More than just an Outward Bound Trust ambassador
“It was then that I realised how important it is for children of that age to have opportunities to do something that scares them- otherwise they might never learn how to venture outside of their comfort zones.”
As we look towards recruiting our next cohort of students for the annual Outward Bound Trust (OBT) residential, Matt Brenchley, Product Marketing Manager, and Rosie Helps, Junior Product Manager, reflect on their time as volunteer employee ambassadors.
We’ve worked with OBT since 2019, sponsoring outdoor residential courses for an academy close to our hearts and head office, enabling more young people to unlock their potential through unique learning experiences. Over the course of six years we’ve supported a total of 240 young people, with over 100k funding to the Outward Bound Trust.
Earlier this year, our OBT ambassadors took 24 students to Aberdyfi on the Welsh coast for an adventure of a lifetime. Over the course of the week, the young people tackled outdoor challenges including canoeing, abseiling, hiking, and camping. Through each adventure, the young people increased their confidence and improved interpersonal skills as they learned to work together. Matt and Rosie were there every step of the way, acting as role models to the pupils, and providing emotional and practical support.
But, the ambassador role didn't end there for them. They've continued to engage with the school, providing more team building activities for their group, supporting careers week with mock interviews, and taking part in an Outward Bound Trust partnership case study (watch out for the video launching soon…)
Why did you want to become an OBT ambassador?
Rosie - “I'm really passionate for the outdoors and always advocate for its benefits both physically and mentally. I was a NCS team leader a few years ago and seeing how the young children grow over the first week and then the month and the skills that they learn, leadership, teamwork, bonding together, they just learn skills that they'll take with them for the rest of their lives. It was so rewarding to me leading that team, so when this opportunity came up, straight away I knew I wanted to do it!”
Matt- “I wanted to take part in this opportunity to give back, because I got so much out of residentials when I was at school. I was quite fortunate, and I think that's where my love for the outdoors was born, alongside my parents taking me out and being able to do scouts and DOFE etc, and without those, I probably wouldn't be in the career I am now. So being able to go back in time and set up another generation that, as we know, aren't from a background where they get these opportunities, I didn't even second guess submitting my application.”
What has most surprised you about the experience?
Rosie- “When the children reflected on the previous day, they acknowledged when they were being negative and unappreciative and said they wanted to work on this throughout the rest of the week. This was brilliant self-reflection, and I did see a positive change in attitude and behaviour as the week went on including involving everyone in Team activities not just peers from friendship groups.”
Matt- “I was surprised by how quickly the students opened up and embraced the challenges. Watching them grow in confidence and work together was incredibly rewarding, and the fact that at the start of the week they would hardly speak to each other out of social embarrassment, yet by the end of the week end up the best of friends (or in a relationship in one case!). I also didn’t expect to feel so personally impacted by the experience—it was quite humbling.”
What did you find most challenging?
Rosie- “There was one individual in my group that was adamant to not take part in certain activities. Sometimes he was persuaded to have a go and then he’d enjoy it but other times he just wouldn’t take part which made me worry that he was missing out and not making the most out of the experience.”
Matt- “One of the biggest challenges I found was learning how the different personality types in my group responded when they maybe weren't feeling confident when taking part in activities, some thrived off a big cheer, whilst others preferred to have a conversation about why they weren't feeling confident in that moment.”
What was your magic moment?
Rosie- “One of the children had never been on a train before and one of the days we got the train back to the centre from the beach. It felt quite special being able to experience that moment with the individual, hearing his questions and seeing his excitement.”
Matt- “There were a couple of stand out moments for me like the jog and dip, one girl was terrified of water, but the group helped her to succeed. Did she do it again? No, but she'd done it and she'd overcome that fear. It was then that I realised how important it is for people of that age to have opportunities to do something that scares them- otherwise they might never learn how to venture outside of their comfort zones.”
What is your strongest memory?
Rosie- “Thursday was an all-round brilliant day. All the kids had really bonded and were working well together. Then there was a special moment where they were teaching each other sign language including myself. It just felt really special that we’d really bonded as a team, everyone was laughing and smiling as well as showing each other how to do the sign language.”
Matt- “There was a young lad in my group who had refused all week to go abseiling, he was petrified and didn't want to do it, he asked me if I'd do it with him as I think he needed some reassurance and support, and there was a moment where you could see him relax and the fear just left him. I do think that children, and adults, can be capable of anything they put their minds to, but sometimes they just need a helping hand to get them on their way.”
How has this experience helped you?
Rosie- “It’s given me confidence as I received such lovely feedback from the children about being a good leader and being helpful and supportive. This experience will help me to put things into perspective better and realise that certain tasks are not worth getting stressed about. It’s also made me realise not to always take on challenges by myself without asking for help.”
Matt- “I feel like I returned from the trip with a different perspective, it's reignited an ambition to undertake an outdoor leader qualification, and professionally I feel it’s helped me become a more empathetic leader and a better communicator. I’ve come away with a renewed sense of motivation and a deeper connection to the Outward Bound Trust and the work they do, which is something I'll carry into the next residential.”
A huge thank you to Matt and Rosie for their unwavering dedication to the volunteer ambassador roles, and making a huge difference to lives of children in our local area.