Celebrating five years of partnership with The Outward Bound Trust
Earlier this year, we spent some time with the team at Outward Bound’s flagship centre at Ullswater to learn more about the history, the people, and the impact on the young adults we support through our partnership.
The Outward Bound Trust supporters event in March 2023.
In a world littered with apps offering instant gratification, the constant need to be online, and the pressure of social media platforms- 'more green time and less screen time' is a refreshing contrast for today's younger generation.
For over 80 years, Outward Bound has been led by the belief that regardless of their starting point, every young person should be able to thrive in all aspects of their lives: socially, throughout their education to employment, and into adulthood.
By creating moments through adventures in the outdoors, young people develop social, and emotional skills that lay the foundations for positive behaviours and attitudes, enabling them to flourish at every stage, regardless of their background or economic circumstance.
Our partnership
Equip has partnered with Outward Bound since 2019, sponsoring outdoor residential courses for an academy close to our head office, enabling more young people to unlock their potential through unique learning experiences. Over the course of five years we’ve supported a total of 215 young people, with almost 100k funding to the Outward Bound Trust.
Our partnership is built on shared values and a passion for encouraging more young people to experience the mental and physical benefits of the outdoors- while educating them on how to act responsibly and sustainably in wild spaces.
Together we take young people on a journey of learning and adventure in the wild to help them realise just what they are capable of achieving in life.
The courses are carefully designed to support pupils and improve their confidence in their abilities. The aim is to build their resilience, together with providing opportunities to develop their skills such as communication and teamworking.
Over the course of the week, the young people are challenged as they take part in activities such as canoeing, abseiling, jumping into the lake and hiking expeditions. Through each adventure, the young people increase their confidence and improve interpersonal skills as they learn to work together.
The 2023 cohort of students, supported by one of our employee ambassadors.
“Have you ever tried navigating in the mountains in the wind and rain? It’s a challenge, but much more enjoyable if you pull together as a team. Or how about sitting with your mates watching a sunset over a distant horizon? That’s a moment you’ll never forget. These are the kinds of experiences our partnership with Equip UK has unlocked at scale, and it’s my belief that the more we expose young people to them, the more they’ll learn about themselves and their role in the world.
The positive impact this has made to communities in Derbyshire and beyond should not be underestimated, inspiring hundreds of young people with confidence and self-belief in an increasingly turbulent world.”
Employee ambassadors
Over the years, we've supported eight OBT employee vounteer ambassadors, from a variety of roles within the business, to throw themselves into the challenges of mentoring the young people and helping them to realise their potential.
The volunteer ambassadors joined in activities, acting as role models to the pupils, and providing emotional and practical support.
They also benefited from the experience, developing their own skills in communication and leadership. All agreed that their enthusiasm for their work, pride in working for Equip, and confidence that they could manage challenging situations at work had increased.
Supporters Event
As partners of the Trust, we were honoured to be invited to the Supporters Event earlier this year. Our Corporate Communications Coordinator, Jade, joined a group of business representatives from across the country, to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the Outward Bound flagship centre in Ullswater.
The Ullswater Centre (real name Hallsteads) was bought by OBT in 1955, having previously been a stately home and a refuge for evacuees during the Second World War. Approximately 9,000 young people visit the Ullswater and Howtown centres each year.
To kick the event off, in typical Lakeland style the group were welcomed to the centre with a torrential downpour, just in time for our outdoor icebreaker event. Learning who and where everyone was based- this is when Jade discovered that she and centre manager Dave Holmes were born in the same hospital, 160 miles away in Nottinghamshire!
Once the group were all well acquainted it was time to explore the grounds of the centre and meet the people that provide vital support for its daily functions. The first stop was the kit room which houses an impressive amount of technical clothing, equipment and footwear. The young people are expected to look after their kit throughout the week, taking ownership and accountability for the tidiness of their space and their new belongings.
We heard from a range of speakers over the duration of the event, from past alumni, to current teachers of the pupils, all sharing profound stories with how the charity has impacted their own lives, and the lives of the young people they support.
The event wrapped up with an Outward Bound Trust tradition, the world-famous jog and dip! An early start saw the group jumping into Ullswater, at a chilly 9 degrees (or balmy- according to Dave!). They left feeling refreshed, full of confidence- and slightly chilly!
A big thank you to our fantastic hosts—Dylan Carroll, Rose Albion, Natalie Jackson and Dave Holmes—for sharing the spirit of the Outward Bound Trust and for instantly making us feel like part of the team!