UK Youth is delighted to announce the next phase of the Adventures Away from Home fund, made possible thanks to further funding from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.

Adventures Away from Home aims to foster the social and emotional development of young people aged 11–18 – and up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities – by providing fully funded bursaries for young people who face barriers to participation.

This programme offers outdoor learning opportunities across England, that encourages participants to experience, learn and develop while also connecting with others and the natural environment.

AAfH funding is available for established charity and not-for-profit outdoor learning providers to deliver one-day experiences and/or two-night residentials.  With £1.1 million available, this phase of AAfH, running through to March 31, 2025, is expected to support about 7,000 young people.

If you are an established outdoor learning provider who has experience of working with under-represented young people and are interested in applying for funding, please review our FAQ and application guidance document for more information.

If you are a youth organisation and would like to find out more about how your young people may be able to access opportunities through Adventures Away from Home, please reach out to charitable or not-for-profit outdoor learning providers in your area to signpost them to this funding and encourage them to apply.  Alternatively, contact us at outdoorlearning@ukyouth.org, and we will help connect you with providers in your area.

Simply interested in learning more about the fund’s impact on young people? Read the evaluation report from the most recent round of AAfH.

Young people from a Hampshire village had “such a good time” when they enjoyed an Adventure Away from Home.

As part of the previous phase of the national Adventures Away from Home fund, Fawley Youth Life took a group of 14 young people, aged 12-14, to UK Youth’s Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Centre in the New Forest.

Fawley Youth Life is part of Fawley Parish Council and Coun Alan Alvey, council chairman, said: “The children from the parish had such a good time.”

To read more, click here.

Phab took a group of 50 people, including 24 young people with additional needs, to UK Youth’s Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Centre in the New Forest for an Adventure Away from Home in February.

Talking about their visit, Jackie Orr, Phab charity support officer, said: “It’s a good confidence builder for the children, as it gets them to go on different holidays, and also for the parents, to give them a break. It’s confidence-building for them as well, knowing they can also go away, as they know their children are safe.”

Phab aims to provide safe and fun places for people to feel independent, meet new friends and gain confidence, together, having been born out of a National Association of Youth Clubs holiday conference – coincidentally at Avon Tyrrell – in 1957.

To read more, click here.