John Belshaw

Job title
Head of Operations
 
Last book you read
"Marabou Stork Nightmares" by Irvine Welsh

How do you deal with stress?
I go for a very long run on the fells

Favourite place
Impossible to decide on a single place, however a high perch on the Black Cuillin ridge - Isle of Skye, takes some beating! But then the peace and quiet in my back garden with the views of our very own Lakeland fells is pretty good too!

A great day at Impact
I met a group of delegates (managers from the banking world) on a small Island off the west coast of Scotland – they were dropped by helicopter, with nothing but essential equipment and no idea of their location. They had no money, no knowledge of the area and no food – darkness was only two hours away! The only certainty they had was a place to stay – a tiny bothy in an isolated bay with astounding views of nameless hills and sea – and a brief to find their way to a 5* hotel in Edinburgh for a celebration with their Senior Team the next evening.
We had a fantastic night – a huge storm rattled all night long – we were comfortable and safe but we all thought we’d be there for weeks!

We were on the move well before light – the team were great; quickly identifying each others skills, they began piecing together information and negotiating with the locals. With boundless energy and enthusiasm they crossed the swollen waters to the mainland and progressed over hills, through bogs and down cliffs. Throughout the day we got two trains and a taxi, used two boats and a bus and walked absolutely miles. We got soaked from sea spray, battered with rain, then dried out by the sun – the daylight ended in a sunset over a lake in mid Scotland.

What a team! ... They were challenged to arrive in Edinburgh before 7pm – a tall order I thought, but by shrewd negotiating and tremendous teamwork, not to mention a generous helping of competitive spirit they arrived one and half hours early.

It was a fantastic moment when we burst through the doors of the Balmoral Hotel to be met by the Senior Team, smartly suited and applauding with a Champagne reception. We were booted, but definitely not suited – filthy, tired, with mud up to the knees (for some the waist) but truly excited! Eager to sip the Bolly the team had been dreaming of for some considerable time we took a glass from the the silver tray - Mmm the taste of success!