Burberry joins force with The Outward Bound Trust to inspire young people through adventure
Burberry has announced a partnership with outdoor education charity, The Outward Bound Trust, to give secondary school students across the UK greater access to outdoor learning and to inspire through adventure.
Forming part of the brand’s Burberry Inspire programme, the partnership will enable students aged 10 – 18 to join the Trust’s outdoor challenges at minimal cost to families. The initiative will focus on schools in London, Leeds, Castleford and Keighley – regions connected to Burberry’s heritage.
With the shared aim of creating brighter futures for young people, the outdoor challenges consist of a range of activities, including hiking, abseiling, canoeing and overnight expeditions. Designed with personal development at heart, each activity takes the participants out of their comfort zone and empowers them to become stronger, more resilient, curious and ready for the challenges of life.
As part of the partnership, Burberry colleagues will also be able to volunteer their time to mentor participants, encouraging their own growth and development.
Born from a legacy of equipping people to go beyond and thrive in the outdoors, Burberry’s partnership with The Outward Bound Trust builds on a shared history of protecting explorers from the elements. Where Burberry’s invention of the rain-ready fabric gabardine enabled adventurers like Ernest Shackleton, Arthur Clouston and Betty Kirby-Green to explore unknown horizons, The Outward Bound Trust’s expert training helped leagues of young seafarers to survive in harsh sea conditions. Turning Britain’s wildest corners into classrooms, the Trust now partners with schools, colleges and youth groups to deliver transformative expeditions that help people thrive against the odds.
Jonathan Akeroyd, Chief Executive of Burberry, commented, ‘As we welcome The Outward Bound Trust to our Burberry Inspire programme, we are proud to continue the legacy of our founder and to support young people in the communities that are so deeply connected to our heritage. We hope that with our shared passion for the outdoors and equally storied heritage, our partnership will inspire a new generation of young people to believe in themselves and have the courage to go beyond.’
‘Through this partnership, Burberry are not just supporting Outward Bound, they’re investing in the future leaders of our country,’ Martin Davidson, Chief Executive at Outward Bound, added. ‘It’s about lighting a spark of adventure, resilience, and determination in young people, values that have been at the core of our mission since 1941.’
The partnership forms a part of the Burberry Inspire programme and will support a total of five outdoor challenges in 2024, with the first having taken place in March at Ullswater in the Lake District.
Further outdoor challenges will take place in Penrith, Cumbria as well as in Aberdovey, Eryri/Snowdonia.
