January 09

Outward Bound Metro in soccer success

A local charity is celebrating after winning a national accolade for a youth skill-building course.

The Outward Bound Trust's Metro operation in Glasgow has been awarded the Partnership Innovation Award by the Prince’s Trust Scotland in recognition of it’s contribution to the Soccer Success programme, which works with young people to help them develop life and work skills. 

This year, 60 young people attended the Soccer Success course, an initiative that is supported by The Outward Bound Trust, The Prince’s Trust, and Glasgow football clubs Celtic and Rangers.  The scheme works with fifth year students from schools across the city, ensuring that they remain engaged in their final months of education. 

Head of centre at The Outward Bound Trust, Metro, Martin Davidson, said: "It is hugely satisfying for us to be rewarded in this way, and it is testament to the hard work of the entire Outward Bound Metro team. 

"Every day, our instructors make a positive difference to the lives of young people through courses like this, and it often goes unnoticed, so to win this award is hugely significant for us."

The Outward Bound Trust’s Metro operation is one of five Outward Bound Trust centres across the UK, that between them deliver outdoors-based learning to some 28,000 young people each year.

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For more information contact 01931 74000.

Notes to Editors:

• The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity, established more than 65 years ago to boost personal learning and development through a programme of challenging activities in the outdoors. The Outward Bound Trust is the original and leading facilitator of experiential learning in the outdoors.
• The charity runs courses and expeditions in the UK for young people aged 10-24. Courses last from 3 days to three weekswww.outwardbound.org.uk
• Outward Bound® for young people is delivered at four residential centres across the UK – Ullswater and Howtown in The English Lake District, Loch Eil in Scotland and Aberdovey in Wales – and through the Metro project (urban) in Glasgow and Scotland’s Central Belt www.the outwardboundtrust.org.uk/education/downloads.
• The Outward Bound Trust also facilitates Apprentice Development and currently works with some of the UK’s largest companies on their apprentice programmes.
• In 2007, 28,000 young people benefited from an Outward Bound® experience. Almost a third of these participants were financially supported by bursaries raised by The Outward Bound Trust through private donations and in conjunction with its corporate partners, as part of the Patron’s Company scheme.
• The charity also works with volunteer groups across the UK called Outward Bound® Associations, whose members have mostly experienced Outward Bound®, and they source participants from local schools in their areas and help fundraise for their courses. These volunteers include Youth Reps, fresh from their Outward Bound® experience, who provide advice and support for other youngsters (see www.myspace.com/outwardbounduk).
• The organisation runs a professional development centre for adults at Eskdale in The Lake District, called Outward Bound® Professional.