Sentric Safety Group global walking challenge

Sentric Safety Group Case Study: Walking Together Across the Globe

How do you bring together 280 employees in six companies across four continents – most of them working in factories? Sentric Safety Group launched its first group-wide wellness initiative with YuMuuv: a virtual walk connecting all of its offices around the world, with a charity donation at stake. This case study, based on insights from organizer Magali Merindol, shows how it worked.

Table of Contents

At a Glance

  • Company: Sentric Safety Group, part of Halma – industrial safety solutions such as interlocking systems and safety locks
  • Team: 280 employees in six companies: Kirk (US), Castell Safety and Zonegreen (UK), STI (France), Sentric Tunisia and Sentric China
  • Challenge: a two-month virtual walk of 30,000 km connecting all Sentric offices
  • Result: 27,000 km walked together

Background

Sentric Safety Group is part of Halma, a global group of around 60 companies. In 2022, six companies came together under the Sentric brand to strengthen collaboration and build a shared identity. Most employees work in factory environments, which makes communication and engagement across sites a real challenge. In 2024, Sentric launched its first group-wide wellness initiative with YuMuuv.

The Goal: Uniting a Global Workforce

The aim was to build unity across all locations while encouraging healthy habits. Magali Merindol explained: “Walking was the most accessible activity for everyone. We wanted something inclusive, something healthy, and something that would bring people together globally.”

The Plan: Walking Around the World

The challenge was a virtual walk covering the 30,000 kilometres that connect all Sentric offices. To add purpose, Sentric pledged to donate £5,000 to a charity chosen by employees if the goal was reached. Employees voted for UNICEF, which strengthened their sense of ownership.

Building Momentum

1. Word of mouth

A communication campaign kicked things off, but adoption was slow at first because the concept was new to many people. “Word of mouth really helped us,” said Magali. “Once people saw others participating and logging significant steps, the excitement started to spread.”

2. Leaders who joined in

The CEO and senior managers took part and shared their progress and photos in the YuMuuv app's chat. Their visible commitment showed that the challenge mattered and inspired others to join.

3. Photos and friendly rivalry

Employees shared photos of their walking routes, creating a fun, interactive atmosphere across teams and countries. “The chats were buzzing with jokes and friendly competition. Even leadership members were challenging each other to get into the top 25!” Magali noted.

Results and Feedback

  • 27,000 km walked together in two months – just short of the 30,000 km goal.
  • Growing participation: registrations increased as the challenge went on, thanks to word of mouth and leadership involvement.
  • New habits: many employees started walking more often during breaks.
  • Accessible for all: manual step entry let employees without wearables take part, and the range of tracking options suited a diverse workforce.

Areas for improvement: some employees had integration issues with Samsung devices, local regulations created challenges in China, and some suggested connecting the chat and leaderboard with internal platforms such as Microsoft Teams or SharePoint for more visibility.

What's Next

  • An annual global challenge, possibly with new themes such as recycling or other health topics.
  • Local challenges so each company can tailor activities to its own team.
  • Family-friendly challenges to extend the initiative beyond work – see family and private challenges.
  • Better awareness of features such as personal challenges.

Key Takeaways

  1. Pick the most accessible activity – walking works in every country and job.
  2. Tell a story with a virtual route that connects your locations.
  3. Add a shared purpose such as a charity donation – see the steps for charity challenge.
  4. Get leaders involved and let word of mouth do the rest.

More global examples: Sage Parts and Testlio. More stories: case studies. Book a demo to plan your own walk around the world.