Tag: Outward Bound Trust

Lifeline: Further £2 million to support outdoor education 

Outdoor education centres facing financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply this month to a new £2 million fund.

Available for private sector and third sector centres, the support will help with running costs and enable staff to deliver more outdoor learning for schools.

The funding brings the Scottish Government’s support for the sector during the pandemic to £4.5 million.

Minister for Children & Young People Clare Haughey said: “For many organisations that provide residential outdoor education, the pandemic has caused significant challenges and it’s been a really hard time for them.

“The experiences provided by these centres are vitally important for our children and young people. This additional £2 million will help outdoor education centres through what we hope will be the final phase of this pandemic.

“It will mean more opportunities for children and young people to get the engaging, enriching and exciting outdoor education experiences they deserve.”

Martin Davidson, The Outward Bound Trust, said: “Outdoor Centres warmly welcome the additional emergency funding from the Scottish Government. Whilst technically outdoor residential experiences have been able to resume since August, coronavirus continues to make the return to financial sustainability challenging.

“The funding will help ensure that outdoor centres do not close, and that the transformative experiences they offer remain available to future generations of young people.”

The £2 million in funding is on top an initial £2 million provided in early 2021 and a further £500,000 provided for a range of outdoor learning projects during summer of that year, bringing the Scottish Government’s total additional investment in outdoor learning to £4.5 million.

Rathbones doubles support for The Outward Bound Trust

  • The Outward Bound Trust’s mission is “to inspire young people to defy their limitations so they become strong, resilient and curious, ready for the challenges of life”
  • The pandemic forced the charity to adapt away from their residential courses
  • Rathbones stepped in to double donations after loss of government support

Rathbones has doubled its donations to The Outward Bound Trust to help the charity continue to support young people during the pandemic.

Founded 80 years ago, Outward Bound’s mission is “to inspire young people to defy their limitations so they become strong, resilient and curious, ready for the challenges of life”.

Prior to the pandemic, this was done chiefly by hosting over 5,500 young people from all across Scotland per year at the charity’s Loch Eil centre. By bringing children to the wildest places in the UK the aim is for them to learn and develop vital life skills such as communication, self-motivation and resilience.

However, when the pandemic hit the UK in March 2020, it was no longer possible to offer the residential courses at the Loch Eil centre.

To continue to help young people when they needed it most, Outward Bound decided to adapt. During the last year the charity also saw its Scottish government funding decrease, meaning it required additional financial support in order to make these changes.

The Outward Bound Trust was already the chosen charity for Rathbones’ Edinburgh office, but Rathbones stepped up to double its original donations to assist the charity with its vital work. The focus on supporting the UK’s young people and aiding their long-term development fits well with Rathbones’ own purpose to Look Forward.

With more support from Rathbones and other donors, Outward Bound can now provide two new propositions to help young people readjust, reconnect and thrive post pandemic. These are:

1.                   In School Adventures – taking Outward Bound to schools until students can come to their residential centres.

2.                  Opening residential centres for activity days in the holidays.

Euan MacDonald, Investment director at Rathbone Investment Management comments: “We are proud to continue our support of the fantastic work carried out by The Outward Bound Trust.

“The mental health impact of the pandemic on young people is hugely concerning. We have been encouraged by The Trust’s ability to innovate in times of deep uncertainty and to continue offering access to the vital life skills that will be required in an uncertain future.

“Realising the requirement for financial support during this period we were happy to double our previous years donation.”

Martin Davidson, director of Scotland and Innovation at The Outward Bound Trust comments: “COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on the charitable sector, with the majority of non-NHS charities experiencing a drop-in funding in the last year- at the exact time when our help is most needed.

“We are grateful to Rathbones and our other donors – Swagelok Scotland, Mowi Scotland and Northwood Charitable Trust- for their incredible support during this time.

“We know that the pandemic has had put a severe toll on young people’s mental health, and it is our hope through our work that we can help today’s younger generation to recover from the events of the past twelve months. And it is thanks to our donors that we can undertake this vital work.”