initiative

supported by

What we achieved last year...

£24,000

was collectively raised by the participants for their chosen charities.

Venari Partners have received a number of accolades for launching this life-changing charity campaign from organisations including:

Venari Partners have supported many great causes over the years, but we wanted to take our charitable efforts further than ever when we revamped our CSR policy in 2023. This led us to create and launch the first-ever Venari Partners Challenge, which took place in Petra, Jordan in October 2023. Here, we funded a group of deserving individuals to take part in an amazing five-day trek through the deserts of Jordan.

Nominated by their friends and family through our open social media campaign, the trekkers were led by endurance athlete and world record holder, Sean Conway, who guided the group to their destination: the stunning Rose City of Petra.

Man on top of mountain with arms stretched out at sunset

Group of people in hiking clothing standing outside UNESCO site in Petra

woman taking a picture framed by a stone doorway

Meet the participants

After receiving hundreds of nominations for the Venari Partners Challenge, our panel selected the seven participants below for the life-changing trek to Petra.

You can read more about the finalists and their chosen charities below.

British Army Officer Guy has been involved with charity work since his teens. A single dad who suffered domestic abuse and a long legal battle for custody of his children, Guy can’t wait to see the sights of Petra while raising money for the children’s charity Kids on Track.

Guy Baker

Kids on Track

Helen was in remission from lymphoma when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year; she has since undergone a mastectomy and chemo. Helen credits her love of running with supporting her physical and mental health alike. She wants to be a role model to her three kids by raising money for Lymphoma Action.

Helen Baldwin

Lymphoma Action

Super mum of one Nina is living with Stage 4 triple negative breast cancer, and all thanks to a clinical trial that is currently slowing down its growth, buying her more time. She’s keen to spread positive energy in the face of difficult challenges while raising money and awareness for Black Women Rising, a charity dedicated to supporting Black women with cancer.

Nina Lopes

Black Women Rising

Helen struggled with her mental health after her husband, who was bipolar, passed away three years ago. After receiving help from the mental health charity Mind, she ran hundreds of consecutive half-marathons to raise money for them, earning a Guinness World Record in the process. She will continue this excellent work by participating in the Venari Partners Challenge.

Helen Ryvar

Mind

Leighton has shown incredible resilience since his baby daughter was diagnosed with one of the world’s rarest cancers last year. He’s supported her and his family through months of chemotherapy and numerous surgeries – and, by raising money for the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity in the Venari Partners Challenge, Leighton can aid an organisation that has directly helped his daughter.

Leighton Smith

The Grand Appeal

Andrew was diagnosed with Motor neurone disease two years ago. He’s no stranger to fundraising – after being signed off last year, he earned a Guinness World Record for the longest game of beach touch rugby while raising over £50k for MND charities. He was nominated for the Venari Partners Challenge by his sister, Sarah.

Andrew Vaughton

My Name'5 Doddie

It’s a family affair for Sarah: she nominated herself and her brother, Andrew, who was diagnosed with Motor neurone disease two years ago. Sarah has supported Andrew through his diagnosis and is looking forward to fundraising for MND charities while creating precious memories with her brother in Petra.

Sarah Vaughton

MND Association

Sura was nominated by DAE Engineering CEO Jeff Wilkinson and JORAMCO CEO Fraser Currie. She accepted the challenge to help the charity in Wadi Mousa “Petra”.

She has been hiking and trekking in Jordan since 2013, and is proud to take on the Challenge, raising money for a charity that helps look after orphans in the winter season.

Sura Khasawneh

Orphan Charity – Petra

Solenn is Venari Partners' Marketing Manager, and will be joining the team trekking to Petra. She decided to fundraise for the National Deaf Children's Society after her best friend's first child, Alice, was diagnosed with deafness.

The National Deaf Children's Society is an unwavering advocate for deaf children's rights, providing expert support, raising awareness, and championing equality.

Solenn Ferrato

National Deaf Children's Society

Chris is a Senior Consultant within the Aviation & Aerospace team at Venari Partners. He hopes with this trek through Jordan along to Petra, vital funds can be raised to aid CALM with all of their efforts.

Every week, 125 people in the UK take their own lives. And 75% of all UK suicides are male. CALM exists to change this by offering life-saving services, provoking conversation and bringing people together to reject living miserably. £8 is enough to fund one potentially life-saving call.

Chris McConville

CALM

The journey included trekking along part of the Jordan Trail and camping Bedouin-style under the stars, before finishing at the ancient Rose City of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Sean Conway

Ambassador & Team Leader

Endurance athlete and adventurer extraordinaire Sean Conway was the campaign’s official ambassador and team leader. He is an unstoppable individual who has pushed himself to the limit, completing awe-inspiring feats such as breaking the world record for the fastest unsupported cycle across Europe and undertaking a self-supported ultra-triathlon along the coast of mainland Britain – all while battling the elements and overcoming immense physical and mental challenges. He motivated our participants in their push towards the finish line!

Learn more about Sean

Why we're doing it

Learn about our commitments

When it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we believe in deeds, not words. Helping those less fortunate than ourselves is not just the right thing to do – it is an essential, integral aspect of our business culture and values. Put simply, CSR is, and has always been, woven into the core of how we operate.

In 2023, we were very pleased to announce our first ever Venari Partners Challenge. This initiative blends our dedication to changing people’s lives for the better with our enthusiasm for providing exceptional experiences.