We recognise that taking time for personal goals and new experiences can help you return to work refreshed, focused and inspired.
Our global sabbatical policy gives colleagues the opportunity to take an extended period of unpaid leave to rest, recharge, volunteer, or pursue personal ambitions, all with the reassurance of being able to return to work at the end of it.
For Head of Group Legal and Compliance, Adam Shelley, that opportunity led to a once in a lifetime experience: supporting a team of veterans retracing T. E. Lawrence’s legendary 1,100-kilometre camel trek across the Middle East.
The Lawrence Trek
In 1917, T. E. Lawrence and his Arab allies made their historic crossing of the desert from Al-Wajh, Saudi Arabia, to Aqaba, Jordan. Over a century later, four veterans became the first to recreate that journey – covering 50 kilometres a day by camel, camping beneath the stars, and navigating vast desert landscapes from salt flats to red sand dunes.
Adam joined the expedition as part of the support crew, using our sabbatical leave benefit to make it possible.
“Our team studied the route, managed logistics for both humans and camels, arranged medical and safety measures, and secured permits to cross Royal Reserves and UN heritage sites.”
“Each day began before sunrise – boiling water, preparing breakfast, and getting the riders ready for another long stretch across challenging terrain. Temperatures ranged from -6 at night to 35 degrees during the day. My role was navigation, driving a Land Rover Defender, documenting the trek as second-unit photographer, and helping with cooking.”
The journey was both physically demanding and deeply meaningful. Along the way, the team collected sand from Lawrence’s 1917 waypoints and later scattered it on his grave in Dorset – exactly 90 years after his death.
“I could not have participated in this challenge without the support and encouragement of IMI,” says Adam. “It was inspiring to find out that IMI had policies in place for volunteering and unpaid leave that made it possible for me to take part.”
The trek has since raised over £650,000 for a UK Armed Forces charity supporting veterans across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France and Greece – helping those recovering from illness, misfortune or the effects of PTSD.
Making space for what matters
Our Global Sabbatical Policy allows eligible employees to take unpaid leave to focus on personal development, wellbeing, volunteering, or other meaningful experiences.
It’s one of the ways we’re helping colleagues thrive in our world – by supporting time for growth, rest and purpose outside of day-to-day work.
