It was like an early Christmas shopping extravaganza for the Cisco team in Sydney that took part in our Drought Angels ‘Rainmakers’ team building session.

This was a big group and the first time in quite some time that the team members had come together for an in-person event like this. It was a unique opportunity for colleagues in the team to get to know others in their division who they may not have met or worked with before.

The charity Drought Angels and the topic of Aussie farmers resonated strongly with the group as several staff members had a connection to the land – some had even grown up on a farm! This made the discussions all the more personal, relevant and poignant and relevant as the plight of Aussie farmers touched the group’s hearts. This was evident by their enthusiastic participation in the session and team activities, notably with the food hamper challenge where the group collected and packed double the anticipated numbers of hampers!

Not only did the group finish the session on a high with a boosted team spirit and sense of purpose, but a greater appreciation for their colleagues and the incredible sacrifices that Aussie farmers make every day to enable us to have food on our tables.

This spirit of ‘mateship’ underpins what makes every team great and our country special and reminds us how the spirit of giving at Christmas is something that we should promote all year round.