Staff at Halifax-based construction company, Southdale have scaled the dizzy heights in a bid to improve their heart, health and well-being, after participating in a 5,895 metre ‘virtual climb’ of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Staff completed the virtual climbing challenge in just two weeks, having scaled 19,341 feet by walking up 15,750 steps at Southdale’s head office on Westholme road in Halifax. Employees simply recorded the amount of steps they had climbed, each time they walked up a flight of stairs.

With heart disease and strokes the biggest killers in the UK, the task was introduced to launch the company’s Healthy Heart Initiative – a series of office-based motivational challenges designed to improve overall employee health and well-being.

Southdale’s Healthy Heart Initiative looks at all aspects of our lifestyle – from healthy eating and physical activity to reducing stress and devising ways to help quit smoking. It is hoped that future initiatives such as lunchtime walks, jogs, bike rides and even the creation of a company allotment to enable staff to grow their own vegetables, will contribute to an extremely healthy working environment at Southdale. 

Paul Moore, managing director for Southdale, commented: “With promoting a healthy heart so vital to all our staff, we have introduced a series of fun initiatives which are designed to encourage everyone to make simple, healthier lifestyle changes - particularly in the work environment.

“The virtual Mount Kilimanjaro challenge has been embraced by all staff, who have been inspired by two of our employees, Paul Rangeley and Adrian Taylor, who conquered the real Mount Kilimanjaro earlier this year, to raise a staggering £4,595 for our local nominated charity, the Hollybank Trust. The efforts of Paul and Adrian and this new Healthy Heart Initiative are certainly making us think more and work together as a team to collectively improve our health.”