Our Mission:
To empower disadvantaged young people in Scotland by enabling and delivering transformative outdoor learning experiences that foster confidence, resilience, and life skills. Through training staff and young people as outdoor leaders, and addressing the fundamental blockers around costs of transport and kit, we aim to create sustainable programmes that open up opportunities for every young person to explore the outdoors and in doing so spark a personal change in their lives.
Our Vision:
We envisage a future where every young person, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to experience the joy and growth that comes from outdoor adventure and education. By building a community of trained outdoor leaders within Scotland, we aim to inspire a generation of young people who are confident, skilled, and passionate about the outdoors, leading to more engaged, resilient, and inclusive communities.
The story behind Outdoor Horizons Scotland:
OHS has been in the making since 2013. It started with Charlie Holt developing outdoor activities at a high school in Livingston (15 miles west of Edinburgh). However, funds were limited. So he needed to set up a way of raising money that could support these expeditions. A friend, Simon Lyell, who is a lawyer, offered some pro bono support to help set up a charity in order to receive funds to support the initiative.
Over those ten years, Charlie noticed the impact that the outdoors had, particularly on those with more challenging home situations. Young people who had a range of personal challenges benefitted from a night away from home and school, under the stars. The positive effect of walking in the outdoors and being given the time outside was apparent. These experiences also created more positive relationships with school staff - and the lasting benefit of this continued at school long after the tents were dried out and put away.
Many successfully achieved Duke of Edinburgh awards, and some went on to attain the Assistant Lowland Expedition Leader qualification.
However, there are often barriers to these outdoor experiences taking place. Budgets are tighter and spread more widely but the costs of expeditions and staff training have risen. Access to transport can also be expensive. The cost of hiring a minibus often competes against other commitments.
In 2023, Charlie moved to an Edinburgh high school in an area of multiple deprivation where the issues of affordable access to the outdoors are even more acute. Along with Simon, Charlie and his siblings, Miranda and Alexander, have refocused the charity initiative. So Outdoor Horizons Scotland has been established, with your support, to provide opportunities and experiences that can be life changing, but that also could be easily missed.
