A challenge team was set up that I was asked to lead. We wanted to enable as many people as possible to take part, to capitalise on the huge range of skills and interests in the company: no-one was to feel excluded. Accordingly, the project took the following shape:

• refurbish and fit out a computer centre and English language school in Azerbaijan;
• fit out a computer centre in a city centre school in Birmingham;
• climb a mountain, Babadag, in Azerbaijan;
• climb another mountain, Snowdon, in the UK;
• obtain sponsorship from the bank and from the bank’s external suppliers;
• individuals using their imagination to raise their own sponsorship.

Dubbed ‘the Columbus Challenge’, the project took six months. It culminated in a team of 12 people from HAF going to Azerbaijan in November 1998, accompanied by outdoor expedition experts from the charity. Six people spent a week refurbishing rooms in a derelict building in Mingechevier, a town on the country’s western border, painting and decorating, fitting it out with carpets, desks, chairs and a 16 station computer network. The others, including me, set off to climb Babadag, a 12,000ft mountain in the Caucasus range. There were four climbers and two drivers, none of whom had ever done anything like that before. We were accompanied by mountain and communications experts from Children’s Aid Direct and the Cable and Wireless Emergency Rescue Unit (now C&L International), who looked after us admirably.

We raised funds and equipment to a total value of approximately GBP140,000, engaging in multiple sponsored fund raising activities, and by obtaining support from UK based companies (many of whom were suppliers to the bank). Activities were very diverse and included sponsored mountain climbing (Snowdon in Wales and Babadag in Azerbaijan), swimming, walking, a ‘samosa eating’ competition, cake sales, car boot sales etc. One particularly hirsute chap even volunteered for a full body wax – on agreeing to do it for £350, he got the sponsorship in 20 minutes!! We also raised sponsorship from HSBC Group (who matched participants’ contributions under their £1 for £1 scheme), the local HSBC branch in Azerbaijan, some of its customers and the local British Embassy. About half of the entire 1,500 workforce took part, in one form or another. With a colleague, I was even interviewed on BBC Radio West Midlands!

The money and goods we raised were sufficient to provide all the kit and cover all the costs of the trip, including a recce in August for a colleague and I, with cash left over for Childrens Aid Direct.

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