At The Bench, one of our core values is caring about our communities and environment. This has encouraged us to continuously, through our events and gatherings, develop opportunities where we can champion specific charity causes that either improve the lives of communities or protect the environment for future generations.

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Run05.jpg" alt="" /></figure>As opposed to simply donating a lump sum amount to a charity, we encourage our community or event sponsors and attendees to participate together in activities such as runs, auctions and the like to raise funds and, most importantly, raise awareness of the issue through their participation for the charity cause being championed. For IDEEA 2022, we decided to support a local charity in Greece called METAdrasi.

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/header-image.jpg" alt="" /></figure>METAdrasi is a Greek NGO founded in December 2009 which helps facilitate the reception and integration of refugees and immigrants in Greece. Most of METAdrasi's activities are innovative and implemented for the first time in Greece. The activities are focused on the areas of interpretation and developing a comprehensive safety net for unaccompanied minors.
Following the war on Ukraine, millions of Ukrainian nationals were forced to leave their homes, and METAdrasi quickly coordinated efforts to support those that arrived at Greece's doorsteps. The support provided ranged from offering food and shelter for women and children to empowering individuals to find jobs with the assistance of support services such as language courses, legal help or counselling. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/52391794237_b63ce2cb8f_k.jpg" alt="" /></figure>On day two of IDEEA 2022, we organised a charity walk &amp; run and raised €2,740 from our delegates, sponsors and partners onsite. Lora Pappa, Founder &amp; President of METAdrasi was present at the event to thank the IDEEA community for their contributions and share how these funds will be utilised to support Ukrainians who arrived in Greece, fleeing from the war. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/52392721031_43e4d84f38_o.jpg" alt="" /></figure>If you would like to support METAdrasi, you can also donate an amount today, small or large, through this link: <a href="https://metadrasi.org/en/support-us/">https://metadrasi.org/en/support-us/</a>

IDEEA Hospitality Investment Forum 2022: Supporting Ukrainian refugees in Greece.

(08 April 2022) Created by a group of hospitality industry veterans, #HospitalityHelps is an 
online booking platform for short-term hotel stays for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. 
Through the website www.Hospitality-Helps.org, Ukrainian residents who are seeking shelter 
can book short-term stays at hotels around Europe and beyond that provide free 
accommodation. 24/7 support is provided in three languages (Ukrainian, Russian and English) 
by Ukrainian refugees who were successfully accommodated by #HospitalityHelps.
To date, the global initiative is supported by over 600 hotels representing many of the world’s 
leading hospitality groups including Accor, Hilton, IHG and Marriott as well as independent 
hotels, and is the only booking platform that offers free accommodation across borders and 
brands.
One of #HospitalityHelps hotels partners Martin Oesterreich, General Manager of the Zoku 
Hotel in Austria, commenting on his involvement: “With the war so close to home, we wanted 
to do something to help the people of the Ukraine. Since we joined #HospitalityHelps we have 
been able to host 35 families. Even today, I can't begin to put myself in the shoes of the people 
who lost everything from one moment to the next and I am glad that initiatives like 
#HospitalityHelps were set up so quickly so we can come together as an industry to provide 
support.” 
“I will never forget our first guest Anastasiia and her two children who came to us from Kyiv on 
March 4th. To see the children playing in our loft and their mother crying for joy is probably one 
of the most moving things I have experienced. Our team does everything in their power to 
provide as much warmth, rest and “normality” as possible, from playing with the kids in our 
social spaces to preparing healthy and tasty meals. One of our team members, Hanga, has been 
working with a translator to write each family a few personal words in Ukrainian”, Martin 
added.
Ruby Hotels, a group of hotels, represented in nine different European cities, is supporting 
#HospitalityHelps with all of their properties. Yvonne Paeslack, Head of Service at the Ruby 
Marie Hotel in Vienna, shares her impressions, when seeing the first refugees coming to their 
hotel: "I felt desperately sorry for the Ukrainian families who were so grateful, quiet and calm 
and did not want to have the attention on themselves. It was very emotional but pleased we 
were able to help in a small but impactful way."
Initiators of #HospitalityHelps are PKF hospitality group, The Bench, HotelSwaps, Moodley, 
Museum Booster and Zoocha, supported by many other companies who have volunteered to 
help.

HOSPITALITYHELPS has facilitated over 120.000 guest nights for displaced Ukrainian residents since the start of the war

AviaDev Africa, one of The Bench’s growing portfolio of industry conferences was successfully delivered on 29 June – 1 July 2022 in Cape Town, after a three year hiatus. 
At the heart of the event is an effort to maximise the event’s impact on the industry and local community, whilst also minimising its impact on the environment. 
Along with a raft of sustainability measures, including the use of recycled badges and delegate bags, and supporting local labour and suppliers, AviaDev takes its responsibility seriously to leave an indelible and positive mark on the local community. 
Below are 3 activities conducted alongside the event. 
<ul><li>Supporting local charities: Each year, we organise a run/walk in aid of a local charity and this year was no different. We supported the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) and with the support of 14 sponsors raised $7000, which is sufficient to support 200 learners affected by poverty, with a cooked nutritious breakfast and lunch every school day for an entire year. </li><li>Outreach: Each year, we partner with a local organisation to deliver a day of outreach activities. This year we supported the Girls Fly Programme for Africa GFPA with their space camp. </li><li>Supporting the next generation: The AviaDev Ambassador programme was devised to offer aviation students and enthusiasts with the opportunity to gain real world experience. Three winners were chosen from a competitive process. The three students were flown to the event, and they spent the week as part of the AviaDev onsite team. Additionally, they addressed the industry from the stage, raising their profile and opening the door to new opportunities.</li></ul>

AviaDev Africa 2022: Supporting local charities and the next generation

Following the onset of war in Ukraine and the consequent fleeing of civilians from their homes, The Bench, in collaboration with other hospitality industry members such as PKF hospitality group, HotelSwaps, Moodley, Museum Booster and Zoocha, has launched Hospitality Helps. According to the United Nations, almost 1.5 million people, mostly women and children, have been rooted out of their homes in search for safety. The goal of Hospitality Helps is to provide accommodation and shelter to the displaced citizens of Ukraine. It is an online booking platform that works beyond borders for the noble cause, and it has pulled in renowned global hotel brands such as Accor, Hilton, IHG and Marriott. The project has been a success so far registering 368 hotels of which 248 are active with available rooms deposited, 36013 room nights are currently available for reservation, and 11410 guests have joined as users who have done 3912 reservations for a total of 10387 room nights. These hotels will donate their rooms to aid the refugees. This initiative has shown the true character of the hospitality industry and its ability to unite for the greater good. Using “H is for Help” as a slogan, the initiators of the project are calling on more hotel owners to join the cause and register their hotels to provide shelter to the war afflicted civilians. Hospitality Helps has become the need of the hour to accommodate these women and children. Although dozens of families have already benefited from this campaign; however, the struggle is far from over. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=hospitalityhelps&amp;highlightedUpdateUrns=urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6905083692104892416"></a>

368 hotels registered across 38 countries to help Ukrainian refugees

Recently we became aware of the "Bee Kind. Adopt A Hive" campaign launch by the Community Conservation Fund Africa (CCFA), which was founded in 2018 by both Accor and Mantis. And just like that, we became the proud parents of a hive of buzzing honeybees. Bee-kind and join us in adapting a hive today.

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Bench-Beehive-Adoption-Certificate.jpg" alt="" /></figure>Adopt a Hive
On May, 20th World Bee Day was launched, a very exciting new campaign – Bee Kind. Adopt a Hive. 
In a bid to save and grow the Capensis bee population, they are bringing you a special opportunity to save our bees without being a beekeeper - you can now adopt your very own bee hive. 
Your hand-made hive will be complete with a personalised plaque with your name on it, which will be placed in the Western Cape, ready for a new colony of bees to move in. Adopting a hive is a simple but effective way to get involved in bee conservation and make a positive and lasting impact on the environment and local community.
The long term benefits of this project will not only protect our pollinators but will also create micro-apiaries to provide employment for local bee keepers who will be up-skilled in the art of bee-keeping and benefit financially from the sale of ethically and sustainably sourced honey.
You can read more here: <a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1zJFOlsBz0f-qG3DrU5d1tYTltvlW-e6lXYMu4-Dod_inE2-hEZYGAykT7rU_qTPHdCHDSrvn_aalS_N4wxm_Xff_sSk9exxWnkjK-dnjhzpjC65cwbw7xu1wgUsyoKgoRnId0L-N1mxRaRU94awuuJuMT_Paza_EPj49EmaRxsty0QaaTYTtV8YYwiKN9QG4l9_813r3nGoPGitBv_fyg5I1M3UO16OKXz8FfA7PUi-xmZR9U7wP0FVMK9RhQmo3Ek2SC5ZBzlCgDVGfb0sd1VbdejEvK2K5fik6ZleWlNLoPZuzrMvreGlxiaT0nztef8hnZuMi5c8A_S-FRkPgeA/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ccfa.africa%2F2019%2F07%2F31%2Fbeekeeping%2F">https://www.ccfa.africa/2019/07/31/beekeeping/</a>
Watch the video here: <a href="https://youtu.be/-Aqc5EJqcNs">https://youtu.be/-Aqc5EJqcNs</a>
 
 
 
<h4>To adopt your hive click here: <a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1FpXIlb87ybSdV2DE-ZwPmZJfhzYhtUbvxPfa7HZ5Zm46LWehA8tNhrQDOTyFdjU-MMmvB2Jwm-YRwGbyllyPfYEHotLAI59Z-5CPeV_A4zcHbcXpQT6XM6lyFmmwTnHqkROF456ppfxMuaLrf52m9kQTZbPMgaCWcwmioD0OKMhTh6DB8FIoqbS9HNAasU3_RTnMR2-Dkk3f_x4hj9U3tPPDLffF0yuZPCeSVtRB8JuV10GwvbiaHPjcWw5eD2qh8Uq_FQJ2Np3jFxcU0QcBw-YE-9af4B8OBjjBKkRDTq7aXPQIgAX-fwHmGPQJ0FF3AgTZNzq_F0F63TlnYsyDfg/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ccfa.africa%2Fproduct%2Fadopt-a-hive%2F">https://www.ccfa.africa/product/adopt-a-hive/</a></h4>

BEE-NCH is now a virtual beekeeper

At 'The Bench', we constantly try to be sustainable ourselves and to encourage sustainability across the global hospitality industry. But we know can always do better, so we have just taken our commitment to another level by creating the Bench Forest, with Treedom! 
200 trees in the Bench forest will absorb 70,000kg of CO2, which neutralises half of all the CO2 emitted from our company flights in an entire year. 
We chose to partner with Treedom for this initiative as not only does our forest have a positive environmental impact, but also a fantastic social and economic impact as the trees are planted and managed by local farmers in Kenya. 
Hopefully this will be the first of many Bench forests, as we aim to neutralise all our emissions in the future, as well as supporting our friends in the hospitality industry to do the same!
You can see the full Bench forest <a href="https://www.treedom.net/en/organization/bench-events/event/creatingimpact-forest/trees">here</a>.

Creating Impact with the Bench Forest

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Team.jpg" alt="" /></figure>The 2nd edition of AviaDev Europe took place on 23rd -25th October 2019 in beautiful Valencia. Creating Impact has been in the DNA of AviaDev since the start. Similar to the rest of the AviaDev events, we successfully delivered our AviaDev Ambassador programme. After a competitive process, we chose Stefan Suiugan from Buckinghamshire New University and Ross Still from Coventry University. 

They were an important part of the AviaDev team, helping us deliver a great experience for all the delegates and they also presented their thoughts on European regional aviation in front of 200 professionals from European airports, airlines, tourism boards and aviation suppliers. You can watch the session <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZzvUSE_Ehg&amp;list=PL7pW7r3IP6eji6_VnN--O7ok20lJ6afmW&amp;index=11">here.</a>
Both Stefan and Ross performed brilliantly and used this opportunity to network with industry professionals throughout the whole event. The Avia Dev Europe Experience and the contacts they made in Valencia will help them on their career path in our fascinating aviation industry.
On the last morning of the event we organized a traditional Morning Charity Run. We switched the location from the Turia Riverbed Park (where we ran last year) to the wonderful scenery at the Malvarrosa Beach. In the second part of the 5k run we were blessed with a picturesque sunrise at the beach. It was truly an amazing experience, and definitely worth the early wake up call.

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Run04.jpg" alt="" /></figure>Most importantly, our run supported a local charity called Amics De La Gent Major. The charity takes care of the elderly people in Valencia living alone and together with our sponsor, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, we donated 1,000 EUR to this charity. A big THANK YOU to everyone involved for helping us create impact in the destinations where we organize our events.

AviaDev Europe 2019: Supporting Future Leaders and a Local Charity

Since 2013, Jon Howell, CEO of AviaDev has undertaken multiple activities to raise funds for Gorilla Conservation. He was appointed a global ambassador for the charity in 2016. 
These activities include participating in the great gorilla run around the streets of London; the Manchester 10k and climbing the 3 highest mountains in the UK in a full gorilla suit. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Pic-2.jpg" alt="" /></figure>Valencia is home to a family of gorillas and presented the perfect opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the amazing work the Gorilla Organization undertakes on a daily basis. 
It was a hot day for a half marathon in a gorilla suit and the temperature reached 23 degrees Celsius. Jon benefited from the moral support of AviaDev Europe MD, Juraj Toth and the host of AviaDev Europe 2018 and 2019, Miguel Angel Perez. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Pic-3.JPG" alt="" /></figure>The activity raised over £1,000 in donations and this money will be reinvested in projects in Africa directly contributing to the conservation of our hairy cousins. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Pic-4.JPG" alt="" /></figure>Gorillas are among our closest living relatives yet they are at a risk of extinction. Small acts of support can make a big difference!
The Gorilla Organization is a UK registered charity and you can find out more at <a href="http://www.gorillas.org">www.gorillas.org</a>

Going Ape in Valencia

9th December 2019, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
AviaDev has been working with iFly aviation for over 2 years. iFly’s vision aims to give back to our communities and make a difference in society by equipping our youth and exposing the opportunities which exist in aviation. 
The day was a massive success featuring informative talks and, of course, the infamous AviaDev paper aeroplane competition.

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/2.jpeg" alt="" /></figure>At lunch, all young aviators had the opportunity to network with the aviation professionals they met with earlier in the day. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/1.jpeg" alt="" /></figure>Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side and so the students could not take up the opportunity to fly in the helicopter. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/3.jpeg" alt="" /></figure>However, the session was rearranged and on 16th December, they returned and took to the skies. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/4.jpg" alt="" /></figure>Here at Bench, we are focused on creating impact and we look forward to following and supporting the careers of the next generation of African Aviators.

AviaDev partners with iFly Aviation to enable young aviators’ dreams take flight

The AHIF 2019 delegate bags were custom-made in support of Our Father's Kitchen,
 a community kitchen that feeds underprivileged children. OFK is a 
non-profit project initiated by The Lime Tree in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Each AHIF delegate bag provided 3 meals to school children living
 in severe poverty, a total of 1200 meals sponsored by AHIF. No child 
can concentrate on an empty stomach, and we are proud to contribute to 
OFK's efforts to fight malnutrition and ensure that children don't go to
 school hungry.<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Our-Fathers-Kitchen2.jpg" alt="" /></figure>

AHIF 2019 Delegate Bags

In June 2019 the Bench’s Charitable Committee supported Matt’s 100km Ultra Marathon – The Cotswolds Way Challenge. Matt decided to walk the distance, starting in Bath and ending in Cheltenham, over two days. His efforts raised £2428.78 in aid of MIND – the Mental Health Charity. 

<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Cots-collage.png" alt="" /></figure> Read Matt's account of the walk below: "I’m no endurance athlete – I can hardly run more than 3 miles without
 some part of my body breaking, pinging, snapping or seizing. In fact, 
I’ve never participated in any sort of organised running activity, a fun
 run in a park, a 5k a 10k, anything. So, of course, the logical thing 
to do was to jump in the deep end and participate in an Ultra Marathon –
 a 100km walk/run.

Having moved recently to the Cotswolds area I heard, through one of the school mums, about the <a href="https://www.cotswoldwaychallenge.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cotswold’s Way Challenge</a>. I thought this was a great opportunity to see the local countryside. 

I started the process believing I could run the 100km between Bath 
and Cheltenham. But after numerous and continuous injuries – I was 
forced to approach this as a walk. Turns out, even this, is not a 
little amble through the lovely countryside either! In that regards – 
naivety is a good thing – setting out blindly into the challenge 
benefited me. If I had started to consider all the variables, from 
time needed to train, to improving fitness, I’m not sure I’d have 
started.

Nearing the event, after numerous injuries, I almost gave up but, 
after hearing the tragic news that an old University (rugby) friend had 
committed suicide I thought I’d support MIND – the Mental Health 
Charity. This moment gave me focus and impetus and, as the support 
money came in, it helped with the energy needed to work towards the 
goal.

It also helped me take stock and enjoy the experience. Certainly 
sobering to hear such awful news and, with walking, I was able to use 
the time training as time to reflect, listen to music I’d not listened 
to for years, listen to podcasts, audio books, nothing. I started to 
love training – taking in the wonderful countryside, soaking up the 
views and finding my own little mindfulness.

I felt prepared going into the challenge – “Taxi for Hills!” my team 
was set and I had decided I would split the race up into 50km first day 
and 50km second day. I’d not done back-to-back big walks but I felt 
confident I shouldn’t be too sore after completing my first marathon 
length walk two weeks before and feeling ok.

The Cotswold’s Way Walk

It all went in a blur really – I was very nervous.

I met my team mate in Bath at 7am – we both had an 8am start – he was going to run it – and attempt 100km in one day.

The news of over 30 degrees heat, however, was a little worrying – it
 was going to be a scorcher. The buzz at the start was great – most 
participants had amazing stories, reasons to be involved – many carried 
those stories on their backpacks – it was very inspiring.

We set off at 8am and we climbed away from Bath until we were looking
 down on the city and entering the Cotswolds themselves. At the 
beginning it’s hard to find your pace with the amount of people in a 
group and in the first kilometre I rolled my ankle – a recurring injury I
 did when doing a training walk in Turkey. It didn’t seem to impact me 
so I pushed on stopping at the first organised stop – Bath racecourse 
some 8km out from the start.

The ankle felt good and my pace was good – the temperature was 
growing so I refilled my empty camel pack and headed out, with high 
spirits, into the beautiful countryside. I went through 2 litres of 
water in the next hour and was then fighting against this for the next 8
 or 9km. I’d also tried to arrange a podcast during this period – and, 
although it didn’t work, it gave me time to speak to Sally from the 
office. I was also kept company by my daughter Caitlin – who would 
whatsapp me during the weekend – these little moments really helped 
drive me on.

I reached the half way point of the first day and I was very 
dehydrated. I took on a lot of water and refilled again – stopping for 
around 20 minutes to shade myself and cool down. I had started to pull 
away from the walkers and started to overtake a lot of the runners – who
 many, by now, had hit some walls. I found myself alone for the 
majority of the rest of the day – the searing heat over lunch was hard –
 the heat bouncing up off the fields making you feel like you were in an
 oven. But thanks to locals offering hose downs, cold sponges and extra
 water I pushed on. Completing the first day in just shy of 9 hours.

My team mate, Alex, wasn’t so lucky. He showed signs of heat stroke,
 getting lost off the path and just after the 50Km point told me he’d 
run out of water. The knock on effect was that he had to stop shortly 
after 60km.

I was lucky enough to be able to go home in the evening – being close
 – and was able to paddle in a friends paddling pool and Tess was keen I
 have a few beers. I didn’t realise you could track your performance 
and Tess told me that, within my group (those running or walking 100km 
over two days) I was actually in 9th position!!! I couldn’t believe it –
 I think the heat took it’s toll but I also felt I could push on now – 
Sunday was going to be cooler. I don’t think they were too impressed 
with me lancing my blisters during the evening mind you. But I was 
focused!!!

Day 2 I set off at 7am or so – after getting my feet professionally 
lanced and protected. I immediately got into a good walking speed and 
was being held up less by people.

I found myself being immersed into my books and plays. I’d finished 
Glengary Glen Ross and moved onto one of my favourite books – All the 
Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy and, although the scene he set was in 
the prairies of West Texas and Mexico, you could almost imagine yourself
 in the Mexican plains as the heat bounced off the floor. I walked 
through miles of beautiful forests, long fields and some small 
Cotswold’s villages.

Bouncing my way along now – full of energy I didn’t stop to eat – 
just refilled water and continued. The hills on the second day were 
brutal in some places but I found myself over taking people and even 
running parts of the course. At the final water stop (7km away) I knew I
 was going to complete the challenge – and, in true form, became a 
little emotional with the situation. Somewhat delirious I remember 
talking to llamas and singing songs to myself and full volume.

At 99km – as I approached Cheltenham through a park I felt my right 
foot’s blisters burst. A warmth of water filling my shoes and then, at 
each step, the shift of skin as it moved around my shoe. Hobbling a 
little I pushed on – then, pretty soon after, the burst of my blisters 
in my left shoe. Being so close – I took my shoes off and pushed on. I
 felt sorry now for those who were obviously distressed with blisters 
earlier – it wasn’t nice.

I arrived to meet my sister and Alex waiting for me – it was a great 
sight – well, they were holding a beer for me! In the end I managed to 
come 4th in the race – which was surprising for a walker and, more 
importantly raise almost £2500 for charity."

The Cotswolds Way Challenge

This year's <a href="https://www.ahif.com/charity">Africa Hotel Investment Forum</a> included a Charity Run on 25 September 2019 in Addis Ababa, in support of local charity <a href="https://www.ahopeforchildren.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AHOPE Ethiopia</a>. The run was hosted by none other than Ethiopian Olympic gold medallist and four-time World Championship title holder Haile Gebrselassie. Despite the heavy rain on the Wednesday morning, spirits were not dampened and over 50 people joined in on the jog around the Sheraton grounds. 
We were thrilled to raise a total of $15'000 for AHOPE, thanks to the generous contribution of our charity sponsor <a href="http://www.dmc.com.et/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Derba Midroc Cement</a> and several individual donors. We held a surprise auction during the evening reception at the Hyatt Regency, with multiple delegates bidding for the shirt worn by Haile Gebreselassie during his victory at the Berlin Marathon in 2006, breaking a world record at 2:05:56. The winning bid took the prize at $5000, which covers the costs for the education of 500 children for a whole year. The remaining $10'000 will go towards AHOPE's Family Preservation and Economic Empowerment programmes. AHOPE was established in 2004 in response to the grave plights of HIV
 positive orphans. It provides specialized care and support to HIV 
positive children, as well as the families and wider community affected by HIV. 
 
AHOPE currently looks after 66 children across 5 group homes in Addis Ababa, but supports over 700 other beneficiaries through their programmes centred around family preservation, economic empowerment and education for children as well as any breadwinners in the family, improving their employability and creating sustainable futures. 



<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/48830617446_0623d27422_k.jpg" alt="" /></figure><figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/IMG-20190925-WA0000.jpg" alt="" /></figure>The AHIF team had the chance to visit AHOPE's headquarters in Addis Ababa and spend some time with the children to learn more about the charity's incredible work. 
<figure><div><img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/lrtKpcylEASAqEdjZc/giphy.gif" class="giphy-embed" alt="" /></div></figure>

AHIF 2019 Charity Run

As a <a href="http://www2.unwto.org/">UNWTO </a>affiliate member, Bench was honoured to participate in the 7th edition of Investour, the Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa on Jan 21st 2016.
Our goal is to support the UNWTO's promotion of increased public private partnerships in and around tourism infrastructure. Investour is UNWTO's annual event in Madrid and with over 10 African Ministers of Tourism present, it allowed for plenty of engaging debate. I participated in a session entitled, "Africa - The Future is Now", led by Olivier Jager, CEO Forward Keys. Also on the panel we had H.E Lahcen Haddad the Minister of Tourism of Morrocco, Tewolde GebreMariam CEO of Ethiopian Airlines and Greg Bakunzi from Amahoro Tours in Rwanda. It was no surprise that, amongst the challenges affecting investment into Africa today, we instantly explored the impact poor air connectivity and lack of reliable market data was having on investment decisions.
According to JLL's 2016 Sentiment Report, around 75% of investments still come from intra-African markets. African Governments are now looking outwardly for FDI. This conversation promoted airline infrastructure and connectivity as being a starting point for Africa positive future.



Of course African countries have to look at their VISA entry issues, but they also need to somehow fly people there first. The lack of connectivity and the lack of airline infrastructure means that prices remain high for the customer and out of reach for many intra-Africa travellers. Considering we are expecting a boom of the African middle class and a rise in the aspirational youth across the continent - to make travel easier and cheaper would open up the skies indeed. And what impact on hotel investment. 
It is one of the reasons why we are excited to be launching our inaugural Aviation Development conference, AviaDev, in October alongside our existing <a href="http://www.africa-conference.com/">Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF)</a>. If we are able to address some of the issues of air connectivity and its link with inward investment we can help future tourism development across the continent.
AviaDev will be the first time ever the aviation and investment communities will come together to determine how to build a co-ordinated approach to develop tourism infrastructure . Such events have a huge significance for the whole of Africa. It is pretty clear Africa has moved away from the "hopeless case" tag, but it still remains a difficult market to do business and invest.
AHIF's senior delegate community has highlighted many times over that Africa has to be treated as the 50+ countries that make it up, rather than one region. Each country has to be understood and navigated. However, at a perception level, Africa ends up feeling the full brunt of the media when issues such as the Ebola crisis, terrorism or other damaging images impact the whole continent rather than the location the story occurred. 
Olivier Jager, CEO of Forwardkeys, a data provider for the airline industry, clearly illustrated just how the ripples of such negative experiences can flow right across Africa. His example cited how the ebola crisis negatively affected airline bookings right across the continent. In Johannesburg, for instance, travel was down even though it was further from the outbreak than Madrid itself. It was clear from the discussion that there is a continued need to work together as a continent (and supporters of the continent) to combat perceptions as much as acting on the issues in the first place. The session had a lively debate around diversification. In an earlier panel, Peter Norman, senior VP of Real Estate and Development for Hyatt Hotels, said they chose countries to operate in that have strong diversified markets. The falling prices in commodities has exposed many markets propped up on one or two key industries. Although this has caused a very real economic wake up call, I see this as an unlikely opportunity to raise economic awareness of diversification into tourism. With the crash has come the opportunity push tourism to the top of the agenda for many African countries, which is where we see AHIF and AviaDev offering essential value.
This offers a unique opportunity for tourism to become a pillar of a diversified economy. This change in emphasis was concluded by an impassioned plea, led by Minister Walter Mzembi of Zimbabwe, who highlighted the need for further government investment in tourism promotion to compete with the major tourism powers of the world and spread the message of Africa’s potential.

The crash in commodity prices will help tourism across Africa - Matthew Weihs

The Youth Career Initiative (YCI) is an innovative, high-impact approach to combating global youth unemployment. YCI works with young people who are unlikely to have a viable route into legitimate employment and improve their situation without external help. YCI provides the students with transferable life and work skills that make them employable as well as empower them to make career choices and positive life decisions. 



<a href="http://www.youthcareerinitiative.org/">http://www.youthcareerinitiative.org</a>

Bench to support Youth Career Initiative

Yorkshire Rows did it: they rowed 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic ocean in 67 days to become the oldest female team to ever row an ocean. In the wake of this world record, here at Bench we’ve been reflecting on the lessons we should take away from this incredible feat that we are so proud to have supported.
Two years ago, four 40-something ladies with little rowing experience, dreamt about entering the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge over a few glasses of wine. Instead of laughing about their crazy dreams whilst nursing sore heads, Janette, Frances, Helen and Niki decided they really were going to try to row an ocean telling themselves: “That could be amazing, I’m not sure I could do it, but I’ll have a go.”
Lesson One: Dreams can become a reality, it’s up to us to make the leap between ‘what could be’ and ‘what will be’.
What’s so impressive about these ladies is their determination and resilience in facing the enormity of this challenge. As the race organisers state: more people have climbed Everest than rowed the Atlantic. They were not your average competitors who are typically male, executives, endurance athletes; all with something to personally prove. Instead, these were four women who had never even done a fun run but just fancied having a go, inspired by what could be and doing it for all those who think they cant. As they put it: “If we can do this, anyone can do anything.”
Lesson Two: Achieving something incredible is not just for the elite or the professional, it’s in all our potential.
Training was hard. It took over daily life for these ladies for two solid years. Then there was the time required to be taken off work, child care to juggle and a lot of sponsorship to raise. There must have been many, many times to quit. But they didn’t. Their motto quickly became, “It’ll be fine!”
Lesson Three: Barriers can be overcome with a bit of creativity, a solutions-focussed mind-set and with support from those around you: it really comes down to how much you want to achieve what you want. 
No amount of training could have possibly prepared them for two months at sea rowing from La Gomera to Antigua. They were alone out there with only Mother Nature to keep them company. And, oh how she surprised them. Ten days in, a severe storm, which later became a hurricane, hit the crew. “Waves were seriously big.,” the crew explained, “thinking oh God we’re gonna roll”. They were left having to hand steer their boat, holding the rudder to manually steer in the right direction.
Lesson Four: Mentally prepare for the unexpected and accept that sometimes things happen which are out of your control. It’s how you face the challenge that makes the difference.
Life on the boat was monotonous: eat, sleep, row, repeat. Shifts of two hours on, two hours off was tough. The crew were honest about how they felt, capturing their feelings on camera, at times wishing they were anywhere but at sea. Dealing with storms takes one kind of bravery, dealing with the same landscape and constant bobbing momentum takes another especially as the row was taking much longer than they anticipated. But, they never gave up, even when a support boat stopped by to see them. Instead of waving a white flag, they jumped into the sea to scrub barnacles off the underside of their boat knowing there was someone watching over them. “What a hard, hard row,” they proclaimed, “but we’ve had a brilliant time.”
Lesson Five: Half the challenge is facing monotony, having to put in the hard, and sometimes boring, work to reach that incredible milestone.
Bench pride ourselves in creating opportunities for ideas to flourish; we believe in making dreams a reality, with the building of meaningful relationships at the heart of this. The final lesson we’ve learnt is about team strength. Dealing with each other’s personal battles, fears and quirks in extreme circumstances and in a confined environment must test crewmates’ relationships to the limit. Apparently some teams complete the Atlantic Challenge on strained terms, never to speak again. The Yorkshire Rows by their own admission faced their own niggles but ultimately they pulled together when it mattered, supported each other and worked hard to create the atmosphere they needed to get to Antigua. Pictures of the ladies hugging and the genuine warmth they show each other during post-race interviews is testament to the depth and strength of their relationships, a true high performing team. 
Lesson Six: Key to building strong relationships is keeping the bigger vision fresh in the mind, accepting the times when others might not be on their best game, remembering we are all human.
Thank you Janette, Frances, Helen and Niki, for letting us be part of your journey, it’s been truly inspiring.
A short feature film on the Yorkshire Row’s story is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer, search for ‘Yorkshire Rows’. Quotes &amp; pictures courtesy of Yorkshire Rows, BBC and Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge with thanks.
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/banners/yorkshire_1.jpg" alt="" /></figure><figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/banners/yorkshire_2.jpg" alt="" /></figure>

Eat, sleep, row repeat- Six lessons we’ve learnt from the Yorkshire Rows

September 17th 2016 saw around 500 “gorillas” actively participate in the annual Great Gorilla Run. The run is a 5 mile fun run along the banks of the Thames, Central London. The event is organised by the Gorilla Organization, a charity founded by the late Dian Fossey to protect endangered gorillas in their natural habitat. We (Bench) always like to leave a legacy in each destination we visit and 2016 is no exception. There are less than 1000 mountain gorillas left in the World today and many of these populate the mountains of Rwanda, so we felt the cause was perfectly aligned with what we are trying to do. Namely, improve African tourism infrastructure in a sustainable way. Thankfully, on the day of the run, we experienced relatively cool temperatures, but having said that I’m not sure it’s ever comfortable running in a gorilla mask and suit. We passed many perplexed tourists on Tower Bridge and the banks of the river and after a thousand high-fives and a sweaty and difficult last couple of miles, we all made it across the line. As a team we have raised $2,500 and onsite in Kigali, we conducted a session on how to sustainably promote tourism through conservation and also presented the “big cheque” to the CEO of the charity, Ms Jillian Miller. (pic 0470 attached) The Great Gorilla Run is incredible fun, a great way to raise much needed funds for conservation and I cannot recommend it highly enough. We look forward to your participation next year. 
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/banners/033A7166.JPG" alt="" /></figure>The “Gorilla Madness” team left to right: Jonathan Worsley, Chairman Bench; Nick van Marken, Global Head- Advisory, Deloitte LLP; Matthew Weihs, MD, Bench; Raj Kotecha, Head of content, Bench; Jon Howell, MD, AviaDev, Bench 
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/banners/Cheque.JPG" alt="" /></figure>

The Great Gorilla Run 2016- supported by Bench

On September 17th the <a href="http://www.benchevents.com/content/team">Bench team</a> (and you if you wish to join us) will be donning our gorilla suits to run 8km through London to raise money through the <a href="http://www.greatgorillarun.org/">The Great Gorilla Run</a>. It is all a bit of fun - although having tried on the monkey suit only once (to attempt to scare the kids) I soon appreciated that running in the suit might not be all that much "fun" - but it has a significant message. There are now only 900 mountain gorillas left in the world...
Just 900. Protecting our wildlife whilst encouraging growth through tourism is a difficult and ethical balance. Animals don't have boundaries, they don't understand borders and they don't appreciate that a farm was not built for them... So often we hear that it is the conflict between the local communities and animals that create the destructive behaviours. And tourism can be the catalyst to bringing both parties together - protecting a species by engaging a community into the tourism value of that asset. 
<a href="http://www.gorillas.org/">The Gorilla Organisation</a> have done a fantastic job in building awareness of community based conservation around the gorilla community in Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC. At the <a href="http://www.africa-conference.com/">Africa Hotel Investment Forum</a> we will hear from <a href="http://www.gorillas.org/Staff">Jillian Miller,</a> the CEO of this organisation about how they have supported the rebuilding of a species on the brink of extinction and how they've been able to develop a future as a sustainable tourism asset. 
Please support us on September 17th - which ever way you can. Donate generously, cheer us on, or be part of the fundraising team. Perhaps we shall see you in Rwanda where we will hear more about the great work. 
<a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gorillamadness2016">SUPPORT GORILLA MADNESS BY DONATING HERE</a>
The session: 
<a href="http://www.africa-conference.com/rwanda/index.php/programme/day-two-wednesday-5-october/">Leveraging natural assets to build a lucrative and sustainable tourism industry</a>
An interview on the conservation of Gorillas in Rwanda, and how the country built an industry around it. 
Patrick Fitzgibbon Senior Vice President Development, EMEA - <a href="http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/">Hilton Worldwide</a>
In conversation with: 
Jillian Miller Chief Executive Officer - <a href="http://www.gorillas.org/">The Gorilla Organisation</a>

Monkeying around for sustainable tourism

October, 2016, Kigali, Rwanda. Jon Howell was appointed to the role of Global Ambassador for the Gorilla Organization, a UK charity committed to the conservation of the mountain gorillas and their habitat. Jon becomes only the second global Ambassador appointed, alongside the British naturalist, Bill Oddie. Jon has fundraised for the charity for over 5 years and has also been to visit the gorillas in both Bwindi inpenetrable rainforest, Uganda and the Ruhengeri national park, Rwanda. His new role will involve growing participation in the great gorilla run 2017, so please connect if you would like to participate/ support this cause.

Jon Howell, MD, AviaDev appointed Global Ambassador for the Gorilla Organization

On behalf of Michael Collini, Vice President Development Sub Saharan Africa at Hilton, Bench has donated US $1,000 to Mike's charity of choice, Hilton Responds. Hilton Responds supports Hilton fellow Team Members and communities in times of disaster. Hilton has a rich history of community investment, and their founder’s legacy of generosity permeates throughout their organization. They see it is their responsibility to support those communities where they live, work and travel in times of crisis. Each year, approximately 275 million people worldwide are affected by natural and man-made disasters. Team Members and franchise employees have consistently displayed a passion for supporting the communities where disaster strikes. The Hilton Responds Fund was developed to act as a vehicle for Hilton Team Members and franchise employees to donate voluntary funds to support short-term relief and long-term rebuilding efforts following a disaster. To find out more about the charity, please visit <a href="https://www.hiltonresponds.com/">www.hiltonresponds.com.</a>

Bench donates US$ to Hilton Responds

In 2016, Jon Howell, MD of AviaDev was appointed Global Ambassador for the Gorilla Organization. Ever since he was a child, Jon has been obsessed with these magnificent animals and has been fortunate to visit them twice, once in Uganda and once in Rwanda.
However, there are fewer than 900 mountain gorillas left in the world, so their situation is precarious. In a bid to help conservation efforts, and being based in the UK, Jon and three of his friends felt that a fitting challenge to raise awareness and funds for their conservation would be to climb the three peaks of the UK (Ben Nevis, Scotland, Scafell Pie, England and Snowdon, Wales) over a single weekend, whilst wearing a gorilla suit. We believe this is the first time this has been attempted.
It was a tougher task than they may have envisaged, covering 900 miles driving, over 80km hiking and climbing over 4000 metres elevation, but no-one said it would be easy. The team raised £1000 and aim to raise more via our participation in the Great Gorilla Run 2017
At Bench, we are passionate about creating a positive impact in the countries we partner with, creating jobs and enabling prosperity as a result of our events.
We will be bringing the Africa Hotel Investment Forum and AviaDev Africa to Kigali in October 2017 and if you are attending or would like to be part of our continued efforts to protect the endangered mountain gorillas, sign up and join the Bench team running the Great Gorilla Run in London this September <a href="http://www.greatgorillarun.org/">www.greatgorillarun.org</a> or sponsor the team <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gorillabenchers">https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gorillabenchers</a> 
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/uploads/IMG_1972.JPG" alt="" /></figure>

Jon Howell, MD AviaDev completed UK three peaks challenge in aid of gorilla conservation

At the eleventh hour I was lucky enough to obtain a couple of tickets to the ladies cricket World Cup final at the home of cricket, Lords, last Sunday. I thought it would be a wonderful way to inspire my daughter (pictured here with Heather Knight, England's captain) to appreciate that the world of sport doesn't have to belong to men. It certainly achieved this but it also provided an inspirational business lesson. Cricket, of course, is the players' profession and their business which we sometimes forget; what I witnessed that day will stay with me for a very long time.
India did very well. In the field they kept the pressure on and, although they made a few mistakes which, in the end would turn costly, they kept taking wickets and putting pressure on England. At half time I thought the score of 228 posted by England was 20 or so runs light and when India took the field I looked to be proved right as they comfortably took the score to 191-3 with plenty of time in the bag. The writing was on the wall for England and it was India's to lose. What happened next will be remembered in the sporting annals with India collapsing in 30 balls and losing all their wickets in just 28 runs. The World Cup being snatched by England from a hopeless position.
This was a special day for both sets of supporters. India were the underdogs and fought well but it was England's belief that won them this game. A harsh lesson for India - but, on reflection there were some critical moments that defined this game that can be applied to business.
Heather Knight had a horror match in her personal performance but showed her value as a leader. She was out for one run and the timing of her dismissal put pressure on her team and slowed the progress of the innings; when she came onto bowl at a critical time she bowled poorly and had to remove herself after only one over; and she dropped a crucial catch in the middle of the innings.
Cricket is deemed a long match (too long for some) but it is defined by small moments and, when your chance comes, you have to take them. When you're out, you're out, when you drop a catch that moment could be your only chance in a match. Knight's head could have dropped - mine did as I sat in the crowd surrounded by dancing and whooping Indian supporters - but her mind set was outstanding. The decision to take herself off just after one over was inspired. Probably overlooked by many but she, as leader, could have bowled for longer, given it a go, and the game could and probably would have slipped away. To identify your own weaknesses and be honest with yourself and the team was leadership at the highest level. Knight is only 26 and this event was being watched by over 20,000 at the ground and an estimated 100m on the television (numbers never reached before for women's cricket) - the temptation to want to impress on the day never entered her head. It was getting the best from the team around her that mattered.
With her own performance being dented across all departments Knight never stopped moving and encouraging in the field. Her attitude, as well as all the other team members, was to enjoy the occasion. They joked, smiled, clapped and saw opportunities in every ball (even when hit to the boundary). Shrubsole, the hero on the day, said that the team knew that they just needed one chance to change the direction of the game. And they didn't stop believing that. This mind set of the team was what won the day - they had trust in each other as team that, if they kept plugging away doing the right things, that their business would be done. India, on the other hand felt the pressure, clearly exuded their fear of loss and exposed their immaturity as a team.
When England had their chance to turn the screw they did it with professional accuracy. This was their chance and they took it ruthlessly. Knight pushed herself and her fielders closer to the bat, she created pressure, they grew in stature - the Indians were dwarfed by the fielding side. In a game of 7 hours it took only 15 minutes for England to turn a defeat to victory.
I came away from the game delighted - the game was high entertainment, full of drama and passion. But on reflection my admiration for this team grew over this week. So many times they could have capitulated and given in. Business is hard sometimes, we can all feel that it isn't our day but can we show the same resilience to get through. Team spirit is a hard thing to cultivate but this band of sisters demonstrated that, if you support and believe in those around you, anything is possible. We must, as business people, find the right people with the right mindset in our organisations that can do this.
Leadership like Knight's is a hard thing to manufacture but it came from the base of a strong team ethic. She knew her players and trusted them to trust her - so she didn't need to perform. We all have bad days but she was aware that she is only a cog in the wheel and there is back up. Knight's leadership gave a wonderful lesson in how to read your team members, yourself, to be honest and have the end goal in mind not your personal performance at the heart of all your actions.
Situations can change to your favour or against you in the blink of an eye. You have to manufacture chances and take them ruthlessly when they appear - when the momentum is against then rely on your experience and the hard-graft you put in. And, unlike, the Indian's, when momentum changes, try not to let it change your mindset - stay positive and calm and focus on the job in hand.
A lot of praise has to go to the coaching and leadership of England's cricket - they have worked tirelessly to raise the profile of ladies cricket but it was the players who shone this week. They defined what professional sportspeople should act like. We are bombarded by sports that are driven by greed, self promotion and ego. These ladies showed what team and leadership was all about.

Can we all learn something from the Women’s Cricket World Cup Final? by Matthew Weihs

A young graduate of a life-changing employability programme will be attending AHIF to describe how he went from an orphan with limited life chances to a chef in a top hotel, economically independent and supporting his siblings.
Dalitso Mwanza left school to look for work to help his grandmother provide for her six orphaned grandchildren, but a lack of skills meant he struggled to find employment.
Dalitso was supported by SOS Children’s Villages which introduced him to the Youth Career Initiative (YCI) an employability programme which partners with local hotels and gives disadvantaged young people the chance to learn a range of skills throughout a variety of departments.
The programme at Radisson Blu Lusaka, Zambia, supported Dalitso to discover a talent for work in the kitchen. His dedication and enthusiasm throughout the training and mentoring process convinced managers to offer him a role once the programme was completed, giving him a future he could never have envisaged before.
Dalitso said, “I gained so much from the programme. I’ve heard it said that any tool is put to good use if done so with pride and skill. The skills I learned at the hotel have helped me start to build a career, but also become financially independent so I can support myself and my family.”
Now Dalitso is coming to AHIF (Africa Hotel Investment Forum) to showcase his skills at the event hosted by Radisson Blu Kigali, but also to highlight the value the hospitality industry can bring to partnerships with programmes like YCI.
Marius Wolmarans, General Manager, Radisson Blu Lusaka said, “In Zambia, where unemployment is an everyday reality for young people, it is important to remember that for every employment opportunity we create, we can feed multiple mouths. It is easy to donate money, time, equipment; but this is short-lived. If we can provide young people with the skills they need to build a career, we enable them to build better futures for themselves and their communities.”
Radisson Blu Hotels and parent company Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group are a global partner of YCI and successfully participate the employability programme in seven countries.
YCI is rapidly expanding in the region having already helped over 4,350 young people around the world to develop skills and take the first step in their career. 85% of these young people have gone on to find work or pursue further education.
Hotels like Radisson Blu Kigali are part of the success story as they will begin partnering YCI in 2018, but more hotels are needed and financial support of the charitable programme is essential. Just US$1,000 will enable YCI to support one disadvantaged young person into work and local businesses can help fund the programme here.
One business which is already helping YCI carry out its award-winning work is Bench, the organisers of AHIF.
CEO Jonathan Worsley said, “One of the great things about the hospitality industry is that it is possible to build a career by starting at the very bottom and working one’s way to the very top. The great thing about YCI is that it is helping thousands of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to put their foot on the first rung of that ladder. I am so looking forward to meeting General Managers whose careers began with a leg up from YCI. I am also very much looking forward to meeting AHIF delegates who have committed to back this vision too.”
Inge Huijbrechts, Global VP Responsible Business, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group said, “The Youth Career Initiative is a programme that has an important positive impact on the lives of the graduates and their families, and through its global impact, it also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8, Good jobs and economic growth. We are proud to be a key YCI partner and will continue to grow our participation.”

YCI graduate shows how the hospitality industry can support life changing opportunities

The Bench has done some crazy things. We’ve set the World record for the highest game of cricket played on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Climbed the Three Highest peaks in the UK in a single weekend wearing gorilla suits and cycled from Amsterdam to Berlin to open a conference.
However crazy, we believe in giving back and leaving a legacy in the markets we serve and that is why just outside Kampala, Uganda, there is a new herd of goats, loving tended to by “Honorary Bencher” Kevin Kiganda. 

The Managing Director of AviaDev, Jon Howell, first met Kevin during a visit to Kampala in 2013. Kevin is now 34 and was raised by his grandmother. He worked hard to support himself through high school and always dreamed of being a farmer out of the city. 
Therefore, every Christmas since, Jon has provided Kevin with a goat, each named after a member of his family. When Jon recalled this story at the Bench Christmas meeting, Jonathan Worsley thought it was a great idea and the Bench Herd was born. We are delighted that Kevin has agreed to tend to the goats on our behalf and we look forward to visiting our alter egos soon.

Here’s the herd in its full glory:

Jonathan our Chairman, so the big boss. He is a free spirit and loves to get involved with the fun stuff, but has a short attention span
Matthew willing to give it a go but beware, can be a bit grumpy
Jennifer is very social and likes plenty of attention but .. keep on her good side
Mala is the “worker bee” always buzzing around keeping busy and organising others
Sally is managing everyone behind the scene and never loses her calm, but does like to party
Annie, the ultimate socialite, and everyone loves her
Jon, an adventurous goat and always climbing for a new challenge
Sacha is independent but very intelligent and considered
Jo is just the nicest goat you could wish to meet
Ali, enthusiastic and full of ideas
Michael, the youngster, following everyone else and looking for guidance
 We will be following the herd’s progress with a regular blog post each quarter, so be sure to check back for further updates.

Introducing the Bench Herd

We received news from Kevin Kiganda, MD of Bench Goat HQ in Uganda that the team has been graced with some new arrivals.
Over the past 2 weeks, there have been two sets of twins born that have swelled the numbers to 16!
Names are yet to be determined, but mothers and babies are doing well. 
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/uploads/Goats.jpg" alt="" /></figure> 
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/uploads/Goats1.jpg" alt="" /></figure>

The Bench herd continues to grow

On the morning of 14th June, 45 hardy souls met before the dawn had broken in the hotel lobby. We came together to take part in the annual AviaDev morning run, sponsored by NACO (Netherlands Airport Consultants). The sponsors, NACO along with AviaDev pledged to donate ZAR 400 for each runner that participated with all of the funds raised being provided to the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA), which is a charity serving the Western Cape in South Africa providing school meals for underprivileged children. We were joined for the by Marius Joubert, a former Springbok centre (Rugby Union), who is one of only 2 men to have ever scored a hat-trick of tries against the All Blacks (New Zealand). No mean feat! The run route started at the football World Cup stadium and as we set off, the heavens opened. Lashing rain, darkness, driving wind and flooded trainers dominated the next 30 minutes, but all participants finished in one piece knowing they had made a difference. Later that day, we received 2 more donations from ATR Aircraft and ADB Safegate, taking the total to ZAR 31,000. We presented the cheque later that day to the charity and discovered the amount raised would feed 69 children for a whole year! To complete the initiative, a group of delegates visited one of the local schools and helped to dish up lunch and even ran an impromptu paper aeroplane masterclass with the children. Thanks to all participants and donors for your incredible support.

AviaDev Charity Run - Cape Town, South Africa

In January 2018, Bench adopted its very own herd of goats. They graze on land just outside Kampala, Uganda, lovingly tended to by Kevin Kiganda. Each member of the Bench team has a goat “alter-ego” and we are delighted to report that the herd has swelled in size to 17 from 11, with 6 babies being born this year. The timing is excellent, with new “Benchers” joining the team. We welcome two new babies to the team, Muhammad and Mina, who are joining our marketing team. We also have Juraj Toth from Slovakia and Ged Brown from the UK, who have both joined the team as Aviation Development Directors. We are told that they are all sleeping and feeding well, so if you are visiting Kampala anytime soon, do let us know and we can organise a visit. 
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/uploads/Goats.png" alt="" /></figure>

The Bench Herd Multiplies

The Great African Caravan aims to promote peace, sustainable development, and global citizenship. It is the brainchild of Akram Feroze, a theatre director from India. He has gathered 12 artists from across the globe to travel through 12 African countries over a period of 200 days. 

En route, they will collaborate with local artists and aim to train over 5000 young people through workshops. The caravan will depart from Cape Town at the end of August, travel through Africa and end its journey in Cairo in February 2019.

Akram in partnership with Jon Howell, Managing Director of AviaDev Conference at Bench, has been working on the logistical arrangements for the caravan. Bench strongly encourages and supports this initiative as it aligns perfectly with our commitment to create an impact and bring a positive change not only in the African continent but also wherever we do business.
If you wish to support the project in any way, please visit <a href="http://www.thegreatafricancaravan.com/">www.thegreatafricancaravan.com</a>. Furthermore, to follow the Great African Caravan, visit the Bench website: <a href="https://benchevents.com/">https://benchevents.com.</a>

Bench Journey with the Great African Caravan

Accra, Ghana 30th August 2018
The Aviators Africa Academy was launched in Lagos in April 2018 by Jon Howell, Managing Director of AviaDev and Toni Ukachukwu, founder and editor of Aviators Africa magazine.

It aims to engage and inspire the next generation of African aviators by providing education and connecting students to internship, training and job opportunities.
For our Ghana event, we partnered with gh-aviation and its energetic and inspiring founder, Elizabeth Sasu. Through our combined efforts we brought over 130 students aged 16-25, actively studying aviation related courses to the Accra International Conference Centre. Some travelled 6 hours by bus just to be with us.

What was incredibly encouraging was that, in a traditionally male dominated industry, over 75% of the attending students were female.

The event was sponsored by Africa’s largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines, who have the largest training institution in Africa and have supported the initiative since inception.
Our esteemed line-up of speakers included a pilot with 16,500 flying hours (that’s almost 2 years solid flying!), the regional manager of Ethiopian Airlines and the regional general manager of South African Airlines, in addition to a youthful line-up of young Ghanaians who are busy leasing aeroplanes and setting up airlines.

We then broke into smaller groups to conduct a practical activity- namely create a model plane using card, scissors and tape and we were amazed by quality of the creations.

Bench kindly sponsored the lunch of locally sourced chicken jollof rice for the 130 participants.
For more information about Aviators Africa Academy and how to get involved, please visit: <a href="http://aviatorsafricaacademy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://aviatorsafricaacademy.com/</a>

Aviators Africa Academy visits Ghana

Africa’s largest Youth Summit, Youth Connekt took place 8-10th October in Kigali, Rwanda. The event brings together the youth of Africa and aims to create 10 million new jobs, nurture new leaders and empower the next generation with skills. 
Bench through AviaDev sponsored 10 young Rwandans who have been part of the AviaDev team in 2017. Spearheaded by Benjamin Tuyisabe, an IATA graduate in airport operations, the team was actively involved in the conference as they aim to realise their dreams to be the next generation of African aviators. The aviation industry in Africa is due to treble in size over the next 20 years; qualified and enthusiastic young people are what is required to ensure this growth is achievable.
Bench is proud to be playing a part in helping these individuals realise their dreams.

Africa’s next generation of Aviators represent AviaDev at Youth Connekt

In February 2019, a group of 6 hikers took on the challenge of climbing Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa, as a fundraising initiative led by Bench in support of the Mountain Bongo. The 5-day trek took the team up to the Lenana peak at 4,985m altitude.
The Bongo is the largest forest antelope and is classified as critically endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction with less than one hundred left in the wild in Kenya. The graceful animal is shy and reclusive, and only lives in a few pockets of highland forests in Kenya – Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares, and Mau Forest. The decline of the mountain bongo has been caused by habitat loss and illegal hunting with dogs. Disease (such as rinderpest) caught from grazing cattle is also thought to have been a significant factor in their historic decline.
We are delighted to announce that a total of $5,175 was raised and donated to the <a href="http://www.animalorphanagekenya.org/what-we-do/wildlife-rehabilitation/">Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy</a> in support of the Bongo. The MKWC works to save this species through their breeding and repatriation programme, which currently has a herd or 72 bongos, growing the population to a size that can be reintroduced to the wild. As the current breeding area is not sufficient, their goal is to expand the breeding facility to an area where the bongos can be released to their natural range.
The funds raised for our Mt Kenya climb went directly towards the continued care and expansion of the Bongo herd and the building of a much larger sanctuary of prime Bongo habitat in the National Forest Reserve with a predator-proof fence, to allow the bongos to flourish and go back to the wild where they belong.
About the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy: All the young bongo at the MKWC are raised with as little human interference as possible. The Conservancy has a team of trained and dedicated staff that keep a watchful eye as these new mothers are encouraged to raise their young in a relative natural environment.
They make sure that plenty of fresh browse is available for the animals as well as fresh water, minerals and other veterinary requirements are met when necessary.
Meanwhile a small group of mature bongo have entered an advanced stage towards rehabilitation. They are kept in a forest wilderness area where they encounter other wild animals. A natural stream provides fresh mountain water and the vegetation is the same as they will find after their eventual release. The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy’s Bongo Rehabilitation program was named amongst the three most important wildlife projects worldwide in 2006 (by AZA).
We are grateful to all our supporters the world over without whom this project could not progress. The success of this program is directly dependent on your sponsorship.<figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/IMG_20190223_065236.jpg" alt="" /></figure>

Climbing Mt Kenya in support of the Mountain Bongo

In December 2018, we successfully inaugurated our first European aviation event – AviaDev Europe – in sunny Valencia. As it´s been a great tradition over all AviaDev events, we organized the morning charity run to support a good cause and keep our delegates in good shape for the rest of the conference. The run was sponsored by our long term supporters, Embraer.
On the morning of 5th December 2018, runners from European regional airports and airlines joined us before the sunrise. The bus took us to one of the Valencia´s most iconic landmarks, Torres de Serranos.

Then we enjoyed the run in the Turia Riverbed Park, created years ago when the river was moved to a different direction and the riverbed was dry.

We finished the run at another fabulous place, a true icon of Valencia, the City of Arts and Sciences.

Most importantly, the sponsors – Embraer along with AviaDev – donated an amount for each runner that participated in the run to the local charity called Amics De La Gent Major. The charity takes care of the elderly people in Valencia living alone. The total raised was 1,000 EUR and the cheque was presented later that day.

A massive THANK YOU to our sponsor Embraer and all the runners that were brave enough to wake up early even after the gala dinner and supported us in our efforts to #createimpact.

AviaDev Europe Charity Run – Valencia, Spain

During our inaugural Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain (FIHA) event which took place in Marrakech in February 2019, Bench organised a Charity Run in support of SOS Village d'Enfants Morocco.


We were delighted by the turnout of runners in the early hours of the morning in Marrakesh on 8 February, when over 20 conference delegates joined us in the Movenpick Hotel lobby to start our circuit to the Menara Gardens. Spirits were high as we kicked off the last day of the conference with a wonderful team jog. There was so much enthusiasm in the group that half the runners event went beyond the 3.5km circuit to run a little further!
On behalf of the runners, Bench donated $2000 to SOS Village d'Enfants Morocco. Delegates also got the chance to find out more about the organisation’s activities and programmes in the conference exhibition, with the opportunity to make a donation or sponsor a child.

SOS Village d'Enfants is a global nonprofit international development organization, working hard to provide a family environment for children who have no family or are at risk of losing theirs, and help them build their future. The organisation is active in 134 countries and helps more than 61,000 children around the world. In Morocco, SOS Village d'Enfants runs 3 types of programmes centred around protection (SOS Families care for children coming from orphanages on a long term basis in the SOS children’s villages and youth homes), prevention (mothers in great need are enabled to take care of their children and become autonomous), and youth empowerment (individualized programmes to succeed in future professional life). More than 1000 children are supported through SOS Village d'Enfants in Morocco.
A big thank you to all those who participated and showed their support for a wonderful cause!

FIHA Charity Run in support of SOS Villages d’Enfants Morocco

AviaDev believes passionately in leaving a legacy and making an impact in the destination it takes place and each year, we organise an outreach event in a local school. 
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/advisory-board/School_1.jpg" alt="" /></figure>Working with the Girls Fly Programme for Africa, Aviators Africa Academy, NACO, Rolls-Royce and iFly, we ran a session for 100 STEM students at a high school in an underprivileged area of Cape Town.
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/advisory-board/School_3.jpg" alt="" /></figure>13 speakers shared their expertise, personal stories and showed just what is possible when you put your mind to it. Highlights available here: <a href="https://youtu.be/YA4TZrE1-Cc">https://youtu.be/YA4TZrE1-Cc</a> (scroll to 3 minutes)
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/advisory-board/School_2.jpg" alt="" /></figure>After the interactive talks, we ran a paper aeroplane competition and presented the winners with their very own model aircraft, before enjoying a networking lunch kindly sponsored by the Bench Charitable Committee.

AviaDev Africa Outreach. Luhlaza high School, Cape Town

It is a commonly accepted fact that one huge item holding back Aviation development in Africa is the availability of skilled human capital.
Whilst we cannot create the jobs, AviaDev Africa can provide a platform for the next generation to share their ideas on how to improve the fortunes of the industry.
Therefore, we ran a competitive process whereby candidates had to submit a three-minute video outlining their solution to develop a more prosperous industry. We then selected three Ambassadors and supported their travel and accommodation, plus offered them real work experience as members of the AviaDev Africa onsite team.
<figure><img src="https://www.benchevents.com/images/uploads/Future_leaders_2.jpg" alt="" /></figure>The experience culminated in the three taking the stage to present their solutions for a brighter African aviation future. <ins><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA4TZrE1-Cc&amp;feature=youtu.be">The full session can be viewed here.</a></ins>
This is a commitment we have made and the Ambassador session is now a pillar of every AviaDev event.

The AviaDev Ambassadors - inspiring the next generation

Every AviaDev, we come together on the final morning to get energised for the day ahead and raise valuable funds for local causes.
At AviaDev Africa, 65 delegates joined us for the morning run in glorious sunshine, energising both body and mind ahead of a busy day of meetings and conferencing. Together we raised over ZAR 40,000 for the Peninsula School Feeding Association, a charity funding a school feeding programme in the Western Cape. The amount raised will support over 80 children with 2 meals a day throughout the year. After all, you can’t teach a hungry child!
A big thanks to our sponsors - Embraer, Bench, ADB Safegate and NACO for their support and also to Petrina Pakoe from Peninsula School Feeding Association. <figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Run_2.jpg" alt="" /></figure><figure><img src="https://cms.thebench.com/assets/img/impact/The-Bench/Run_3.jpg" alt="" /></figure><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI6oU16PwQ8&amp;feature=youtu.be"></a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI6oU16PwQ8&amp;feature=youtu.be">View the cheque handover and highlights here.</a>

The AviaDev Africa morning run

Bench is extremely proud to support The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) at AHIF 2018 as our designated charity for the event. During our charity auction at the evening networking reception at the Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel, delegates had the chance to contribute to this amazing charity by bidding for two exclusive and unique Elephant Adoption packages sponsored by Finch Hattons Luxury Tented Camp and Angama Mara. We also auctioned four wonderful vouchers donated by Hilton, Mantis Collection, Onomo Hotels and The Machrie Hotel through silent auction.
We were thrilled to raise a total of $38,000 throughout the evening. All funds have been donated directly to The DSWT to support their work in the rescue of orphaned elephants and the protection of Kenya’s wildlife.
OVERVIEW OF THE DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST
Unfortunately, Africa’s wildlife is being pushed to the brink of extinction. The lucrative illegal ivory trade is killing up to 55 elephants a day, and incidents of human‐wildlife conflict are on the rise due to an ever-increasing human footprint, leaving behind injured and orphaned wild animals that would not survive without intervention. Habitat destruction is endangering important biodiversity areas. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) works in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service at a field level every day to put an end to poaching, preserve endangered habitats, treat injured wild animals and to rescue and rehabilitate orphans so that they can return to the wild when grown.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:
<ul><li>The DSWT has pioneered the hand-raising of orphaned baby elephants, including discovering the formula of milk that best replicates an adult female elephant’s milk.</li><li>The DSWT has hand‐reared over 200 orphaned infant elephants and with more than 130 of these elephants now living back in the wild, is the most successful elephant orphanage in the world.</li><li>More than 200km of electric fencing erected, and maintained, on sensitive wildlife boundaries to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, benefiting communities and wildlife.</li><li>	Through De‐Snaring Teams, they patrol fragile ecosystems and monitor wildlife populations. Since 2013, the teams have made over 1,900 arrests and removed more than 125,000 snares.</li><li> The DSWT/KWS Mobile Veterinary Units and Sky Vet have attended to more than 2,297 elephant cases and 5,425 wild animals.</li></ul>THE DSWT ORPHANS’ PROJECT
For 40 years the DSWT has been rescuing and hand‐rearing milk dependent orphaned baby elephants so that they can return to the wild after development. Their founder, the late Dame Daphne Sheldrick DBE, pioneered the milk formula and husbandry necessary to successfully hand‐rear milk dependent baby elephants, which would otherwise not survive.
On call every day of the year, the DSWT travel throughout Kenya to rescue orphaned elephants and rhinos left alone with no hope of survival. Many of the rescued orphans are victims of poaching and human‐wildlife conflict and are in a terrible state of emaciation and distress; in fact, between 2003 and 2013, the number of orphaned elephant rescues climbed 500%.
Financial support ensures the DSWT can attend to every orphaned calf in need of help through the rapid deployment of a Rescue Team transported via air or road and offer traumatised, orphaned baby elephants the best chance of survival. After each orphan rescue, a long and complex process of rehabilitation begins at the DSWT’s Nursery nestled inside the Nairobi National Park. The milk‐dependent elephant calves are cared for, and emotionally and physically healed by the DSWT’s dedicated team of Elephant Keepers. These loving Keepers, born into local communities throughout Kenya, take on the demanding role and responsibility of becoming each orphan’s adopted family during their rehabilitation.
Acting as surrogate mothers, the Keepers feed the babies milk every 3 hours and accompany them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is this close family bond created with the Keepers and the other rescued elephants that helps the newest orphans to overcome the trauma they have endured within a short span, which may include having witnessed the slaughter of their mother for her tusks. Like human’s, elephants’ hold strong family bonds and the loss of their mother can have a devastating effect on their psychological state. As they mourn, they often refuse to eat and sometimes die from the level of emotional pain caused. It is the support of the orphanage that helps them overcome this loss. This support is provided for the protection and survival of the vulnerable species.
Each elephant remains at the Nursery until they are ready to take the journey to one of the three Reintegration Units at Voi or Ithumba in Tsavo East National Park, and in the Kibwezi Forest. In this second phase of rehabilitation at the Reintegration Units, one can proudly witness each orphan elephant’s gradual transition, back into wild herds, at its own pace – often over a period of up to ten years. They learn the lessons of the wild and become capable of living their life in the wild, as is their birth-right. To ensure their safety, the DSWT in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service operates twelve De‐Snaring Teams, as well as Aerial Surveillance operations throughout the Tsavo ecosystem. Up to 1,000 hours are flown annually by DSWT Aerial Unit.
To show support for The DSWT and its noble initiatives, please visit: <a href="http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org">www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org</a>