43. What happened at our team party? Quizzes, unforgettable dancing, and talking about funerals

Even when you love your job as much as I do, January can often be a tough month to return to the office (mainly due to the weather). But the KIND Research Group started the year in style – with a team party!  Because we work across different projects and have jobs with different responsibilities, it’s very rare that all 12 of us are all in the same room together.

Let me tell you more about what happened!

Pass the Parcel

First up was a game of Pass the Parcel, where anything could happen! Would you unwrap a layer and get a treat? Or would you be asked to perform a silly task in front of your colleagues? Special recognition goes to Irene, who treated us to her morning routine… interpreted through dance. That moment will live long in our memories!

Quizzes

No KIND party would be complete without a quiz or two. Jo organised a How well do you know your colleagues? quiz.  It turns out we don’t actually know much about each other!  (But we did know that Jonny really likes Pringles).  Speaking of Jonny, he also treated us to a test of our music knowledge. As usual, Mo, put the rest of us to shame!

The winning quiz team: Mo, Christina, Jonny, Irene and Andrew Photo: Kingston University London

The Sheet Game

Towards the end of the day there was another activity where each of us had a sheet of paper attached to our back, and everyone else wrote down something they admired or appreciated about that person. I had left the party at this point - heading to Norwich for my PhD viva first thing the next morning. But the team took photos of the comments written on my sheet and sent them to me while I was on the train. Reading those messages (when my nerves were seriously building) meant so much to me. I am so fortunate to work with this wonderful caring and supportive team. 

Playing the 'Sheet Game' Photo: Kingston University London

Talking About Funerals

If the above sounds fairly standard for a team celebration, I must mention that during the pass the parcel game, we were asked to share two things we would like to happen at our funeral. To some people, this might seem odd. But we talk about death and dying every day in our work. For us, it’s our job! 

The team’s answers were wonderfully varied: songs people would like played, poems read out, moments of dancing. I won’t share my colleagues’ responses - those are personal, and belong to them. For me, this conversation was a reminder that funerals can bring people together to connect and reconnect. When I think about my own funeral, what matters most to me is that the people who come have the chance to be together… and perhaps even have a nice time.

A huge thank you to Jo and Jonny for putting together such brilliant quizzes and games, and to Irene for getting everyone together (and for that unforgettable morning routine dance).

So yes… we talked about funerals at our party.  And it made coming back to work in January feel a little easier.

Written by Fred Inglis, Co-production Manager, Kingston University London