On one normal Friday in May, on the first floor of 12 South Parade, unbeknownst to its inhabitants, 20 superheroes* spent the Friday afternoon getting stuck into a bunch of team building challenges, before being let loose in the city of Leeds. Team Activ provided the concept and the tools – and all we had to do was bring our A game.

Team Activ host various activity afternoons, competitive activities and days out for businesses, schools and communities all over Yorkshire. They aim to develop individual confidence and promote team collaboration and personal wellbeing.

So with that, they challenged us to a circuit of eight unique activities, where we had to work together in interchangeable teams of six, to see which team could get the most points overall. It definitely brought out most of our competitive streaks, but it also meant that we had to collaborate in a way that we hadn’t done as one group before.

The bespoke nature of the session worked around our company culture to match our goals, making it that extra bit personal and engaging. Over the years we’ve found that it’s really important not to take ourselves too seriously, and this activity helped to promote just that.

When it comes to the work environment, it’s essential to keep referring back to basics – the team itself. In any type of work, it’s completely normal to end up placing a lot of pressure on ourselves. Experience days like this are great to help you relax and have a laugh with your team mates and bond - with no alcohol required!

This type of exercise is also a great way to help new members of staff mix with an already established team. It’s impossible not to feel a bit closer to your colleagues when you’re holding hands and collectively passing a hoola hoop over two people at once or doing a city-wide scavenger hunt whilst wearing a micro cape! For the newer members to our team, collaborating in a really fun and relaxed environment meant that they felt more settled by the end of it.

The Blueberry team wearing various capes *