Bringing Communities Together

At The Outward Bound Trust, we know that lasting change in communities begins with connection, and that connection starts with young people. In April 2026 the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award celebrated its 4,000th participant. Our new report published today demonstrates how The Award continues to bring young people together across Scotland, creating stronger, more compassionate communities for the future.

The Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award was created to address divisive issues which exist in communities. In the beginning, this focused on sectarianism. 28 years later the source of division is more widespread. The Award seeks to overcome these issues by deliberately bringing together young people from different schools, backgrounds, faiths and communities.

From the start of the programme participants build trust, challenge their perceptions, and learn to work together during their Outward Bound residential. Self-confidence, perseverance, problem solving and planning are attributes they take back from the residential to their own communities to begin their community project.    

Many young people apply to The Award feeling uncertain, isolated, or disconnected. Through shared challenges and experiences, they develop confidence and, crucially, a sense of belonging. Research shows that over half of participants increase their social confidence, improving their ability to connect with people from different backgrounds and perspectives. These relationships are often transformative and long lasting.

Communities Impact

What truly sets The Award apart is how those connections are channelled into social action. Every group of young people works together to design and deliver a community project that addresses real local needs, from tackling food poverty to supporting vulnerable groups, from improving public spaces to promoting mental wellbeing.

These projects do more than provide immediate support. They bring communities together. They spark conversations. They change perceptions. They create pride. Community beneficiaries highlight the positive impact, not just in what is delivered, but in how it is delivered, with empathy, creativity and purpose. 

Through these projects, young people begin to see themselves as active participants in their communities.

The Ripple Effect

The impact of the Award extends far beyond the six-month programme. Over its 28-year history, over 4,000 young people have participated, delivering hundreds of community projects that have reached tens of thousands of people across Central Scotland.

But the real legacy is harder to measure. It’s in the confidence young people gain, the friendships they build, and the understanding they develop of others. It’s in the way barriers begin to break down, whether those are based on geography, race, faith, or social background. Combined, these create a ripple effect across the communities participants live in. 

Graduates of the Award are more likely to remain engaged in their communities, taking forward the values of empathy, tolerance and collaboration into their careers and everyday lives.

Thank You for Making It Possible

None of this would be possible without supporters like The Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation. Their belief in the power of young people, and in the importance of bringing communities together, enables this work to continue and grow.

“Mark Scott’s death was a tragedy. We admire how graciously the Scott family has handled the situation and turned it into an opportunity to bridge gaps and help thousands of young people across Scotland. It is truly remarkable. The way they have developed and delivered their community projects has proven to be successful and we have been impressed by Lisa Robinson and the Scott family. Bridging gaps in Scotland and helping the marginalized continues to be important to the Graham family and we credit the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award for leading the charge in this regard for many years and remain happy to be supportive.”

Shanna Graham, Trustee, Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation

Together, we are helping young people realise something powerful, that they can make a difference, not just to their own lives, but to the communities around them. 

And in doing so, we are building a more connected, understanding and resilient Scotland.

Thank you to all the supporters of The Award for making this possible