As we dive deeper into 2023, here is your next instalment of our ‘5 to 9’ team update!
With a name inspired by the things we have been doing outside of working hours, here you will find plenty of social activities, team achievements and personal touches. This ‘5 to 9’ post is shared by Gabby.
Happy belated New Year to all of our wonderful clients, friends and team – we can’t believe it is March already! So much has gone on in boosst HQ over the past few months…
Christmas feels like a lifetime ago now, but what a wonderful Christmas it was! The boosst team started the festive celebrations with a wreath making workshop by the lovely Aimee who runs local florist, Harding and Bloom. The vision room was kitted out with our wreath wires, firs, spruce, cinnamon sticks, and ribbons – it smelt wonderful! We were then taught how to keep our wreath symmetrical and ensure the foliage was embedded into the moss so that they would last the whole month.
We also had our Christmas Party, and this year we went to Coombe Abbey – a beautiful venue with some wonderful history. We all met in the hotel to check in, and then went for a lovely 5 mile walk around the grounds to walk up an appetite! We then met for a champagne afternoon tea, before the main party night in the evening. This year we played a game where we had to each come with a story, and the rest of the team had to guess if it was a truth or a lie! Dawn’s husband Simon won the show with ‘Granny Goat’ tricking us all! A wonderful couple of days was had by all, and a great time spent together having some fun.
In the run up to Christmas, Nicola had some special family time with her husband and little boy. They spent a day at Waddesdon Manor enjoying the Christmas market and light display, and then also went to Gullivers Land of Lights to get in the festive spirit! Safe to say, they were certainly ready for Christmas when it arrived!
In January our team social calendar took us to support Milton Keynes Lightning at the ice hockey rink. What we hadn’t appreciated was that the game we booked was between the top two teams in the league – so it was all to play for! The game started at full speed, and the score was neck and neck between the two teams throughout, ending in a draw. We then moved into penalties which was nail biting stuff! Unfortunately, the away team pipped us at the final moment, and left victorious! A brilliant experience for the whole team, and certainly something we will be going back to (hopefully with a better result next time!).
We have also had a lot of holidays in the team, with everyone looking for some winter sun! Mexico was top of the list, with Nick, Riah, myself and Josh all headed to different parts in the country. Nick and Martina headed to Playa Car in the Riviera Maya and spent their Christmas Day relaxing by the pool. They also enjoyed some amazing snorkelling in the clear waters and explored the reefs, although they weren’t allowed too far due to an influx of bull sharks!
Meanwhile Riah and her partner Harry headed to Tulum, in the East of Mexico by the coast. They enjoyed exploring the many Cenotes found in that area, with the highlight being the Cenote Calavera (this translates to Skull Cenote as it looks like a skull from above!). They also took a day trip to Chichen Itza where they learnt about Mayan culture and the history of Mexico. When they weren’t exploring, Riah enjoyed her birthday in the sunshine with lots of Margaritas in Isla Holbox!
Josh and I also headed to Mexico, but we spent 10 days in Mexico City. For those of you that know us, neither of us are very good at beach holidays, so a city break was more up our street! During our stay, we spent a day with a wonderful local family learning how to source ingredients and make Tacos al Pastor – this taco is famous in Mexico City and is made from spit roasted pork baked on a pineapple. We took a trip to a local market to purchase our ingredients and learn about the spices, and then returned to the family’s home to cook everything from scratch – a great experience and a delicious meal! Another highlight from our trip was the hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacan – an ancient city 40 kilometres north-east of Mexico City. The breath-taking views and sunrise certainly made the 4am start worthwhile!
Laura, her husband David and their son Max also went on their first post covid abroad holiday as a family of 3! Max loved the aeroplane journey so much that he declared ‘he wants to go again’ as soon as the plane had landed! The holiday was filled with lots of swimming, sandcastles, disco dancing and ice cream. Laura was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was travelling with a toddler – modern technology has certainly helped with some of the stress of child entertainment!
Jennie has also had a busy few months, with a relaxing week in a cabin in the Peak District with her husband Nick, and adorable pooch Luna. The scenery was stunning, and the weather held up too! Jennie also did her charity day in December, working with the St Neots food bank packing up Christmas hampers for those in need. With the cost of living rises, this felt especially important this year as the demand for food banks has increased greatly. The day was exhausting, but very rewarding! At boosst, all team members are encouraged to take a day to give back to their local community and is something we are all passionate about.
There have also been some new additions to the wider boosst family… Riah met her lovely new Nephew Reggie for the first time in December, and Dawn rehomed two very happy miniature Schnauzers in February! Dawn sadly lost their wonderful family dog Max last summer, and they realised in the New Year that there was a ‘paw shaped’ hole in the family. Rufus (6) and Luther (18 months) came along at just the right time and have settled into the Navin family home really well!
Finally, at the end of February the boosst team headed down to London to support some fellow Financial Planners in raising money for Ukraine. A concert was organised called ‘Rock for Ukraine’ and was held at Stationers Hall in London. The evening included some great live music, lots of dancing and an auction for some very kindly donated prizes! A wonderful evening was had by all, and the total raised is now more than £50,000! This will make a wonderful difference to the lives of Ukranian Refugees, who have had their worlds turned upside down in the past few months.
As the weather starts to get a little warmer, and April showers are certainly upon us, we hope you have enjoyed the first few months of 2023 as much as we have!
Tom and Nick may have found themselves carried away with looking forward to the summer, as they have just launched their campaign to tackle the ‘3 peaks challenge’ in under 24 hours. They are using their boosst charity day to take on this mighty challenge and are fundraising for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. You can find out more here: LINK
As always, the boosst team are here for you if you need us, and we are looking forward to continuing to support you as another tax year starts!
Take care, stay well and see you soon!
