‘We had a successful first year taking 400 young people on expeditions’
Tony Sanders, 55, Bristol
The ability to connect with young people is my USP. As manager of a youth centre in the early 1990s, I worked with challenging inner-city young people, using outdoor activities as an educational tool – even taking groups to Auschwitz so they’d learn about tolerance and diversity. Then, after more than 20 years in youth services, in 2015 I was made redundant from the youth charity I managed. Funding was drastically cut from the sector and, devastating as it was to accept that part of my career was over, I needed to take the initiative. Outdoor adventures had always been a big part of my work and for a while I freelanced for companies that ran expeditions. I wanted more.
My wife, Fidelma, and I set up Off Grid Adventures in October 2018 to run Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions for young people through their schools. Setting up a new business was a steep learning curve, with all the hoops we had to jump through to get qualifications, licenses and procedures in place. But we had a very successful first year, taking 400 young people on the expeditions. For many, it’s the first time they’ve been camping. Learning navigation skills, putting up tents and cooking outdoors gives them an enormous sense of achievement. Seeing their joy at living out of a rucksack and “surviving” the expedition gives me such a buzz.
We were just getting ready to expand with overnight camps for younger students when the pandemic hit and all overnight trips had to be cancelled or postponed. We worked hard with our schools to find creative ways of doing expeditions that fit with safety regulations. In the autumn, we took over 200 young people through their DofE expedition via day walks; cooking meals on school grounds or at local campsites. After months of homeschooling and spending their time on screens in lockdown, the benefit to their mental health was palpable.
Although financially it’s been tough, I’ve been able to draw a salary this year and we can’t wait to work with schools again once restrictions are lifted. I’m working outside with young people – for me that’s living the dream”.
‘Seeing their joy at living out of a rucksack and “surviving” gives me such a buzz’