Team building and solidarity team building: what are they?

Team-building (or “team building” in its literal translation) was initiated in the 1980s in North America in order to strengthen the cohesion of a professional group through collective activities.

Some see it as an opportunity to develop a common corporate culture and others, a way toencourage communication, especially between professions that are not in the habit of exchanging on a daily basis. Fun challenges are often organized there.

There are many reasons to organize a team building. But how do you get out of the trap of a simple recreational activity that sometimes makes you roll your eyes open? The answer is simple: it is a question of focusing on solidarity, and that is precisely the objective of solidarity teambuildings!

The objective is the same: to bring together the company's teams around a joint activity, for a day or a few hours. Nevertheless, solidarity team building has additional assets that give it all its meaning. The activity carried out is not yet another obstacle course or other Murder Party. No, the challenge here is focused on impact to support an association. It is even she who offers the activity.

A solidarity team building can also take the form of a solidarity day, which brings together several hundred employees around multiple associative and solidarity activities. This can be, for example, a solidarity cooking workshop to prepare meals for people in precarious situations, a participatory project to renovate the premises of an association, a collection followed by the redistribution of clothing or school equipment, an environmental action such as the cleaning of natural areas or even a mentoring day to support young people in professional integration. We'll tell you more and tell you more later in the article.

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What are the benefits of solidarity team building?

The benefits of a solidarity team building in a company are similar to those of a classic team building. In both cases, the idea is to create a link, to strengthen the team spirit between employees. However, a united team building makes even more sense, because it allows:

• to generate a concrete impact through the action carried out;
• to remain consistent with the values of the company;
• to unite teams around a common cause: environmental, social, humanitarian... ;
• to strengthen the sense of belonging;
• to be a source of motivation for everyone.

Solidarity team building is therefore a real gateway to the associative world. During this day, employees have the opportunity to get closer to beneficiary associations, to raise awareness and to better understand how they work.

What if this day was then extended all year round? Increase your impact even further by setting up a solidarity engagement platform !

Your employees will thus be able to find other field missions (sponsorship, mentoring and volunteering) to engage in, on or off work time, and that correspond to their values.

Also to read: How to animate your employee engagement process?

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Solidarity team building ideas

There is no shortage of causes and associations to support as a team. All types of businesses in France, but also abroad, will be able to find the solidarity activity that suits them.

Here are some ideas (available on our solidarity engagement platform): Komeet):

• Paris - Up to 100 participants: “Put on your toque” with the association La Tablée des Chefs. The objective: to feed 50 beneficiaries of food aid, by preparing 100 servings (main course and dessert) in 3 hours!
• Paris and its surroundings - Up to 100 participants: collection of food products from retailers and awareness-raising among them with the association HopHopFood ;
• Several cities in France - Up to 100 participants: The association The Bell offers you solidarity treasure hunts to discover your neighborhood, alternative urban walks, awareness-raising for retailers, baking cookies, cooking unsold food... Activities co-animated by homeless people and designed in order to overcome their apprehensions;
• Online - From 8 to 12 participants: a digital escape game to fight discrimination and for equality between women and men, organized by the association Women for Saying, Women for Acting.

Note that solidarity team building, like its more traditional counterpart, is accompanied by participatory financing. A donation that will go directly to the beneficiary association and will promote its development!

You can also decide to associate your team building with an internal donation campaignE. You will thus combine two high-impact actions for associations: the donation of time and the donation of money.

Do you need other ideas for solidarity actions to mobilize your employees in your CSR approach? Do not hesitate to consult this article: 10 solidarity actions to engage your employees in a CSR approach

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Komeet's tips for getting started

Are you convinced and are you planning to organize your next team building in support of an association? Follow our advice to select the mission that best fits your teams:

• Avoid dispersing, especially if it's your first solidarity team building. Choose a single association/action highlighted during this team building for more coherence with your teams;
• Get in contact with associations to understand their needs and respond effectively as a team. Such assistance can have a significant impact for the association if the mission is built in good faith;
• Note that associations are generally not entitled to receive help from hundreds of people, at the same time, on their site. Give priority to simple actions such as waste collection, which you can set up with numerous associations such as Surfrider (in several cities in France) or the association Let's walk useful (in Reims). You can also propose an awareness-raising activity with, for example, the association Entourage, who developed a treasure hunt to follow the path of a homeless person (in Rennes, Paris, Lyon, Lille, Aubervilliers).

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Solidarity team building: examples of achievements of our partner customers

As we mentioned, you can organize simple activities for a solidarity team building in a company, such as waste collection. In town, in the countryside or on the beach, there are (unfortunately) numerous pick-up areas.

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The teams of Banques Popolques Grand Ouest

The teams of Banques Popaires Grand Ouest, located on the coasts, have thus chosen to meet around this activity for their Blue Solidarity Day on June 8, 2022 (World Ocean Day).

The objective? Clean the waterholes, beaches, rivers and waterways in 7 areas of the territory such as Saint-Malo, Les Sables d'Olonne or Granville.

Under the June sun, 268 participants gathered for a few hours for this cleaning session, alongside the associations Surfrider and Ocean As Common.

The balance of the day, in addition to the joy of coming together: 120 kg of waste collected with 3,945 cigarette butts and 476 plastic bags. A significant day for the teams, who are just waiting to repeat next year!

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The Orange Business Services teams

Orange Business Services teams for their solidarity day in the middle of the forest

It is also in this context thatOrange Business Services organized its solidarity team building in October 2022.

The two sessions offered by theNational Forestry Office (ONF) took place in the middle of nature in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the animal park of Rambouillet.

The objective of the day was toremove invasive plants which weaken biodiversity through their multiplication, but also to pile up dry hedges in order to recreate a place favorable to wildlife. Field workshops to raise awareness about the preservation of biodiversity in the forest, led by an ONF agent, which allowed the teams to leave their offices to discover the forest in a different way.

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Siemens teams

As part of its “SocialMakers” solidarity commitment program, the Siemens company has chosen to join forces with the City of Saint Géry-Vers to ensure, for one day, the maintenance and preservation of biodiversity, the environment and heritage. 123 people participated in this nature project!

Instead, do you want to make your employees aware of the daily lives of people with reduced mobility? Call on Streetco, the GPS adapted for people with disabilities. This company is offering a challenge to make employees aware of disabilities and accessibility difficulties.

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Edenred

Edenred offered this activity to its employees on June 21, 2022. And it was a great success: 174 participants attended, for a total of 609 hours of awareness and concrete action in support of people with reduced mobility.

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The solidarity day: its specificities

Do you want to organize a solidarity day composed of several activities on different areas of commitment offered to several hundred employees? You can Call on a specialized company in the realization of this type of events, such as KCO or Uni-cities.

In July 2022, the company EY invited its teams to participate in an entire week under the sign of solidarity. Several missions were listed on different slots, in order to give everyone the opportunity to register and increase their impact.

Among the activities proposed: several missions in the heart of the forest with the ONF, but also waste collections organized by the Pik Pik association in several green spaces in Paris. The Canal Saint-Martin was not left behind, thanks to a waste collection offered by the Wings of the Ocean association.

An activity of awareness of the circular economy, designed by the association Sports recycling, allowed employees to learn more about the sorting, repair and valorization of sports equipment.

Whatever the format of solidarity activity you propose, you can always count on the support of Komeet and our engagement platform! Registering your teams for these solidarity events will become child's play, and it will be possible to measure the impact generated.

As you will have understood, there are a large number of different solidarity actions to be carried out in teams to give meaning to your annual team building. Make this event a A moment of conviviality and solidarity, at the service of associations.

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Contact us so that we can assist you on this theme!

The Komeet teams will be happy to implement this approach with you.

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