Venture Trust
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Venture Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Venture Trust
- Legal name
- Venture Trust
- Website
- https://venturetrust.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Venture Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Personal Development and Wilderness Therapy Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)
Keywords
Where Venture Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Venture Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government and Local Authority Funding: Core operational funding from Scottish Government and local authorities including North Lanarkshire Council and Falkirk Council to deliver personal development programmes and outdoor therapy services for priority groups.
- Charitable Foundation Grants: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations including Inspiring Scotland, Robertson Trust, Souter Charitable Trust, and others to support specific programmes and services.
- VT Experiences - Fee-for-Service: Revenue-generating experiences including Outdoor Therapy Training (£320-£365), Women's Wellness Retreats (£295 introductory rate), Corporate Wellbeing Packages, and Young People's Adventures. Income is reinvested into charitable work.
- Individual Donations: One-off and monthly donations from individuals, with suggested amounts of £10, £30, £50, and £100. Also accepts donations through JustGiving platform.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses providing financial support in exchange for ESG benefits, team development services, publicity, and access to expertise. May include secondments, internships, and volunteering opportunities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Women's Wellness Retreats - First Retreat Introductory Rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Outdoor Therapy Training - Self-Funded |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Outdoor Therapy Training - Organisation Funded |
| Other | Monthly | Donation Tiers |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate Wellbeing Packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Venture Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Venture Trust is a Scottish charity that delivers outdoor-based personal development programmes combining community outreach with intensive wilderness journeys in Scotland's highlands. Its core charitable programmes — Living Wild (criminal justice), Next Steps (women) and Inspiring Young Futures (young people 16-25) — support vulnerable populations including justice-involved adults, women facing complex needs and disadvantaged young people. The charity also provides free Outdoor Therapy counselling for veterans and Fife schoolchildren, and runs a social enterprise called VT Experiences offering paid retreats, practitioner training, young people's adventures and corporate wellbeing packages.
Product overview
Venture Trust is a Scottish charity offering a portfolio of outdoor-based personal development programmes and therapeutic support services for people facing adversity, alongside a social enterprise offering paid outdoor experiences. The core charitable programmes include Living Wild (criminal justice), Next Steps (women's programme), and Inspiring Young Futures (16-25 year olds), all combining community outreach with wilderness journeys. The Outdoor Therapy service provides free counselling for young people in Fife and veterans in Greater Glasgow. Venture Trust Experiences is the commercial arm offering Outdoor Therapy Training, Women's Wellness Retreats, Young People's Adventures, and Corporate Wellbeing Packages, with proceeds supporting the charitable mission. Founded in 1982, the organisation has evolved from criminal justice programmes to a comprehensive range of services addressing trauma, mental health, and personal development through nature-based interventions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Venture Trust Experiences: Bookable outdoor wellbeing, adventure and learning opportunities for individuals, groups and organisations, inspired by Venture Trust's 40+ years of experience supporting people across Scotland.
Products and services
- Living Wild A criminal justice personal development programme for individuals aged 16+ currently involved in the Scottish justice system as a result of offending or alleged offending, combining community outreach with intensive 5-10 day wilderness journeys in Scotland's highlands to support positive change away from offending.
- Next Steps A women-only personal development programme supporting women in Scotland facing homelessness, substance misuse, gender-based violence, involvement in the justice system or trauma, through community outreach combined with wilderness journeys.
- Inspiring Young Futures An outdoor learning programme for young people aged 16-25 in Scotland struggling with youth unemployment, offending, anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and homelessness, combining community outreach support with wilderness journeys.
- Outdoor Therapy for Fife Young People A free one-to-one outdoor counselling service for school-aged children and young people from P7 to S6 in Fife experiencing emotional distress, anxiety, low mood or reduced confidence, delivered in urban green spaces such as parks, gardens, woodlands and beaches.
- Outdoor Therapy for Veterans A free one-to-one outdoor counselling service for veterans in the Greater Glasgow area experiencing poor mental health, trauma, isolation or difficulty adjusting to civilian life, delivered in accessible green spaces to improve mental health, reduce isolation and strengthen community reintegration pathways.
- Outdoor Therapy Training Two-day paid professional training courses for therapeutic practitioners introducing ethical, safe and creative outdoor therapy practice, including framing work outdoors, boundaries, risk, working with metaphor and experiential reflective practice. Available as self-funded (£320) or organisation-funded (£365) tiers.
- Women's Wellness Retreats
Quantifiable outcome
- 76% of Living Wild participants improved resilience, confidence and mental wellbeing; 73% improved employability skills; 67% showed behaviours likely to reduce reconviction risk; 212 participants moved into work, education, training or volunteering
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Venture Trust
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Venture Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Venture Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered major.
- The Armed Forces CovenantmajorPartnership supporting veterans through the Positive Futures programme and Outdoor Therapy for Veterans service, helping veterans access outdoor-based therapeutic support.
- European FOLM Consortium PartnersmajorEuropean partnership through the From Outdoors to Labour Market (FOLM) project (2018-2022) with partners in Spain and Poland implementing the Edinburgh Model. 990 young people participated with 83% moving into employment or education. Spain and Poland are embedding the approach in ESF+ funding frameworks.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Venture Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Outward Bound Trust: The Outward Bound Trust is a UK charity delivering outdoor experiential learning and personal development courses for young people, including disadvantaged and at-risk groups. Closely comparable to Venture Trust in using wilderness/outdoor challenges to build resilience and life skills, though operating across the UK rather than Scotland-only.
- The Prince's Trust: The Prince's Trust is a major UK youth charity supporting 11-30 year olds facing disadvantage, including unemployment, mental health issues and offending, into education, training and work. Comparable in target beneficiary profile (care-experienced and disadvantaged young people) and outcome focus, though it does not use wilderness/outdoor methodology.
- Kibble Education and Care Centre: Kibble is a Scottish charity providing residential care, education and therapeutic services for children and young people who have experienced trauma, abuse or neglect. Directly comparable to Venture Trust's care-experienced youth programmes, and connected via shared leadership (Venture Trust Director Denny Ford and Trustee Neil McMillan both have Kibble backgrounds).
- Who Cares? Scotland: Who Cares? Scotland is a Scottish charity advocating for care-experienced young people. Directly comparable target population to Venture Trust's youth and Next Steps programmes, and connected via former Managing Director Gavin Sinclair and Director Denny Ford who both worked there previously.
- Combat Stress: Combat Stress is the UK's leading veterans' mental health charity, providing therapy and support for veterans with PTSD, depression and anxiety. Directly comparable to Venture Trust's Outdoor Therapy for Veterans service, though Combat Stress operates a clinical model while Venture Trust uses outdoor/nature-based therapy.
- Fairbridge (now part of Catch22): Fairbridge was the parent organisation under which Venture Trust originally operated for criminal justice programmes for young offenders before becoming independent in 2007. Now part of Catch22, Fairbridge delivers similar personal development programmes for disadvantaged young people across the UK, making it a historical and methodological peer.
Broad incumbents
- Barnardo's: Barnardo's is the UK's largest children's charity, working with disadvantaged children including those with care experience, mental health needs, and involvement in the justice system. Comparable in target beneficiary population and outcomes focus, but with a much broader operational footprint and diversified service model across the UK.
- Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH): SAMH is Scotland's national mental health charity, providing services, support and policy advocacy across a much broader mental health portfolio. Comparable in its Scottish mental health focus and government partnership model, but operates across a wider range of services (helplines, housing, employment) rather than outdoor-based personal development.
Others
- Inspiring Scotland: Inspiring Scotland is a Scottish charity that pioneered the '16+ Leaving Care' framework and has been a major funder of Venture Trust's Inspiring Young Futures programme since 2009. Not a direct competitor but a key strategic partner and ecosystem connector for the youth-development charity sector in Scotland.
Regional players
- Change Mental Health: Change Mental Health (formerly Health in Mind) is a Scottish charity providing mental health and wellbeing support services across Scotland, including outdoors-based wellbeing programmes. Comparable in Scottish geographic focus and mental health remit, though broader in service mix (counselling, peer support, employability) rather than wilderness-specialist.
Market position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Venture Trust social profiles
Digital presenceVenture Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Venture Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Venture Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Venture Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Venture Trust
What does Venture Trust do?
Venture Trust is a Scottish charity that delivers outdoor-based personal development programmes combining community outreach with intensive wilderness journeys in Scotland's highlands. Its core charitable programmes — Living Wild (criminal justice), Next Steps (women) and Inspiring Young Futures (young people 16-25) — support vulnerable populations including justice-involved adults, women facing complex needs and disadvantaged young people. The charity also provides free Outdoor Therapy counselling for veterans and Fife schoolchildren, and runs a social enterprise called VT Experiences offering paid retreats, practitioner training, young people's adventures and corporate wellbeing packages.
Is Venture Trust a public or private company?
Venture Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Venture Trust founded?
Venture Trust was founded in 1982. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Venture Trust based?
Venture Trust is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Venture Trust make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Government and Local Authority Funding is the primary driver. The others are charitable Foundation Grants, VT Experiences - Fee-for-Service, individual Donations and corporate Partnerships.
Who are Venture Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Outward Bound Trust, The Prince's Trust, Kibble Education and Care Centre, Who Cares? Scotland, Combat Stress and Fairbridge (now part of Catch22). Broad incumbents are Barnardo's and Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH). Inspiring Scotland is listed as an others. Change Mental Health is listed as a regional player.
Does Venture Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Venture Trust.
What industry is Venture Trust in?
Venture Trust's product category is Outdoor Personal Development and Wilderness Therapy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAOAG, Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGADAK, Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8300.