HomeDonations received before Thursday 31st December 2020 will be MATCHED dollar for dollar to help support young New Zealanders with disabilities to realise their full potential.
Kia ora koutou,
As you are reading this, we have raised most of the money to launch our new youth adapted programme in 2021. But we are not there yet - we still need to raise $24,809 to be able to run two new courses for disabled young people.
The great news is that all donations will be MATCHED thanks to several generous donors. Every dollar you give will be DOUBLED to help disabled young people.
You may fondly remember the first day of your Outward Bound course. The feeling of stepping onto the jetty for the first time at Anakiwa. Our aim is to make this experience available and accessible for as many young New Zealanders as possible.
Meet Grace
Grace was living a relatively normal life when at age 15, she suddenly became very sick. She was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The disease took her ability to walk, and she spent six months in hospital, undergoing hours of gruelling, daily physiotherapy to regain control of her joints. Grace lost a lot of weight – eventually dropping down to 32 kg within a year and was completely bed-ridden.
The disease was attacking Grace’s immune system and joints. Grace was often so weak that her family would have to help her turn over in bed. She was unable to leave her house or see anyone new and was living in constant pain due to her swollen and painful joints.
Grace told us she never thought there would be a course designed for people like her, people who felt internally stronger than their physical circumstance.
It’s hard to imagine being fifteen, living a busy active teenage life when suddenly your life changes completely and you are told you may never walk again. This was the reality for Grace.
Grace
Outward Bound…was a highlight of my life. Exciting adventures are possible, even for people who never thought they’d be able to do it. It makes me so, so happy to think about other people experiencing it.
Currently, Outward Bound only delivers courses for disabled participants aged 18 years or over. This means young, disabled New Zealanders like Grace wait several years to attend a course.
We aspire to launch this programme in 2021 so younger disabled New Zealanders can experience the challenge and adventure of an Outward Bound course, similar to what you may have experienced on your own course.
Outward Bound has been working with the Makingtrax team, who provided an evaluation of the Outward Bound school and awarded us the Trax Seal of Approval - New Zealand’s benchmark of Adaptive Adventure Travel and Inclusive Tourism, making us the first outdoor education organisation to qualify.
Thanks to the generous support of people around the country, Outward Bound New Zealand is committed to ensuring we can be an inclusive place for every New Zealander – and this is why we need your help today.
Disabled young people will experience the small victories that you may have overcome on your own course. Jumping off the jetty into the freezing cold water, speaking at the closing ceremony in front of a crowd, tackling the high-ropes course with your watchmates.
These challenges will enable young people like Grace to feel confident back in their regular life.
We would love your support, please consider making a donation by Thursday 31st of December for your gift to be matched and DOUBLE the impact for young New Zealanders.
With all our love and best wishes for the holidays,
The team at Outward Bound NZ