Young people need more than knowledge to thrive. They need self-awareness, confidence and resilience to navigate a world that’s fast-moving, digital and full of uncertainty.

At Outward Bound, we help young people discover what they’re capable of. We build the skills they need to grow - and the belief that they can make a difference in their schools, workplaces and communities.

We’ve set a clear goal: to reach more young people every year. And we won’t do it alone. We’re working with partners, schools and funders to champion every young person’s right to access life-changing outdoor adventures.

Our belief

"We are all better than we know. If only we can be brought to realise this, we may never again be prepared to settle for anything less."

Kurt Hahn, Co-founder.

A young man with brown hair and a black jacket, smiling and holding a map, standing outdoors in a rural landscape with green hills and cloudy sky.

Our mission

To inspire young people to realise their potential through learning and adventure in the wild.

A group of five people in blue jackets walking on sandy dunes towards the beach, with an ocean view and gentle waves in the background.

Our vision

Outward Bound delivers inspirational outdoor learning that enables positive, purposeful change in tens of thousands of young people every year.

Person in purple jacket and red helmet standing with head tilted back near a waterfall, surrounded by other climbers, in a natural outdoor setting.

Our core values

We believe:

That we all have undiscovered potential.
In the power and intensity of learning through adventure.
In the balance between risk, reward and responsibility.
In compassion and respect for each other and the environment.
That everyone should feel valued and able to be themselves.

A young boy in a red helmet and red trousers climbs a rocky cliff with a harness, holding onto a safety rope, with a lake and mountains in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Looking ahead

We want to reach more young people every year without compromising the quality, consistency and scale that define Outward Bound.

To do this, we’re focusing on three strategic priorities: our people, our charity, and our capacity. These enablers will help us grow our impact while staying true to who we are.

1. Our people

Outward Bound is all about people. Strong and supportive relationships are at the heart of everything we do - whether working with young people or their parents, teachers, colleagues, or donors.

Three minimalist line drawings of people with different headwear or accessories, arranged in a row on a plain white background.

2. Our charity

Outward Bound is a charity with a long and proud heritage. We will protect what makes Outward Bound special while ensuring that we move with the times, live up to our organisational responsibilities and stand for what we believe in.

Two hands hold a heart with a pound currency symbol inside, symbolising care or financial support. Minimalist line art on a white background.

3. Our capacity

We will increase the number of young people we work with annually. As the potential to work with more young people within our existing centres is limited, we will seek to extend capacity where appropriate and develop new capacity.

Outline of a multi-storey parking garage with a peaked roof, featuring evenly spaced circular parking spaces visible from a frontal perspective.

The journey forward

The Next Horizon Our Strategic Framework (10.34MB pdf)
What’s next for Outward Bound? Our 5-year strategy sets out how we’ll empower more young people through outdoor adventure.
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