|
Back to General Information
Page
Outward
Bound United Kingdom Trust
The Outward Bound Trust was started in 1946 in the United Kingdom
under the vision of Kurt Hahn and the Patronage of HRH Duke of Edinburgh.
Its mission is "to inspire young people to fulfill their potential
through challenging outdoor activities". Since its founding,
the Outward Bound Centers in the United Kingdom (UK) have used the
mountains and sea as the classroom for over a million young people.
They believe that teamwork, endeavor, and courage are crucial skills
for people to learn in order to make the most of their lives. They
also believe strongly that young people should have the opportunity
to participate in their programs regardless of economic capabilities.
As a result, they have developed a generous bursary program that
serves about 18,000 young people per year.
The first school was established in Aberdovey, Wales in 1941 as
a sailing school. By the 1950's schools were opened in Scotland,
the Lake District and Devon. In the 1960's Outward Bound Associations
were founded to develop volunteer enthusiasts who assisted in raising
money for students to attend.
The history of Outward Bound International is interwoven with that
of the UK Trust. Representatives from the UK who traveled to foreign
countries were often the conduits of the Outward Bound philosophy
in its early years. In addition, it is in the UK that many staff
from overseas have been trained, developed and inspired to start
their own Outward Bound schools. Hence the UK has been the center
of the international educational movement of Outward Bound.
By the 1970's the schools in the UK had some financial difficulties,
the Devon school closed and the Moray Sea School moved to Loch Eil.
In the 1980's Professional Development for managers and supervisors
began and helped in supporting the financial recovery of the UK
schools.
In the 1990's the centers experienced another financial Outward
Bound challenge when they began to loose occupancy and gain debt.
In 1995, the management and trustees of The Duke of Edinburgh's
Award took over the running of Outward Bound for three years to
restore financial health and lay the foundations for future stability.
By combining overlapping operations, closing centers that were unprofitable
and focusing on sales and quality delivery of programs, the late
90's showed a continually improving operational and financial position,
including independence from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.
Their capacity to overcome adversity has been a testament to the
character of the school and the quality of the people committed
to Outward Bound. By the year 2000, Outward Bound UK regained its
momentum and re-established itself as the inspirational leader in
Outdoor Education in the United Kingdom.
More
on OBUK:
Outward Bound Aberdovey
Outward Bound Eskdale
Outward Bound Ullswater
Outward Bound Loch Eil
CONTACT
OUTWARD BOUND UNITED KINGDOM:
Outward Bound UK Trust
207 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8XD
United Kingdom
Bus: 44 0870 5134227
Bus Fax: 44 (207) 928 3733
E-mail: enquiries@outwardbound-uk.org
Web Page: http://www.outwardbound-uk.org
|
