs are one of the most versatile items that you can carry on a challenge and can be worn in a variety of ways such as a face mask, balaclava,headband, sun guard, to name a few!

If you’re booked on a UK challenge with us, you’ll receive your kit at your meeting point. If you’re booked on an overseas challenge with us, you’ll receive your kit in the weeks before departure. Hand sanitiser will also be readily available throughout the challenge.

CHALLENGE SAFE

We have developed enhanced Covid-19 standard operating procedures and risk assessments to ensure the safety of our participants, leaders, doctors, local ground teams, and the communities we interact with on our challenges.

Our standard operating procedure (SOP) outlines the guidelines that will be adhered to on all challenge events as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It forms part of Charity Challenge’s ‘Challenge Safe’ safety management system. A robust safety management system divides responsibility for safety between the provider, leaders and participants. Our SOPs are then used to help create specific risk assessments for each challenge event and each country.

COVID-19 INSURANCE COVER

Your safety is one of our main concerns at Charity Challenge, which is why ensuring you take out extensive travel insurance is an essential part of every booking.

We are therefore delighted to announce that our travel insurance partners at Campbell Irvine are shortly launching their new updated Campbell Irvine Direct travel insurance policy which not only includes medical emergency and repatriation cover due to Covid-19 whilst travelling overseas, but also includes pre-departure cancellation in the event that you or your insured travelling companion are diagnosed with Covid-19 before departure and instructed not to travel by your doctor.

In addition the policy also includes pre-departure cancellation cover if you or your insured travelling companion are directly exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with Coronavirus and through the governments Test and Trace programme you are instructed to quarantine prior to departure preventing you from travelling.

The policy also protects you if you are ordered to quarantine overseas as a result of being directly exposed to someone who is diagnosed with Covid-19 and you incur additional travel
and accommodation costs as a result.

Please note the policy does not extend to include any cover if due to a second wave the government orders another lockdown or the FCO or destination country advises against travel to the destination. In addition, the cover will not apply if you elect to travel against FCO advice.

WORLD TRAVEL AND TOURISM COUNCIL “SAFE TRAVELS”

We are proud to share that we have also received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) “Safe Travel’s” stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that we have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols – so you can experience “safe travel”.

COVID-19 BEST PRACTICE TRAINING

Charity Challenge will provide mandatory online training for all leaders and suppliers to explain the contents of the enhanced Covid-19 standard operating procedure and risk assessments.

Our leaders will all be carrying appropriate PPE to use when dealing with any first aid incidents and will have received training about the use of such equipment

TRANSPORT

If your challenge itinerary includes transport, then we will work with the transport supplier to make sure that the correct measures are in place in line with the most up to date government advice.

All vehicles will be cleaned and disinfected immediately prior to participants boarding the vehicle. All participants and leaders will be provided with hand sanitiser to use before boarding the vehicle, and face masks for use as per government advice.

Participants will be allowed to sit in the window seats to maintain social distancing. Whenever possible we will provide 2 seats per person. Transport guidelines will be made available to participants in the ‘Final Details’ document.

EQUIPMENT

Charity Challenge has put in place a strict cleaning schedule to ensure that all equipment will be fully cleaned and disinfected prior to, and where appropriate, during your challenge. This includes the use of bikes, kayaks, buoyancy aids, helmets, paddles and group shelters

ACCOMMODATION

If your challenge itinerary includes accommodation, then we will work with the accommodation supplier to make sure that the correct measures are in place in line with the most up to date government advice. This will include hand washing stations and cleaning schedules for bathrooms, among many other things.

We are booking single, private room for all participants unless it is clearly indicated on your booking form that you are part of the same household (ie: both of you registered as living at the same physical address). Twin/double rooms have been booked for those people travelling as one household. For more information regarding the governments guidelines to accommodation suppliers please click here. Accommodation guidelines will be made
available to participants in the ‘Final Details’ document.

REDUCED GROUP SIZE & STAGGERED STARTS

During the challenge we will be using a greater number of leaders to ensure that the group will be able to maintain social distancing whilst providing you with the same level of support. Leader ratio to be adjusted based upon government advice, the challenge environment, and group size.

From Monday 14 September we will be following the rule of 6 – one leader will be grouped with a maximum number of five participants. On challenges with larger group sizes we may
ask people to choose a ‘walking speed’ group. This will enable us to separate out the group at registration and the start of the challenge and enable social distancing more easily.

Our Recommendations

  • Check this document carefully in the weeks leading up to your challenge, as it will be updated as guidelines change, so that you understand the latest advice and measures in place.
  • If you think you may have Covid-19 symptoms and you are unsure what to do, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service.
  • Help us by following all instructions given to you by your leaders, for your own safety and that of the team around you.

Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that all the changes in the current environment can be extremely overwhelming and may leave you with many questions as we all adapt to the new way of being. To hopefully ease some of your concerns we have pulled together some FAQ’s around Covid-19.

We hope the above information provides some support, but if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

challenges@charitychallenge.com
+44 (0)20 8346 0500

Challenges

New UK Challenges – Winter Season 20/21

June 1, 2020

Charity Challenge has been supporting charities to raise millions of pounds for over 20 years. The Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented difficulties across every sector of the UK economy. The charity sector in particular is estimated to lose £4billion in income. 

We have had numerous conversations with charities since the outbreak of coronavirus and, having listened to their needs, we are proud to be launching a new series of UK Charity Challenge events this winter season to support them, including NHS charities, in their time of need. Now is the time we all need to come together.

And just for you, we have launched £1 registration fees on selected challenges!

Yorkshire 3 Peaks at Night

Challenge yourself to complete this classic UK trekking challenge, but with a twist! 38km trek at night to summit the Yorkshire Three Peaks – Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen Y Ghent. Start as the sun sets, and aim to reach the final peak as the sun begins to rise.

Registration Fee only £1! Click here for more information.

South Downs at Night

Push yourself to the limit on this unique night time trek through the South Downs National Park. 42km along the South Downs Way battling fatigue and the demanding terrain of one of southern England’s newest national parks before reaching Beachy Head and Eastbourne as the sun begins to rise.

Registration Fee only £1! Click here for more information.

The Edinburgh 7 Summits Challenge

Take part in this tough 35km urban challenge set in the heart of Edinburgh. Experience hidden routes through this beautiful Scottish city, and experience it from 7 incredible viewpoints! You’ll follow historic waterways, forgotten railways, stop off at castles and palaces and climb to the summit Arthurs Seat – an extinct volcano!

Registration Fee only £1! Click here for more information.

London Royal Park’s Challenge

Challenge yourself to this marathon distance trek between the 10 London Royal Park’s. This epic 42km route will take you across historic parkland and beautiful green spaces, while passing some of the finest architecture in London. From Richmond Park, along the banks of the River Thames, passing iconic Westminster and Buckingham Palace, before ending in Greenwich Park.

Registration Fee only £1! Click here for more information.

Winter Ben Nevis Weekend

An incredible challenge to summit the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis (1344m), in winter! Learn key winter skills, including the use of crampons and ice axes, and then put them to good use to reach the summit where you can enjoy the spectacular views of the Scottish highlands covered in snow.

Registration Fee only £75! Click here for more information.

What precautions are Charity Challenge taking to prevent the spread of infection on their challenge events?

Our challenge events team are taking this issue extremely seriously, so you can be assured that on all of our upcoming challenges we will be launching new Standard Operating Procedures – Covid-19 Response, detailing measures we will be putting in place :

  • BEFORE the challenge
  • DURING the challenge
  • After THE CHALLENGE

At Charity Challenge safety is our primary concern, and at times like this the well-being of our colleagues, challengers, leaders and partners is more important than ever. 

Covid 19 Assurance

Please rest assured that if Charity Challenge cannot operate a challenge in the UK due to legal restrictions around Covid-19, we will offer you a number of options including:

  • The chance to postpone your challenge to a later departure this year
  • The chance to join any other Charity Challenge trip either UK or overseas (please see information regarding differences in challenge costs below)

Please note there are no admin fees to either postpone or change challenges, should we be forced to cancel your existing challenge due to legal restrictions around Covid-19.

If you cannot make an alternative date set for your challenge, and there are no other challenges within our entire portfolio that you would like to move on to, you will be entitled to transfer your place to someone else and we will waive any administration costs (as mentioned in our terms and conditions). 

We hope the above information provides some support, but if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

info@charitychallenge.com
+44 (0)20 8346 0500

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Tips & Advice

Booking with Confidence

May 28, 2020

The team at Charity Challenge are all itching to get back outside and support you on your charity challenge journey, as you raise some much-needed funds for a charity close to your heart. 

During these unsettling times our Charity partners need our support more than ever. The current situation puts them in an extremely vulnerable position as a huge portion of their income comes directly from fundraising events such as the London Marathon and other challenge events and races which they have now lost. Now is the time we all need to come together to ensure we can continue to help those most in need.

We understand that there may be a little uncertainty around booking in the current climate so we have pulled together the below information to help you book your next Charity Challenge with absolute confidence.

Cancellation flexibility

For any bookings made during the next two months (from 01 June 2020 to 31 July 2020), for an overseas challenge departing before 31 March 2021, we will give you the right to cancel and get a full refund of your registration fee up to 90 days before the challenge is due to depart. That’s for any overseas trip departing in the next ten months! We want people considering booking a trip now, to have 100% confidence that their registration fee is protected and that they can cancel without any penalty for whatever reason.*

* For any Trek to Machu Picchu bookings, where Inca Passes have been bought and paid for, we will refund the registration fee less £75 to cover the direct costs incurred for your booking. If the passes have not been purchased, we will refund you in full.

Registration fee in installments

For most international trips, you can book and pay your registration fee in two instalments, over two months. You pay the first instalment at the time of booking and we will automatically take the second instalment from your credit or debit card 31 days later. Please note that when paying your registration fee in instalments, a £10 admin fee will be added to your first registration fee payment. Please note that your booking will not be processed (and we will not send an authorisation request to your charity) until we receive the payment for your second instalment. Your place on the challenge will only be held until 31 days from your initial booking. If we are unable to take your second instalment, your booking will be cancelled, and normal cancellation terms will apply. See terms and conditions

What happens if my Challenge cannot run due to Covid-19?

Please rest assured that if Charity Challenge cannot operate a challenge in the host country due to Covid-19, we will offer you a number of options including the chance to:

  • postpone your challenge to a later departure of the same challenge (this year or next)
  • join any other overseas Charity Challenge trip from our extensive portfolio (this year or next)
  • transfer your place to another person
  • receive a refund of monies paid for the challenge

Please note that in most cases, where trips can be rescheduled in the same financial year, we are waiving our standard admin fees.

What if I postpone the challenge and then the later revised trip is also affected and cannot run due to Covid-19?

Even if you move on to another challenge later in the year or next year, if we still find ourselves in a position where we cannot operate the challenge in the host country due to Covid-19, we will offer you the same options as above, to postpone, to change trips, to transfer your place to someone else or to receive a refund.

What if there is no official advice against travel, but I want to cancel within 90 days of departure?

We respect that some people may feel more comfortable staying at home, and not travelling regardless of the destination or official advice. If you choose to cancel, we will action your request but where there is no FCO advice against travel, our standard cancellation terms will apply (see terms and conditions).

What financial security do Charity Challenge provide?

We provide financial security for flight-inclusive packages by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (number 6546), issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. When you buy an ATOL protected flight-inclusive challenge from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate in your account area. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

Not all challenge or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL Scheme. ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book flight inclusive packages originating in the United Kingdom. We also provide full financial protection for any challenges that are packages but DO NOT include flights (and where you are joining from a European country), by way of an insurance policy held with International Passenger Protection Limited and underwritten by Insurers who are members of the Association of British Insurers & Lloyds Syndicates. For further information please go to www.ipplondon.co.uk.

We hope the above information provides some support and also some comfort in booking with Charity Challenge, but if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch or look at our frequently asked questions:

Email : info@charitychallenge.com 

Call : +44 (0)20 8346 0500

The outdoors are calling …. Time to make some new Charity Challenge memories!!

Challenges, Inspiration

Andean Volcano Challenge – A Trek for Mental Health

April 28, 2020

In March 2020, 81 HSBC colleagues from around the world came together to trek 100km, over 5 days at high altitude, through the Avenue of the Volcanos in Ecuador, to raise awareness about positive mental wellbeing and to support a variety of mental health charities.

Through a series of informal workshops delivered during the challenge, specialist mental health and mental wellbeing professionals Geoff McDonald, Poppy Jaman OBE and Michelle Morgan motivated and inspired participants by providing a safe environment in which to discuss the stigma of mental ill health, and to create advocates for change.

The challenge participants were introduced to the 5 ways to wellness and brought them to life each day.

HSBC Andean Volcano Trek.4

As a result of this life changing challenge the concept “Minds in The Wild” has been created by Geoff McDonald, former VP of HR for Unilever and Simon Albert, director of multi-award-winning tour operator Charity Challenge.

Minds in the Wild is a series of life changing challenges for business leaders and their employees, delivered in iconic global locations by an award-winning team with incredible outcomes.

The focus is on enhancing your own individual physical and mental wellbeing whilst undertaking a challenging trek and addressing the importance of improving mental wellbeing at work in a bid to create healthier and more productive workplaces.

“The most important driver of a person, team, organisation performance is their energy. We get our energy from being healthy, and so why not elevate the health of our people to a strategic priority, as its is a key performance driver. If ever there was the need for a business case for that, COVID 19 is it!” Geoff McDonald

For more information on Minds in the Wild, please visit our website , call +44 (0)20 8346 0500 or email minds@charitychallenge.com.

HSBC Andean Volcano Trek.7

Thank you to all of the HSBC colleagues, the Mental Health Ambassadors, and the Charity Challenge leaders and medical staff for completing the Andean Volcano Challenge – Trek for Mental Health. To date the group have raised over $160,000 for numerous mental health charities across the globe.

Read the fantastic blog written by challenger and lead organiser for HSBC – Scott Pendrey – on his experience in Ecuador.

You can also share in the experience by watching the below video captured by 46 Films. Enjoy!