INSEAD team creates sensory walkway for disabled children

This one-day project in May 2022 involved a 32-strong team from INSEAD’s executive business programme, creating a 24-metre-long sensory walkway for children with severe disabilities with the charity IME Clairefontaine in central France.

The walkway means that the rehabilitation farm, where animals are used as therapy for the children, will be accessible to the children throughout the winter months, so this valuable resource is available all year round.

Project Manager Tommy Trindall, said: “The team was made up of people from all over the world including America, South Africa and Australia who were meeting each other for the first time.

“They were all senior executives, most of whom were using tools for the first time; one lady, a head of finance who is normally in charge of a multi-million-pound budget, spent the day using her new-found skill using an impact driver! It’s always great to see.

“The team was presented with the challenge of planning, leading and delivering the project. They were very engaged from the moment they started the planning exercise, but the realisation about the significance of their project occurred when they got to the site and met the lady whose inspiration and dream was to create the pathway for the children.

“A few of the children turned up during the afternoon and that’s when it really hit home.”

Tommy added: “The walkway is made up of ramps, and the moment one of the children rolled over one of the humps in their wheelchair, they started beaming; seeing the pleasure they got from the new walkway was wonderful.

“At the end of the project, the bus left an hour early, but as man of the team who could volunteered to stay behind to help finish the job.”