From the Director of HR to a housekeeper who never owned a passport before: meet the Bluestone staff who are travelling to Vietnam to raise funds for charity.

For most it will be the most gruelling challenge of their lives, for others it will be the first time they have ever spent time away from their children, and for one it will be the first time he has ever flown on an aeroplane.... But they are all going to cycle 500km from Vietnam to Cambodia with 11 of their colleagues from Pembrokeshire, in what has been described as the ‘most inspiring and best team-building challenge ever’.

The 12 employees of Bluestone National Park Resort are raising money for the Bluestone Foundation, a charity set up in 2010 to help people to help themselves through environmental, economic and social projects in Pembrokeshire and the surrounding areas.

The team will cycle through beautiful rural landscapes dotted with ruins of ancient civilisations and small towns where Buddhist temples nestle amongst graceful French colonial buildings and ramshackle houses.

The challenge takes participants from Vietnamese Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, through the rice-paddies and waterways of the beautiful Mekong Delta into Cambodia.

All members of the Bluestone team have had a percentage of their flights and costs paid for by the company, but all are expected to raise a minimum of £1,500 each for charity.

When single mum Rose Davies, joined Bluestone as a housekeeper she had no idea of the adventures that lay ahead. Three years later, as well as being promoted to supervisor, the 42-year-old is in training for a gruelling 500km bike. It will be the first time she has ever spent a night away from her children, Beth, 13, and Lewie, 10.

Rose is one of 12 staff members taking part in the charity event, dubbed by the company as their ‘V2C’ cycle ride. Rose decided to apply to take part after her daughter saw a staff briefing about the event and urged her mum to take the plunge.

“When I first started working here, I didn’t expect to be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I’m so fortunate and very overwhelmed by it. I feel blessed.

“I have never actually spent a night away from my children, so the whole thing is quite emotional.”

Rose said what was most inspiring was the fact that people from all aspects of the business are taking part, from cleaning staff to senior management.

“It’s incredible how the experience strengthens the sense that we are like a family here at Bluestone. Everyone has been supporting and encouraging one another.”

Rose has been meeting her colleagues to cycle to and from work, taking in a total of 45 miles each time.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been fitter, but I have been totally inspired by one of our colleagues, Ruth, who is 20 years older than I am. Ruth is like the poster girl for our team, she’s incredible.”

Rose is one of four members from the housekeeping team to take part in the adventure.

For Fred Hayton, 53, who works in housekeeping, being selected to take part in the challenge will see him fly on an aeroplane for the first time in his life.

The dad of two, who only owned a one-year passport for a coach trip to Switzerland in 1987, said that was the only time he had ever been abroad before.

“I’ve only been out of the country once in 53 years. I hadn’t needed a passport before now. I’d never thought I’d be leaving the UK,” he said.

Fred, who is a team leader in the linen department, and has worked at Bluestone for five-and-a-half years, said the company had supported him through a very difficult period in his life, providing him with accommodation and paying for counselling sessions .

“I’d been a through a difficult time and the company was really supportive. They helped me find my feet again and made me feel part of a big family. When the opportunity came up to take part in this fundraising challenge, I saw the chance to give something back, to do something that I can be proud of, that my kids can be proud of.”

Fred is raising money both for the Bluestone Foundation and for the children’s hospice, Ty Hafan.

“My son, Sam, has Down’s Syndrome and we have always been aware of the terrific support and care that Ty Hafan offers to families in Wales.”

Bluestone’s CEO William McNamara said because of the interest in the challenge, staff were interviewed to whittle down the candidates.

“It was really encouraging that so many people showed an interest in taking part, but there are only so many staff you can have absent at one time in the tourism industry, so we devised an application process.”

Each applicant was interviewed by a panel and questioned about their reasons for wanting to take part. Mr McNamara, who takes a hands-on approach to staff development and wellbeing, and who took part in the charity ride himself last year, said the process was actually an emotional one for some staff members.

“We asked all of the candidates why they had applied and why they should be considered. The responses were really moving, and I have to admit that a few tears were shed. Rose explained that this was a once-in lifetime opportunity for her. It’s really heartening for Bluestone as an employer to offer, not only new training opportunities, but also new life experiences such as these.”

The interest in staff development, both in work and on a personal level, is a prominent theme at Bluestone.

Christopher Lo, an environmental maintenance assistant at Bluestone, said he signed up for the charity ride after losing three stones in weight thanks to support from his employer.

“I wanted to do it as a ‘thank you’ to Bluestone. My weight loss came after I had a health check 12 months ago, as part of a wellness programme at work. I just dropped in for a check, but it turned out I wasn’t that healthy. I was told I was susceptible to heart problems.

“They gave me lots of advice and support and I found the lifestyle changes surprisingly easy.”

The 28-year-old said he has never felt fitter and healthier, and he cannot wait to join his colleagues on the gruelling trip.

“Cycling for charity is a great incentive in itself,” added Christopher, “but the opportunity to travel to such an interesting place is obviously very exciting.”

Carla Roberts, training co-ordinator at Bluestone’s Human Resources department, didn’t even own a bike and hadn’t ridden for around 10 years when she decided to apply to take part.

“I’ve been abroad, but never been anywhere like Vietnam before,” said the 27-year- old.“When the opportunity came up I was really excited. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the travel being subsidised by Bluestone. I’m really lucky because our bike hire on resort are even lending me a bike for the trip.”

Carla said the trip will see the team cycling through some tiny villages, getting to experience the areas close up.

“It’s the kind of event where we’ll get to see the quirks of the landscape close up,” said Carla, who has been training up to four times a week in preparation for the challenge which will see the team cycle up to 100km in a day.

“The great thing is how we will get to work as a team. The group is quite diverse, both in terms of what individuals do within the business and in the age range, which is from 23 to someone in their 60s.”

Ruth Thompson, 62, a payroll officer a Bluestone, hadn’t been on a bike for 48 years before she signed up to the V2C.

“I was totally unfit and hadn’t been on a bike for more than four decades, but I’m probably fitter now than I was in my 40s,” said Ruth, who has since April been attending a free aqua aerobics class facilitated by her employers.

“One of my colleagues suggested I do it, and I thought, ‘yes, why not?’ I’m really excited about being given the opportunity to travel. Everyone seems to go travelling to far-flung places these days, but I’m from a generation who didn’t go backpacking. I’ve been abroad obviously, but never to anywhere as exciting as Vietnam or Cambodia.

“It really is a wonderful opportunity and a great way to raise some money for charity. We’ve been doing lots of training and I have been building up how far I can go.”

All of the participants have been raising funds through various charity events, including quiz nights and collections at the Bluestone resort.

Debbie Rainbow, director of Human Resources and Health and Safety for Bluestone, is also taking part in the event with her husband, George.

“Aside from being a really exciting and inspiring challenge in itself, what has been even more incredible is the way in which staff at Bluestone have pulled together. There really is a wonderful sense of camaraderie, not only in training, but in all the fundraising activities that have been organised in the build up to the V2C. You can’t help but feel incredibly proud of everyone and of Bluestone as a great place to work.”

It is hoped that the team will provide regular updates to their Bluestone family, via WhatsApp.

“The idea is that we can let everyone know how we are getting on,” added Carla.

“And no doubt there will be plenty of messages of support and encouragement from everyone along the way.”