Other funding

The Annington Challenge

Offering support to young people living in Service communities to go Outward Bound.

Are you aged 10-19, in a Service family and looking for an adventure this summer?

The Annington Challenge is an exciting initiative run in conjunction with The Outward Bound Trust.

Since 2012, it has offered military youngsters, regardless of their parent’s rank, the chance to experience their very own Outward Bound adventure at one of Outward Bound's inspiring locations in the Lake District, Snowdonia or the Scottish Highlands.

The courses are an amazing opportunity to discover spectacular new places with new friends and develop a host of new skills whilst experiencing real challenge and adventure.

What's it about?

It's a chance to take control of your summer and experience an Outward Bound summer adventure, subsidized by Annington (up to 90%).

You can choose from four courses: a 5-day adventure, a 7-day adventure, a 14-day adventure or a 19-day adventure.

From the moment you arrive, you'll be immersed in spectacular scenery. Rowing across lakes and camping in the wild to lighting fires and building shelters - outdoor adventure will be at the heart of everything you do.

Watch this video to find out more.

Selection criteria

Military families can experience a number of unique challenges. The Annington Challenge is for young people who have experienced any of the following:

Disruption to education
Frequent relocations
Loss or disruption to friendship groups due to relocations
Parent(s) on extended tours
Concerns around anxiety and mental wellbeing
Parental separation

Applicants should also:

Be children whose parent(s) are serving in the Armed Forces
Aged between 10 years and 19 years at the start date of the course
Be prepared to write a short report on their experience

Funding

Annington will meet the costs of the challenge and only asks for a small personal contribution towards the course from each participant.

2025 funding levels are depicted below; these may change each year:

£95 towards a 5-day adventure (worth £604)
£100 towards a 7-day adventure (worth £824)
£250 towards a 14-day adventure (worth £1,612)
£380 towards a 19-day adventure (worth £2,153)

The application requires information from both the young person and the parent/guardian, so you might want to find a time to fill it our together. The form shouldn't take too long but we would like to know why you're interested in taking part in an Outward Bound Adventure so you may want to have a think about the following points before you start the application:

Why you want to take part?
In what ways do you think taking part will benefit you?
What excites you about the adventure?
How do you think this will help with your future aspirations?

You may also want to decide which dates and location you're keen on for your adventure.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Annington?

Annington is one of the UK’s largest private landlords with a portfolio of over 40,000 properties. The majority of these homes form the Married Quarters Estate and are leased to the Ministry of Defence. You'll find more information about the Annington Challenge here.

Am I eligible for funding?

To be eligible applicants must be a UK passport holder, be aged between 10-19 at time of participation and have a parent serving with the Army, Navy or Air Force.

If you're not sure if you're eligible we recommend applying anyway as we may have alternative funding available, so it's still worth registering!

How much is the funding worth?

Annington will meet the costs of the challenge and only asks for a small personal contribution towards each course from each participant. This will be:

- £95 towards a 5-day adventure (worth £604)
- £100 towards a 7-day adventure (worth £824)
- £250 towards a 14-day adventure (worth £1,612)
- £380 towards a 19-day adventure (worth £2,153)

What is the selection criteria?

To ensure that the spirit of the Annington Challenge is maintained, there are a number of criteria for the selection of suitable candidates. The Annington Challenge is for young people who have experienced any of the following:

Disruption to education
Frequent relocations
Loss or disruption to friendship groups due to relocations
Parent(s) on extended tours
Concerns around anxiety and mental wellbeing
Parental separation

Applicants should also:

Be children whose parent(s) are serving in any of the Armed Forces and who live in Services Communities
Be between 10 years and 19 years at the start date of the course
Be prepared to write a compulsory short report on their experience

Participants attending an Outward Bound course will be joining a community where they will work together, eat together, live together, laugh together and develop together. When nominating potential applicants, please consider the degree to which an individual is likely to benefit from a programme involving team working, leadership and communication skills.

Can I do the Annington Challenge with a friend?

As personal development and meeting new friends are at the forefront of the aims of our adventures, Outward Bound will allocate no more than three places per working group – some scheduled course dates have more than one working group – to the Annington Challenge.

Applicants must therefore be prepared to attend courses on their own, or with perhaps one or two other friends, if places allow.

What will happen to my personal data/details?

The Outward Bound Trust and Annington will together use the data from your Annington Challenge application form to help select participants and manage the Annington Challenge. Annington won’t see anything you enter on your Outward Bound participant information form or other Outward Bound forms.

If you agree to it, The Outward Bound Trust will also retain your contact details for marketing purposes and to share other potential funding opportunities regarding our summer adventures with you. You can opt-out at any time and we respect your data rights.

For more information, see Outward Bound’s full privacy policy. View Annington’s privacy policy.

What clothing and equipment do I need?

All specialist clothing and equipment will be supplied by The Outward Bound Trust. Whether it's a specialist activity and safety equipment, waterproofs, boots, sleeping bag, rucksack or a tent.

All you need to bring on your Outward Bound adventure is personal clothing and footwear, including things to wear during the evening when you're not taking part in activities.

You can download our kit list here.

500 and counting

Since 2012, more than 500 young people from Service families living on ‘the Patch’ have taken part in the Annington Challenge.

The initiative gives young people (aged 10-19) an opportunity to experience a real adventure and return home with new-found confidence, teamwork skills and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Annington CEO congratulates Henry Watts who became the 500th military youngster to tacke the Annington Challenge, July 2023, Aberdyfi.