Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Looking for exciting ways to get your team together, build relationships, and become a stronger, closer knit team? These team away day ideas, with a sprinkling of team building thrown in, are the perfect choice for those looking to get away from their screens.
Here are our top picks for booking something a bit different for your next corporate event or team away day, whether that’s being chased by zombies or creating your own adventure on horseback. All these ideas are easily accessible for those in the East Midlands, and definitely worth travelling to if you’re coming from further afield.
Derbyshire Pony Trekking
If you’ve always wondered what your team would be like if they were set in a cowboy film or potentially between the pages of a Jane Austen classic, this activity might give you an idea.
Located in the heart of the East Midlands countryside, your team can head out on a variety of trails led by an experienced team of trekkers to guide you and your new four-legged friend on an off-road adventure. This option is great for compact teams and larger groups.
The team offers a variety of experiences including a pub grub trek that involves a pub lunch, which sounds like the perfect way to catch up with your work colleagues and laugh off a variety of WFH mishaps.
Located in Upper Langwith, just outside of Mansfield - Derbyshire Pony Trekking is just a 20 minute walk from our Langwith-Whaley Thorns station on the Nottingham to Mansfield line . With regular services from Nottingham, you can hop on the train in the morning and hop straight off and on to your pony!
Find out more about Derbyshire Pony Trekking.
Mount Cook Adventure Centre, Cromford
Nothing says “away day” like ziplining at 40mph from the top of a building while overlooking the Derwent Valley and hoping your team members don’t see how white your knuckles are!
Located just outside of the picturesque town of Cromford, Mount Cook Adventure Centre is well suited to helping you reconnect as the world begins to reopen. With a wide range of outdoor activities including bush craft, archery tag, indoor climbing and a high ropes course - there’s plenty to get the team involved in, whether that’s flexing your brain muscle or testing the adrenaline levels.
Team building activities don’t get more hands on than this. You and your colleagues can learn new skills while getting a breath of fresh air.
If you’re looking for something longer than a single team away day, the centre boasts a wide range of accommodation, including glamping style chalets. And with a fully licensed onsite bar, you can relax after a day of bonding and remember what it’s like to catch-up over a drink in person - rather than via screen.
Mount Cook is just a short distance from Cromford Railway Station which sits on our Derwent Valley Line and has hourly services running from Nottingham - so you can ditch the cars and get the whole team on the train to reach your day of adventure.
Find out more about Mount Cook Adventure Centre.
Image © The Sheffield Guide
Sheffield Zombie Experience
We know, a zombie apocalypse isn’t your run of the mill team activity and that’s what makes it so great. One thing we can confirm is that you’ll never be afraid of the Friday stand-up again after you’ve run through an abandoned factory in Sheffield chased by zombies.
On arrival, you’ll enter a secure zone to be briefed and kitted out with the weapons you need to take on the zombies who now inhabit one of the oldest steel factories in the world. Once you head in, roaming zombies lurk around every corner as you and the finance manager try to solve escape room style puzzles while watching Dave from HR run from fifteen film-style zombies.
This one certainly isn’t for the fainthearted, but if you and your team think they have what it takes, then you can book for a minimum of 36 people at the Factory experience in Sheffield and with regular trains to Sheffield , it’s easily accessible on our line. With groups of 36+ available, it’s the perfect option for a corporate team day out.
Catching the train also means you can enjoy a drink to calm the nerves after your ordeal, then head home to watch a Disney film and sleep with the lights on...
Find out more about Sheffield Zombie Experience.
Lost Earth Adventures - Gorge Walking
Zombies closing in on your heels sound a tad too much like an 80’s nightmare gone wrong, then why not crank up the adrenaline and take on an afternoon of gorge walking?
Kitted out in the full gear of a drysuit, helmet and buoyancy aid - you’ll be scrambling up waterfalls and jumping feet first into natural pools across the Peak District. The team at Lost Earth Adventures promise breath-taking views as you explore the gorge, with only the odd sheep for company - likely looking on with mouths wide open as they wonder why you’re sliding down a waterfall!
This option is the perfect team away day idea for those who like a bit of adrenaline but also appreciate the beauty if the English countryside.
Lost Earth run sessions of all varieties across the Peak District, but for Gorge Walking and Scrambling the day starts at a car park just off the edge of Ladybower Reservoir, easily accessible from the Bamford station on the Manchester line out of Sheffield with regular services on a daily basis.
Find out more about Lost Earth Adventures - Gorge Walking.
Book your Train Tickets
You can book tickets to travel to any of the nearest stations to the above activities via our website. If you’re booking travel with us often, find out how our fee free business travel booking platform can help your company.