Opus Energy fundraising 2010/11
Read about Opus Energy's fundraising events in 2010/11, raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
- Cara Kelly's Peru trek - November 2011
- Northampton 10km run - 2 October 2011
- Alpha Team take the 2011 Opus Charity Football trophy - 13 July 2011
- Opus Energy ups pledge to £15000 - 23 May 2011
- Race night - 12 May 2011
- Adam Kelly runs 7 marathons in 7 days - 7 March 2011
- Opus Energy reaches halfway! - 2 December 2010
- Halloween fun day - 31 October 2010
- Northampton 10km run - 3 October 2010
- Skydive from 10,000 feet - 19 September 2010
- 5-a-side football tournament - 15 September 2010
Read about our charity fun days for Children in Need and Comic Relief here.
Back to Opus Energy’s charity page
Cara Kelly's Peru trek - November 2011
In November, Opus Energy employee Cara Kelly undertook the trek of a lifetime: a 10-day trek in the Peruvian Andes to raise money for the CF Trust. Opus Energy interviewed Cara after the trek to find out how it went.
How were you feeling before the trek? I was quite nervous before the trek as I didn't know anyone, but once I got to the airport and spoke to a few people I felt fine about the task ahead.
Were you with a big group? There were 32 of us in total, and everyone was doing it for various different charities.
When you landed in Peru did you have any time to overcome your jet lag before you set off on the trek? We had an afternoon to get over the jet lag, and then we started the trek. Jet lag is worse on the way back from Peru to the UK.
How long did it take you to do the trek? It took us all 4 days, which is the usual speed as this was what they had had planned for us.
Before you left you said that you were doing long walks a few times a week, and really wanted to break your boots in. Did all your training pay off? I had absolutely no blisters so I was really impressed, but I had walked in my boots before I went.
How high did was the climb? We trekked to 4,600 metres - that's really high, the equivalent of four Snowdons (plus a little bit more)!
Do you suffer from vertigo? Yes, I am scared of heights so that was a bit of an issue at times; I froze a lot when we got too close to the edge and needed a lot of convincing from the guides to keep moving. That bit was horrible, so I'm really proud of myself for completing the trek. Unfortunately it's not cured my fear of heights though!
Did you feel the effects of altitude sickness? I was really ill with the altitude; my face was swollen to the point that I could barely open my eyes, I lost feeling in my fingers and toes, had a constant headache, felt sick all the time, was dizzy and short of breath. None of this was at all pleasant. However, I was not the only one to suffer - there were 15 of us in total that were really bad, so we got sent back down the mountain to recover for a bit and then we rejoined the rest of the group later that day.
Did you have to carry your own backpack? Yes we had to carry our own day packs which contained water, snacks, waterproofs, sun cream etc, but the rest of our stuff was carried by the porters, along with our food.
Peru in November must have been hot? Yes, it was very hot during the day but very cold at night. I got sunburnt on the very first day of trekking - the sun and heat stroke did not help.
Where did you sleep on the route? We camped. Everything was set up for us by the time we got to the campsites - all we had to do was relax. It was brilliant and the food was lovely
How did you feel when you reached the top? It was amazing; the view was spectacular, so pretty, and so quiet. We were the only people there.
How long did you stay at the top? Not long, we had to walk all the way down to camp.
Would you recommend this trek to other people? Yes I would, it was the most amazing experience of my life!
Had you done anything like this before? No, it's not something that I would have even considered at all, but I would do it again for sure. I have a big smile on my face whenever I talk about it!
Had you ever been to Peru before? No, but I would go again. It's an amazing country; I would recommend it to anyone.
Cara beat her target, raising £1,713 in total for the CF Trust.
Northampton 10km run - 2 October 2011
Last year it rained. This year The Run Northampton runners faced a different challenge - the hottest October on record! The Opus runners, who included 10 members of the Sales Team, donned their running gear and took to the streets of Northampton to run the 10K race. All runners finished in good time and, thankfully, minus any injuries! Luke Spencer was just pipped at the post - running an impressive 48 minutes - by Stephen Elliott with 43 minutes and 59 seconds. Congratulations to Stephen, and well done to everyone who took part!
The team set a target of raising £750, but managed to raise an outstanding £1,270 for the CF Trust which Opus Energy kindly doubled. The team's total now stands at £2,630!
Alpha Team win the 2011 Opus Charity Football Tournament - 13 July 2011
Alpha Team beat Real Sociopath in a sensational final after storming through the Opus Charity 5-a-side tournament. Goal scoring extraordinare Josh Dawson blazed a trail across every game and won top goal scorer to boot.
The group stages were tense with a fair amount of tackling and some goals scattered about.
The eventual winners taught Obi1 Kenobi0 a lesson with an 11-0 spanking. Matt Cooper was seen to pass the ball to Andrew Bellas who continued to tie his shoelace, missing the pass.
Meanwhile the charity girls carried on taking score even though Laura had covered her clipboard in beer and Jill didn't know who anyone was!
There were controversy and allegations of different rules on different pitches, as Draper wowed the crowd with a wonder goal (sparking wild celebrations from Ellie), which was disallowed as the ref 'didn't see it'. 
Hardly Athletic lost that game 2-1 resulting in a little bit of sulking and some cross words with the ref (Mr Spencer).
The wooden spoon went to the Burnell Babes who didn't win a game and in the words of Mr Jameson 'were rubbish' - a brave effort boys.
The final ended 6-1 (ish) to Alpha Team and Josh Dawson won top goal scorer!
Many thanks to all the teams who turned up and played; particularly Opus Energy FC who made it from Oxford, the refs for giving up their time to make sure it wasn't too unruly, the charity team for their assistance and the supporters from customer service who came out in force to cheer their teams on!
We raised a grand total of £315 for CF!
Opus Energy ups CF Trust pledge to £15000 - 23 May 2011
Opus Energy has decided to continue its support for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust until the end of 2011, pledging to raise another £5000 on top of the £10000 it has already raised through this year's many fundraising events.
Our staff can look forward to many more exciting and wacky challenges between now and the end of the year to take our fundraising well over the £15000 mark!
Visit our JustGiving page to donate
Race night - 12 May 2011
We held a race night at the Wootton Working Men's Club and raised £273.50 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
There were eight races, each with eight horses to choose from, and a bottle of champagne went to the winner of each race. Plenty of Opus Energy staff came down, plus family and friends, and many of them donated their winnings to the charity too!
Adam Kelly runs 7 marathons in 7 days - 7 March 2011
Marathon man Adam Kelly has successfully completed his challenge of running 7 marathons in 7 days for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
He started in Cardiff on 28 February, and his journey took him through Chepstow, Bristol, Chippenham, Swindon and Oxford and on to Silverstone where he crossed the line on 6 March after finishing the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon. Adam has raised over £1900 towards our £10,000 pledge to the CF Trust, our charity of the year.
Adam said: "To complete the challenge was a fantastic feeling. As expected the mental element to the challenge was immense. Getting up each morning and knowing I had another marathon to run was tough, and that's not to say the actual running was easy by any means! By the final two days I was exhausted and my knees were really worn out. While my last couple of marathons might not have been the quickest I got over the finish line which is all that matters.
"The support I've had has been phenomenal. The generous sponsorship I've received means I've raised over £1900 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, almost double my original target. Without all the people who have come out to run, cycle and drive alongside me throughout, I might not have got to the end.
"Thanks also to my main sponsors Opus Energy who have covered the costs of my run, allowing me to complete the challenge safely and ensuring 100% of the money I raise goes to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust."
Gemma Matthews from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust said: "Adam has done phenomenally well to complete this challenge and we are delighted he reached the finish line in one piece! The money he has raised will help those with Cystic Fibrosis live fuller, longer lives and we are very grateful to him and all at Opus Energy."
Opus Energy's Managing Director, Charlie Crossley Cooke, said: "Congratulations to Adam on an amazing achievement. Everyone at Opus Energy is very proud of him and the huge contribution he has made towards our £10,000 pledge to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
"Opus Energy is a firm believer in giving back to the community and Adam's challenge is a shining example of the kind of fundraising activities we are very keen to see our employees getting involved in."
You can still donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust by visiting Adam's fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/adam-kelly.
Opus Energy reaches halfway! - 2 December 2010
Opus Energy has raised £5000; the halfway mark; in our pledge to raise £10000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
We began fundraising in June 2010 and are on course to reach our £10000 target. Watch out for more exciting challenges and events in 2011!
Visit our JustGiving page to donate
Halloween fun day - 31 October 2010
Opus Energy staff celebrated Halloween with a spooky charity fun day!
The events on offer included:
- A pumpkin carving competition
- Halloween bingo
- Frightening fancy dress
The day didn't aim to raise money but instead was a thank you to all the staff for their support for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust so far.
Also on the day 2011's Cystic Fibrosis Challenges were announced. One lucky member of staff will win a half-funded place on their choice of challenge, meaning a once-in-a-lifetime experience is just around the corner!
Northampton 10km run - 3 October 2010
Opus Energy brought a mix of abilities to the Northampton 10km start line with two teams; Opus Harriers and The Sales Machine; alongside some brave individuals. They were ready to take on the October rain, wind and cold for The Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Training had been intense over the summer (for some), with a couple of injury-plagued athletes withdrawing and leaving the door open for last-minute replacements Gary Burrows and Barry Thompson to step up to the start!
The day came - the weather was rubbish, the queue for the portaloos was 20 minutes long but Opus Energy were raring to go. All the runners lined up, power bands and chip timers at the ready and we were off, and running.
There were hills, roundabouts, a man with some bagpipes and a stiff breeze - within 43 minutes frontrunner Stephen Elliot was crossing the line! Replacement Gary followed in 48 minutes and the rest battled on behind.
A fine cheering squad had arrived as our brave runners crossed the line and collected their medals - everyone finishing within 1hr 18 minutes - a huge achievement. After press and photos it was off to the pub!
Thank-you to everyone who took part and raised money - a special mention to the Sales Machine whose fantastic effort raised over £500 for The Cystic Fibrosis Trust!
Skydive from 10,000 feet - 19 September 2010
by Pankaj Raikundalia
When the idea of a skydive for The Cystic Fibrosis Trust was first mooted, I talked myself into diving in feet first (though ironically, I'd be diving out head first for the skydive). Once I put my name forward information started filtering through:
- It was from 10,000 feet in a dinky little plane
- I would need a Doctor's certificate confirming I'm fit and healthy because of my age
- I had to be 15 stone or less in weight. This was a problem; I figured I had to lose around a stone in four weeks
- I had to raise £400 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust
My main challenge was the weight loss, which I started with the help of family, friends and some self-proclaimed gym experts at work.
The theory was simple - cut out chocolates and coke, eat early, and exercise. How I craved for a can of cold coke (I even resorted to watching the Xmas coke advert on YouTube). But I persevered with the walks and on the Friday before the jump I weighed in at 14 stone 8 lbs!
Whilst all this was going on I was also fundraising. I'd set up an online page and let my family and friends' generosity take over.
Driving to Sibson Airfield on the day of the jump, we talked about anything but the skydive. We arrived at 8am, registered and signed disclaimers for the "unlikely event of a mishap"!
Then we were taken through a quick drill of what happens from the point of donning the jump-suit and going airborne right through to diving out to freefall, chute opening and then landing.
There was some friendly banter and the comradeship I felt with the other divers I'd never met before was amazing!
Once the drill was over everything happened fast - I got into a medium jumpsuit (first time in about 20 years), strapped in and walked with my tandem instructor onto the plane. Once the roller doors had shut some jumpers had to move to the front of the plane to even the weight and allow the plane to take off. After a couple of unhealthy sounding noises from the engine and some bounces along the grass runway we were airborne!
After six weeks of psyching myself up for the 10,000 foot dive it was finally happening. I was surprisingly calm, almost as though skydiving was my full-time hobby! As the plane steadily ascended I felt the cold. Mark, my tandem instructor, showed me the altimeter on his wrist indicating we'd climbed to 13,000 feet.
A green light came on at the back of the plane and the roller door was opened by a solo diver, he sat on the edge of the plane, I missed his exit from the plane because I'd blinked! The second solo-diver moved forward to the edge, shook hands with me, said "good luck - have a good jump", and went too.
Mark and I were next. I shuffled forward to the open doorway, 10,000+ feet up in the air. There I was on the edge, legs tucked underneath the plane, arms across the chest and whoosh I was out!
Words fail to do justice to the adrenalin rush and the electrifying experience that blasts through your body when you step into the clouds, head first I might add, out of a plane which is soaring at 120+mph and at a lofty 10,000+ feet.
You plummet into thin air initially at 200 mph and almost instantly the pilot chute opens slowing your descent to only 120mph.
Plunging through the air, free-falling, just falling down, down, down. It was just a feeling of utter exhilaration! Your hands and legs waving and flapping in all directions - yoga lovers would be amazed with the shapes the body can manage when freefalling.
In less than a minute you feel a sudden jolt and the main chute has opened. I felt like I was almost at a standstill. I was still descending at a fair pace but compared to earlier this was slow.
You at first don't realise that you've fallen 5,000 feet in a matter of seconds! The pace is then somewhat gentler and almost serene.
Mark did a few unnecessary manoeuvres - I did not particularly enjoy being gyrated like a spin-top! A full 360 degrees to the right and then left - twice over. As soon as I realised that this manoeuvre wasn't necessary for a safe landing I told him not to do it again.
The guys who'd jumped before me were on the ground gathering their chutes and for one horrible moment I thought I was going to land on them. The landing, much to my surprise, was easy. Mark asked me if I wanted a "foot landing" or on my now petite bottom - I chose the latter as it seemed less risky!
Once on the ground I kissed the wet grass. I looked skywards and saw my colleague Mitch hurtling towards the landing zone. When he landed I let out a loud cheer and we shook hands.
I spoke to my wife, the children and then my Mum, and made my way home. This was one awesome experience and if the opportunity arose, I'd probably skydive again.
I surpassed my target of £400.00. A massive thank you to all who sponsored me - without your help none of this would be possible and your contribution will make a difference to The CF Trust!
5-a-side football tournament - 15 September 2010
Hardly Athletic won the first annual Opus Charity Football Trophy after two controversial sending offs and penalties!
The tournament kicked off with a hugely motivational speech from organiser Luke Harrison and a reminder of the rules - all done while several athletes took the opportunity to stretch.
The tension had been building throughout the day with some pre tournament bragging and some impressive kits on display.
The rain held off for the majority of the first two rounds. A fan was heard to complain that they were getting chilblains from holding a G&T but nevertheless a small group of hardy supporters cheered on.
Hardly Athletic were Group A's runaway leaders with striker Chris Draper and Trotters Ind. Traders' Dan Fisk battling it out for top goal scorer. Athletico IT, who looked real contenders on paper, failed to win a single game.
The tackle count and language start early on with Inter My Nan man Abdul Kadir pushing his luck. Alex Sena, of Substandard Liege, was heard to say 'this is a young mans game' as the teams started to tire and the floodlights came on - the group stages were finished.
Then came a brief period of panic where Harrison's seemingly flawless spreadsheet had some formulas that did not work!
With some help from the numerically proficient credit controllers - except Luke - the semi final was on - Substandard Liege vs. Hardly Athletic and Inter My Nan vs. Trotters Ind Traders in two 10-minute games where they would have to play like their lives depended on it.
The semi-final was a blur with both golden boot contenders adding to their totals and the dwindling crowd cheering on. By the time the 10 minutes was up we had two finalists - some might say the clash of the titans, other would say sales versus credit.
Inter My Nan vs. Hardly Athletic
After a brief break for team talks and catching breath the marathon 15-minute game began. Dan Fisk stood on the sidelines praying Draper's run of fine goal scoring form would come to an end while one brave referee got the game underway.
The game was intense; tempers were frayed, pushing and barging prevailed. The score line was 1-1 with goals from Abdul K and Draper - quite clearly on fire this evening. Then Abdul pushed his luck too far and the ref snapped - red card! He was binned for two minutes with a look of disgust on his face.
Then Draper slid into the goal area with a crazy lunge, studs showing, and was instantly dismissed despite protests from Becky and Vicky that he 'didn't mean it - it was an accident'.
Two power players were gone and no further goals were scored. We had come to penalties, and sin binned players were not allowed to shoot. It was up to the rest of the teams to make a difference.
Chris Hughes was first to step up from Inter My Nan - his attempt was saved by an astonishing athletic dive from Joe 'Toby' Wetherall.
Athletic's Alex Thompson and Gary Burrows both scored either side of Amit Patel's Inter strike. It left Matt Elsey to step up and take Athletic's winning penalty (just in time for his girlfriend to arrive and watch). Inter conceded.
Hardly Athletic were champions!
The players and crowd moved inside for the presentation of wine for the refs, spirits for Harrison. Inter took their losers medals and posed for a photo, smiling though inside their hearts were breaking.
Up stepped the champions - Chris Draper, Steve Hodges, Matt Elsey, Gary Burrows, Alex Thompson, AJ, Joe 'Toby' Wetherall a.k.a. Hardly Athletic - to collect their well earned prize.
The remaining trophy was for top goal scorer - won by the leader of the winning team - Chris Draper, Goal Scorer Extraordinaire!
Thank you to everyone who played, everyone who supported, the referees and organisers. Opus made £310 for The Cystic Fibrosis Trust!
See you next year...
Read about our charity fun days for Children in Need and Comic Relief here.
Back to Opus Energy’s charity page