The Journey: Supporting Our Charities With The Explore Fund & The North Face

2020 has been a tough year for many, but especially for those most vulnerable and in need, but thankfully we’ve been able to continue to offer our support to many charities. We’re also very grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with The North Face and their Explore Fund initiative, which has allowed us to offer additional support to some of our charities that were most in need.

In May, The North Face pledged €1 million to support organisations impacted by COVID-19 through their Explore Fund. These grants are allocated to nonprofits that encourage exploration and support dedication to the outdoors.

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Youth Adventure Trust

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The Youth Adventure Trust is a registered charity that has helped thousands of young vulnerable people through it’s three-year outdoor adventure programme which builds resilience, confidence, self-belief and essential life skills - transforming children’s lives.

Since lockdown began; the North Face Explore Fund has allowed us to offer additional support to the 11-16 year olds on programmes by providing online mentoring and virtual group sessions. This included the Summer Of Adventure programme, a whole package of free ideas, activities and resources to support young people over the six-week Summer Holiday and beyond, whilst allowing them to work towards their THRIVE award.

Many young people were understandably very anxious at the prospect of returning to school in September. Online mentoring and the development of a specific 'Back to School' work book and bingo games allowed volunteer mentors to guide them through this transition.

Thankfully by October Half Term, the much-needed opportunity for young people to reconnect with the outdoors was made available again (in line with concurrent government advice). Carefully planned free activity day sessions were organised to help encourage young individuals to become more confident, improve their teamwork, communication skills and to experience the outdoors in new ways.

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Snow-Camp

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Snow-Camp are the UK’s only charity using a combination of snowsports, life-skills training and mental wellbeing support to help young people from inner-city communities.

Through the additional support of The North Face’s Explore Fund, young people from across London were able to access Snow-Camp’s ‘learn to ski or snowboard’ programme (in line with concurrent government advice), as well as life-skills training and specialised mental health workshops focusing on independence, responsibility, confidence and self-esteem.

Snow-Camp’s journey of programmes, which leads to an instructor qualification, apprenticeships and volunteering are also available. These are taught by individuals who have completed the very same programmes in the past. Many will know these young instructors from their neighbourhoods and youth organisations showing them what they themselves could achieve with hard work, determination and commitment.

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