Us being awesome.
Training starts now!
In April 2026, Becka Lane is running the London Marathon to raise money for Rethink Mental Illness. Please visit Becka’s Just Giving page to make a contribution or read her full story.
Rethink Mental Illness is the leading expert charity for people with serious conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. They offer practical help guided by what works. Every year, their diverse range of information and support helps tens of thousands of people get through crises, live independently, and feel that they do not have to face mental illness alone.
Becka says:
“This will be my fourth marathon, it is the first time I am running to raise money for charity, and I know it will be my hardest yet—not because of the distance or physical challenge and the fact I am now 50 years of age! But because it will be deeply emotional and means so much more to me than any other race or marathon I have ever run before.”
A day of fun and team spirit.
London have had their annual summer social. They had some great activities including:
Scavenger Hunt: Eight teams explored the iconic Kings Cross and Granary Square areas, cracking riddles that led them from clue to clue.
Rube Goldberg machine challenge: Teams got hands-on, crafting the longest domino or chain reaction machines using a crate of goodies and office supplies.
Team art: Some teams put their artistic skills to the test, drawing scenes featuring all team members. Armed with a variety of art supplies, they created some truly impressive pieces, proudly displayed on the mezzanine for all to enjoy.
The day wrapped up with a well-earned social at Babel Beerhouse.
What’s SUP?
A team from our Plymouth office took part in the Construction Teamwork SUP Challenge, organised by Kier. They were up against nine other teams, and secured 6th place. They took part in a variety of stand-up paddleboard activities, including tandem time trials and individual time trials. The event raised £570 for charity.
Jon and Ben: Ironmen.
Jon Nuttall has completed the Leeds Ironman: his first ever full event (in his hometown, no less). He suffered a few mechanical issues on the bike and helped an injured runner to the finish, but still hit his target of 14 hours. Jon has always been fearful of water, so saw this as an opportunity to teach himself to swim! Jon said: "I am not often proud of my own achievements, but this one I don't mind admitting that I was proud and it was a very emotional experience."
Ben Douglass also competed at the event, completing his swim in 51:07, his bike in 5:55:27, and his run in 4:02:04. His total time, including transitions, was 11 hours and 30 seconds. He excelled in his division (M25-29), coming 1st in the swim, 7th in the bike (despite experiencing a crash) and 13th in the marathon. Ben finished 92nd overall.
Southwest united.
Our Plymouth and Exeter offices enjoyed boat trip from Royal William Yard over to Cornwall for lunch at The Edgecumbe Arms followed by a relaxing afternoon spent walking through Mount Edgecumbe Park, playing lawn games, and taking a dip in the sea.
A summer shindig.
Birmingham held their Summer Social in Sutton Park. They took part in some classic sports day games including the egg and spoon, sack race, dodgeball, tug of war and finally a giant game of Rounders. Matt Colebrook volunteered himself to be referee for the day and was harsh but fair in his calls, ruling with an iron first over proceedings!
They followed this up with a competitive quiz, hosted by the stern, but fair, quiz master Katie O’Sullivan. The quiz was fraught with cheating allegations, and even with Team 4 having points deducted due to alleged use of a phone – they still took the win!
A delicious break.
Birmingham recently visited the Colemore BID Food Festival. Sadly, not many acceptable photos of the day were taken, so instead enjoy David – who’s making the most of the trip!
Birmingham games night.
Back in May, Birmingham hosted a social where they played a wide variety of games. Together they took part in some classics like musical chairs and heads down thumbs up, but they also had a very competitive Mario Cart competition!
Reading summer social.
The Reading had their summer social where they competed in five challenges to earn points and fight for the title of overall winners.
From following a trail to collecting hidden letters in “It’s Personal”, they used these to uncover a famous name. Solving a puzzle in “Problem Solving DNA”, where teams showed their teamwork and communication. Recreating iconic movie scenes and album covers in “Creative Diligence” and in “Courageous Collaboration” they built structures in a Lego challenge. Finally, their knowledge was put to the test in a “Pride in Performance” where teams had to test their knowledge and memory recalling details from a video shown at the start of the day.
Competitiveness in Manchester.
Manchester recently enjoyed their annual summer social. They had their traditional, and highly competitive games of rounders in the sunshine (and the rain, wouldn’t be summer without it!)
During a practice three-legged race, there was a little tumble - but luckily, they followed the guidelines on the risk assessment and had a little laugh before making sure everyone was ok.
Office quiz.
David Iroegbunam hosted Birmingham’s quiz this month. The quiz was a lively one - with subjects ranging from famous TikTok stars, as well as definitively who the greatest footballer of all time was.
JLL property triathlon.
Two teams from our Southeast offices took take part in the JLL property triathlon at Dorney Lake. Each team competed in the relay triathlon that was made up of a 750m swim, 20km cycle and a 5km run. Our teams competed against hundreds of other participants and managed to complete the relay in an impressive 1 hour 28 minutes and 1 hour 39 minutes.
Ride for Precious Lives.
Hannah took part in the Ride for Precious Lives, an annual 205-mile cycling challenge raising over £320,000 for Children’s Hospice South West. The event saw 112 cyclists ride through three counties over three days, starting at Little Harbour hospice in St Austell, stopping at Little Bridge House in Barnstaple, and finishing at Charlton Farm near Bristol.
Hannah personally raised £2,767.39, contributing to Team Goose’s combined total of £25,683.07.
The Ultimate victory.
Amelia Durbin from our Marketing team recently won gold at the European Masters Ultimate Frisbee Championships. She was representing GB in the Women’s division and was Captained by a friendly face that some of you might recognise, Saskia Kantorowicz!
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it’s up the stairs we go.
Our Bristol office recently moved upstairs and have condensed their desks to all be on the same floor. The bottom floor has been sub-leased to Kier. They decided to move due to the upstairs space allowing everyone to sit together and create a better sense of community. Now, Engineers, Specialists, Admin, Marketing and SBS teams all integrate with one another thanks to hot desking. This move had been massively successful, with an increase in attendance and a better, more vibrant atmosphere.
Dragon Boat Race Challenge.
On Saturday 7 June, the Oar Lea Rowers took to the waters of Poole Park for their annual Dragon Boat Race Challenge. Despite challenging weather conditions, including rain, wind and the looming threat of thunder, they all pushed through. The team competed across three time heats and finished the event in 2nd place.
A greener place to work.
In London, Szidy, Annmarie and the plant club, have been propagating a variety of plants for the office.
The presence of these plants brings benefits to the office environment. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, the plants contribute to improved air quality, creating a healthier workspace, the greenery has a calming effect that helps reduce stress and boost overall well-being.
Complementing these propagation efforts, the plant club organised sessions focused on plant care. These sessions have fostered a wonderful sense of community and shared responsibility among staff for maintaining the office greenery.
Mental Health Awareness Week.
Bournemouth and Reading office took part in Mental Health Awareness Week this year. Bournemouth has an annual sports day with a game of rounders and a tug of war. They finished it up with a rather windy game of ultimate frisbee. Reading had a lunchtime walk wearing green and a community lunch where people brought in their favourite dishes to share with other. The week concluded with a peaceful guided meditation session.
Art class with Lee.
Our Marketing team have been having monthly drawing classes with Lee Medcalf. Lee runs these sessions, showing everyone how to draw a variety of characters from famous TV shows. These classes help our Marketing team relax but also embrace their creative side – which helps with their everyday roles. Which is your favourite?
Team Challenges.
For the second year, the Reading and Bournemouth have been taking part in some friendly competition through monthly Team Challenges. So far this year in Reading, they’ve had a Bake Off, a Quiz, hunted for Easter eggs, and hosted a Mastermind. In Bournemouth office, they’ve had a Mario Kart tournament, debated over mistranslated song lyrics, and even revisited their childhood with a paper aeroplane contest. April brought a particularly ambitious challenge: they collectively travelled the virtual distance from Bournemouth to Rome through running, cycling, swimming!
Beautiful Bournemouth.
Bournemouth hosted a summer social at Boscombe Beach. They had a delicious wood-fired pizza buffet before the competition began. Some played volleyball, while others got creative in a sandcastle building contest. Special mention goes to the elusive fourth team, who opted to forfeit their chance at scoring points in favour of a more relaxed approach - sunbathing!
Charity work in Reading.
The Reading office has been taking part in bi-monthly litter picking sessions around the local area. This initiative is part of their ongoing commitment to supporting the community and keeping their surroundings clean.
They are also supporting Reading BID (Business Improvement District) in their partnership with Brighter Futures for Children’s Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Their recent donation of essential food items and toiletries helped provide much-needed support to local families during the school holidays.
Lovely Leeds.
Leeds have hosted their summer social at the North Leeds Cricket club. They had the classic games; rounders, egg and spoon and a 3-legged race – followed by a fiercely competitive tug of war. Yvonne Dale served as referee to keep the troops in order.
After a well-deserved BBQ to fill their boots, they headed onwards to the city centre for cocktails.