Outdoor Team Days for Lawyers A unique collaboration between a lawyer and a former professional athlete

We understand the pressures faced by lawyers and the legal organisations they work for.

We recognise that organisations invest heavily in their staff and expectations are legitimately high. Clients deserve and expect an exceptional service. A high performance from their trusted adviser is expected, billings need to be achieved and the organisation needs to develop its client base. That competitive edge needs to be maintained but ultimately being in the legal services sector is about “people” who act and behave as human beings.

These everyday pressures often have a significant impact on the health and well being of the very thing that needs to be in tip top condition - your people. We read and hear about this more and more in headlines in the press and legal sector publications.

There’s a fine balance between productive and destructive stress and it’s well known that the impact of stress can result in mental health issues, toxic work environments and ultimately an unsettled work place where people “check out” and close down, become unproductive and ultimately leave. The impact of this then ripples through teams, and more widely, undermining the very fabric of the culture the organisation is striving to create.

Navigating the challenges of a modern legal services firm requires strong resilient leadership, a skill that needs cultivating.

"Lace up your boots, put the out of office on and let's go!"

Custom Outdoor Team Days offer a refreshing approach to developing essential skills and boosting wellbeing whilst addressing the potential mental health issues that can arise from prolonged stress that forms in professional legal environments.

Research conducted by the University of Sheffield, in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, the University's of Exeter and Plymouth show that supporting people engage with nature positively improves peoples mental health. A copy of the final report "National Evaluation of the Preventing and Tackling Mental Ill Health through Green Social Prescribing Project", January 2024 can be downloaded from our document downloads page (see footer below). 

By changing surroundings, we help professionals unlock fresh perspectives, ignite innovative thinking and cultivate a thriving culture.

Our unique outdoor experiences benefit individuals and the firm as a whole, fostering open communication, trust building and resilient leadership in a natural setting. 

Whether you'd like a coached event, one on one coaching or a team walking challenge we've got it covered. 

A coaching day would by guided by qualified leadership coaches and mix walking with solution focussed coaching. 

Coaching topics can include: managing overwhelm and burn out, negotiating challenging conversations and dealing with the multiple demands of the legal sector. 

Guided hikes and outdoor coaching can include: 

• The Cheshire 3 Peaks, Peak District
• Edale Skyline, Peak District 
• The Great Ridge & Mam Tor, Peak District 
• Snowdon Horseshoe, Eryri/Snowdonia
• Yorkshire 3 Peaks, Yorkshire Dales
• The Howgills 2000'ers, Howgill Fells

• Prior to your guided day you will receive detailed joining instructions with a kit list, route gpx file and where  coaching has been booked, coaching work books;

• All guides are appropriately qualified, holding the Mountain Leader or Hill and Moorland qualification and members of the Mountain Training Association;

• Those working with you in a Leadership Coaching capacity on outdoor coaching activities are ICF accredited and qualified leadership coaches;

• All guides are Outdoor First Aid Incident Management trained and qualified;

• All guides are DBS checked; 

• All guides carry professional liability insurance; 

• A dynamic risk assessment is carried out prior to and during the booking, with route plans for relevant contingencies.

Dan Stowers has been practicing law since 1997 and has been a partner for 15 years. 

He currently leads a specialist team and is recognised in legal directories as an expert in his field. In law Dan operates at board and director level and and during his time as a lawyer has led teams of lawyers in some of the largest and most complex fraud cases prosecuted in the UK including many investigated and prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office. 

Dan understands people and knows well what “good” looks like - whether in a leader, manager or colleague. As a qualified Mountain Leader he established Seven Hills Outdoors as he passionately believes that time spent outdoors, and the skills required to do so, not only provide an antidote to the pressures of a busy professional life but can also help identify good (and poor!) leadership and management skills.

Suzie Richards is a former professional athlete with a world championship title to her name, she understands high performance and is an ICF PCC qualified Leadership Coach. 

She has spoken on BBC Leeds regarding Mindset of Olympians and worked with a wide range of companies including Microsoft, Teach First, Welsh Judo, Teach For All in developing leadership and dynamic team cultures. 

Suzie comes from a background in teaching secondary school geography, training teachers in the Teach First graduate programme and outdoor event management. She combines her skills of Mountain Leadership with Leadership Coaching Adventure.