Beating the winter blues

November is a quiet month in terms of?programme delivery, but there is lots going on behind the scenes. Our Programme Managers are busy?with school and home visits, not to mention a flurry of activity on the Mentoring Programme as our new partnerships are getting underway.

In this month's newsletter you can find out about our new Young Leaders, learn about our Winter Boostcamp challenge to keep young people motivated and meet Hayley, one of our fabulous volunteer mentors...

Young Leaders Launch

Earlier this year we launched our Young Leaders Programme. This is an opportunity for YAT alumni who have turned?18, to come back to the Youth Adventure Trust as volunteers on our Activity Days. As Young Leaders, they are putting the skills they developed on the Programme to good use, working alongside staff and other volunteers, sharing their own experiences and encouraging the young people to challenge themselves during activities. Our new Young Leaders are proving to be excellent role models and they are enjoying the opportunity to continue to build their confidence, develop leadership skills and give back to the charity that helped them. As one Young Leader said: "I have always loved to help people who need a hand overcoming an obstacle, just the way YAT helped me."

Boostcamp Challenge

Winter can be a bit grey and miserable, so we wanted to give the young people on the YAT Adventure Programme a bit of a boost over the next few months. And what better way to do this than by introducing a special challenge complete with prizes?! The Winter Boostcamp is a chance for young people to set themselves a personal goal to work towards - it might be about getting stronger, trying something new or just making time for what matters. Our Programme Managers will be on hand to support, encourage and provide a little 'boost' to everyone who needs it before our February activity days.

Meet Our Mentors – Hayley

In the first of our new website series, Meet Our Mentors, we hear from Hayley who discovered the YAT Mentoring Programme somewhat serendipitously after a chip appeared in her windscreen. We hear how mentoring has filled a gap she had felt since leaving teaching, and how mentoring has enabled her to continue using her skills and supporting young people in a more flexible one-on-one setting. You can read Hayley's story here.

All they want for Christmas… is a mentor?

We have a young person in Swindon who is patiently waiting to be matched with a mentor. They love sport and would like an active and sporty person to be their mentor. If you can give the gift of mentoring, or can put us in touch with the right person, please contact Becky Brotherton-Brown , Mentoring Programme Lead, on 07592 664679 or [email protected].

Ways to get involved

A Night of Adventure

Thanks to the amazing generosity of our supporters, the Adventure Dinner & Auction raised an incredible ￡33,264 - the equivalent of 25 places on the YAT Adventure Programme in 2025. Guests enjoyed an inspiring adventure talk from Mel Nicholls , heard about Katie's transformational Youth Adventure journey and had the chance to experience the feeling of 'stepping out of their comfort zone'. Thank you to everyone who made the evening such a success - your support is inspiring young lives!

Christmas Collections

This Christmas, could your local church donate one of their festive collections to the Youth Adventure Trust? If your church is looking for a charity to support during the season of goodwill, then please ask them to consider making a donation to help local vulnerable young people achieve more than they think they can. Natalie Levin can provide wording for collection envelopes or service sheets - just get in touch. Thank you!

Inspiration Corner

Where we share interesting articles, books, podcasts or events to inspire you to get outside for your own adventures...

A Prescription For Nature: The Evidence Base

In the UK, we are witnessing a mental health crisis. One in six people in England report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety or depression) in any given week. There is strong evidence that engaging with nature supports good mental health. Yet, Britons are not getting the full benefit of this opportunity. As part of the Prescription for Nature campaign, this report presents the evidence in support of engaging with nature for good mental health, and offers some routes to better wellbeing via increased connection with nature.

Animated Knots by Grog

Animated Knots by Grog is the web’s #1 site for learning how to tie knots. From Boating Knots, Fishing Knots and Climbing Knots to tying a tie, or even Surgical Knots, they’ve got it covered. Follow along as ropes tie themselves, showing just the essential steps, so you can master a knot in no time. Jump into any category to get started. If you’re unsure where to begin, try starting with the Basics, their Knot of the Day, Grog’s Blog or check out every knot they’ve got here!

Give the gift of adventure

We are only able to support young people through this challenging and uncertain time thanks to the support of people who volunteer, donate, fundraise or leave a gift in their Will. We know times are hard at the moment, but if you are able to?give a gift?here to support young people, it will make a huge difference. Thank you.