The Elympics

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Working in digital marketing? It’s busy. It’s brilliant. But let’s be honest. It’s not exactly an Olympic sport.

Most of us regularly spend six or more hours a day glued to our desks. That’s despite a growing body of research linking regular movement with sharper focus, improved sleep and reduced stress. 

All of this got us thinking. How could we encourage our team to be more active in a way that felt motivating, inclusive and genuinely rewarding? Something better than simply handing out gym memberships to the keen few.

We saw an opportunity to do something far more meaningful.

Not long after, the Elympics was born. The idea was simple. Turn sweat into gold. But instead of lining our own pockets, we’d channel that money into supporting local causes where every pound can make a tangible difference.

Now in its 10th year, our Elympics programme has raised more than £90,000 for charity while helping us become one of the happiest and healthiest agencies on the block.

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How does it work?

At its core, Elympics turns physical activity into charitable donations. Every mile walked, run, cycled or swum by our team contributes to the fundraising pot. Gym sessions, rowing, and other activities count too. Each one has a set value that converts effort into pounds.

Here’s how the Elympics economy works:

• Cycling: 20p per mile
• Running: 80p per mile
• Walking: 40p per mile
• Gym workout: £2 per hour
• Rowing: 70p per mile
• Swimming: £4 per mile

Our team tracks activity on Strava, with the data flowing directly into our bespoke Elympics platform through a custom integration. Every effort updates a leaderboard in real-time.

Each month, everyone that hits the £30 mark is placed in a prize draw for an extra day’s holiday, with the winner revealed live in our studio meeting, using our digital spin-to-win wheel.

The Elympics is part wellbeing initiative, part fundraising engine, and part bragging rights. But most importantly, it keeps people moving.

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The impact

Over the past decade, Elympics has supported a wide range of local charities and community projects across Leeds. 

Just as importantly, it has helped us build meaningful, long-term relationships with those organisations. Rather than parachuting in with one-off donations, we’ve taken the time to understand their needs, support them consistently, and see first-hand the difference that grass-roots funding can make.

That funding has supported vital services, enabled new programmes and provided much-needed stability for small organisations navigating challenging times.

Elympics is also a powerful reminder of what can be achieved together.

Over the past ten years, our team has logged more than 150,000 miles of exercise. That’s roughly the equivalent of walking around the world six times.

The programme isn't reserved for seasoned athletes either. People of all abilities take part, whether that’s training for a half marathon or squeezing in a lunchtime walk.

As a result, Elympics has become more than a fundraiser. It’s a cornerstone of our culture and a reflection of something we care deeply about at Engage. Using our energy, success and expertise to create positive change in the community around us.

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The highlights

Ten years of Elympics has delivered plenty of memorable moments along the way.

Our team has taken on challenges like the Leeds Abbey Dash, Total Warrior, and the 3 peaks, in addition to countless charity runs, rides and swims. Some have pushed themselves further than they ever expected and set new personal bests. Others have discovered new hobbies that stuck long after the miles were logged.

Alongside the physical achievements, the programme has also helped shape the culture inside our agency.

Elympics has played a role in building the sense of camaraderie and shared purpose that defines life at Engage. It’s also contributed to our 96% staff retention rate, significantly higher than the digital industry average.

Our chosen charities

Over the years we’ve partnered with a range of organisations making a real difference across Leeds and Yorkshire. Our current partners include:

CATCH

CATCH run The Hub in Harehills, a community space created with West Yorkshire Police and Leeds City Council.

By day it hosts services including women’s groups, language classes, NHS clinics and more. By night it becomes a youth club, welcoming more than 100 local young people each week for sport, games and a safe place to spend time together.

Find out more

FareShare Yorkshire 

FareShare Yorkshire tackles food waste by intercepting quality surplus food that would otherwise go to waste.

Working with producers and suppliers across the supply chain, it’s collected and processed at their Leeds and Barnsley warehouses, powered by a huge network of volunteers. The food then reaches around 400 charities and community groups, helping turn surplus into nutritious meals for people facing food poverty.

Read more

Leeds Mind

Leeds Mind is independently run from the national charity, with all funds raised going directly into local mental health support across the city.

The organisation promotes positive mental health and wellbeing through services including counselling, peer support, befriending, suicide bereavement and employment support. The aim is simple: help people build on their strengths, overcome challenges and feel more in control of their lives.

Read more

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Looking ahead

Ten years in, the Elympics keeps evolving. New challenges, new causes and new personal bests are always just around the corner.

What hasn’t changed is the core idea behind it. When a team pulls together, even small actions add up to something meaningful. And if those actions happen to involve a few extra miles along the way, even better.