Venturing Out

What Venturing Out does

Venturing Out CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company founded in 2009 by Antony Stone and incorporated in its current CIC form in 2016, operating from East Lothian, Scotland. The company delivers inclusive outdoor adventure activities, skills courses, and wellbeing programmes for children, adults, families, schools, community groups, and corporate clients. Its core product set spans coasteering, rock climbing, bushcraft, paddleboarding, hill walking and navigation, trail cycling, raft building, and team building, delivered across locations in East Lothian (Dirleton, North Berwick, Musselburgh, Dunbar) and Edinburgh. The business operates with no proprietary technology — relying on a Squarespace website, Stripe and PayPal for online payments, and email/Instagram marketing — and has a small staff of 1-10 supported by PVG-checked, outdoor first aid-trained instructors holding extensive national governing body qualifications.

The revenue model is multi-stream and structured around one-time session purchases and short-term group bookings rather than subscriptions. Direct consumer revenue comes from school holiday activity bookings, individual adult courses, and fixed-price children's birthday party packages (typically £250-£350 per session). Corporate and private group revenue is quotation-based with a deposit/balance structure, anchored by multi-year relationships such as the 4th-year partnership with McTaggart Scott for apprentice and graduate team building. A separate stream delivers Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions as an Approved Activity Provider on group contracts with 25% deposits and instalment payments. The company also runs funded programmes — the 7-year ASN Provision with East Lothian Council (175 families registered, 460+ sessions, 1,800+ activity places cumulative), the East Lothian Carers' Adventure Wellbeing Group launched March 2024 (nearly 100 carers), and the BME Adventure Wellbeing Group delivered with Health in Mind — which are delivered at cost or free to participants, supported by East Lothian Council, East Lothian Health & Social Care Partnership, and Ballie Gifford via Foundation Scotland grants.

The go-to-market is hybrid: self-serve direct-to-consumer booking via the website for school holiday activities, paired with sales-led outreach (led by Claire Mackenzie) for corporate, private group, birthday, and DofE bookings. Customer segments are deliberately diversified across at least seven personas, with the funded inclusion-focused programmes — ASN families, adult carers, and BME mental health groups — forming the social mission core that the commercial activities cross-subsidise.

Name

Venturing Out

Legal name

Venturing Out CIC

Website

https://venturingout.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Venturing Out CIC is a not-for-profit outdoor activities provider in East Lothian and Edinburgh, Scotland, delivering coasteering, rock climbing, bushcraft, paddleboarding, hill walking, and wellbeing programmes for children, families, schools, community groups, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Activities

NAICS

All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Hiking, Trekking & Backpacking Tour Operators (THAAADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB), Climbing & Mountaineering Gyms/Guides (Indoor, Outdoor, Via Ferrata) (THAAAKAG)

Keywords

• Outdoor adventure activities
• Outdoor education programmes
• Corporate team building
• Children's birthday parties
• Wellbeing programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Tranent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Activity Bookings (Direct Consumer): Revenue generated from individuals and families booking outdoor activities such as coasteering, rock climbing, bushcraft, paddleboarding, trail cycling, and hill walking. Activities are priced per person or per group, with school holiday activities booked via the website through Stripe payment processing.
2. Private and Corporate Group Bookings: Revenue from private bookings including corporate team away days, staff wellbeing programmes, and private group sessions. Pricing is quotation-based with deposits required for bookings over £500. Full payment or 25% deposit secures dates, with balance due 28 days prior.
3. Birthday Party Packages: Fixed-price birthday party packages for children's outdoor activity parties including bushcraft (£250 for up to 14 children), coasteering (£350 for up to 12), paddleboarding (£250-£350 depending on group size), rock climbing, and raft building.
4. Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expeditions: Revenue from DofE expedition provision for community groups, schools, and individuals. Pricing is based on group contracts with a 25% deposit and instalment payments. Services include training, supervision, equipment, and accredited assessor reports.
5. Third Sector Partnership Sessions: Sessions delivered in partnership with other not-for-profit organisations are offered at cost, meaning they generate minimal direct revenue but support the organisation's social mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Venturing Out delivers guided outdoor adventure activities (coasteering, stand-up paddleboarding, rock climbing, bushcraft, trail cycling, hill walking and navigation, and raft building) and structured programmes including school holiday activities, children's birthday parties, corporate team building, Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions, and free or subsidised adventure wellbeing programmes for ASN families and adult carers in East Lothian, Scotland.

Product overview

Venturing Out is a not-for-profit outdoor activity provider based in East Lothian and Edinburgh offering a portfolio of adventure activities. The core offering comprises individual outdoor activities (Paddling, Coasteering, Hill Walking and Navigation, Rock Climbing, Trail Cycling, Bushcraft, and Raft Building) which can be experienced through various programme formats. These programmes include School Holiday Activities for children, Birthday Parties for ages 7+, Corporate Adventures for team building, Individual Adventures for adults, and Group Adventures for community organisations. Specialty sub-brands include Thrive & Connect (a 6-month workplace wellbeing programme in partnership with MHScot), Adventure Wellbeing (mental health support programmes), ASN Activities (free provision for children with additional support needs), and Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expeditions. The company operates as a Community Interest Company with a social mission to make outdoor activities accessible to all.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coasteering Guided coastal adventure activity combining scrambling, cliff jumping and sea-level swimming/climbing along the East Lothian coastline, delivered as a standard bookable activity.
• Paddling Stand-up paddleboarding sessions incorporating the British Canoeing Paddle Safer award, available for adults and children aged 12 plus, packaged at tiered rates for 8 or 16-participant groups.
• Hill Walking and Navigation Guided hill walking and navigation sessions in the East Lothian and surrounding uplands, delivered as bookable sessions and as the basis for DofE expedition training and practice.
• Rock Climbing Guided rock climbing sessions using East Lothian and surrounding climbing venues, delivered as a bookable individual activity and as a complement to mountain-based delivery.
• Trail Cycling Guided trail cycling sessions on East Lothian and surrounding trails, delivered by qualified mountain bike instructors.
• Bushcraft Guided bushcraft sessions covering shelter-building, firelighting and wilderness skills for individuals and groups.
• Raft Building Group raft-building activity offered as a bookable programme within the company's multi-activity portfolio.
• Team Building Outdoor team building activities sold within the company's corporate programme portfolio alongside Corporate Adventures and Thrive & Connect.
• School Holiday Activities Multi-activity school holiday programmes delivering a mix of coasteering, bushcraft, paddleboarding, rock climbing and other activities for primary-aged children during school breaks in East Lothian.
• Birthday Parties Children's birthday party packages available in a mix of bushcraft, coasteering, paddleboarding, rock climbing and other activities, with tiered pricing by participant count.
• Corporate Adventures Corporate outdoor adventure package combining team building, coasteering, bushcraft, paddleboarding and other activities for team away days, sold by quotation to Scottish businesses.
• Individual Adventures Single-individual outdoor adventure package priced per person and bookable directly, offering coasteering, paddleboarding, rock climbing, bushcraft and other activities.
• Group Adventures Private group adventure package priced per person for friends, families and private groups booking collectively, including multi-activity options.
• Thrive & Connect Six-month workplace wellbeing programme of regular outdoor activity sessions delivered to corporate clients, including McTaggart Scott, in partnership with East Lothian Council and MHScot.
• Adventure Wellbeing Adventure wellbeing programmes using outdoor activity to support mental health and social connection for adult participants, delivered via referral partnerships.
• ASN Activities Inclusive outdoor adventure activities for children with Additional Support Needs (including autism and Down's syndrome) and their families, supported by a Family Registration Form and an ASN-specific programme delivered since 2017.
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expeditions Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition delivery for East Lothian Schools, Ross High School and other schools, delivered under AAP licensing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 175 families registered with ASN Provision programme
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Lothian Health & Social Care PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024East Lothian Health & Social Care Partnership provides funding for the East Lothian Carers' Adventure Wellbeing Group, a year-long programme of free outdoor activities for unpaid adult carers in East Lothian. Launched March 2024, the group has nearly 100 registered carers.
• East Lothian CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Lothian Council is the primary strategic partner, funding the ASN (Additional Support Needs) Provision programme which has been running for 7 years. The Council's Outdoor Learning Service also provides training for VOLT (Volunteer Outdoor Learning Team) volunteers and holds the AAP Licence for Duke of Edinburgh's Award in partnership with Venturing Out.
• MHScot (Mental Health Scotland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenturing Out CIC has partnered with MHScot to deliver the Thrive & Connect workplace wellbeing programme. MHScot provides the online wellness webinars, positive psychology content, and the exclusive wellbeing community platform, while Venturing Out delivers the adventurous outdoor activity days.
• Health in MindcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth in Mind is a mental health charity that partners with Venturing Out to deliver the BME Adventure Wellbeing Group — a year-round programme of adventurous activities for people from BME communities in East Lothian. Health in Mind refers participants and provides programme oversight; Venturing Out delivers the activities. Funded by Ballie Gifford through Foundation Scotland.
• VOLT (Volunteer Outdoor Learning Team)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVOLT is an award-winning volunteer team operating in partnership with East Lothian Council Outdoor Learning Service. VOLT members can volunteer for both organisations and are essential to delivering inclusive activities. Volunteers receive training through East Lothian Council's Outdoor Learning Service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Land & Wave: Dorset-based adventure activity business offering coasteering, bushcraft, stand-up paddleboarding, climbing and bushcraft across the south coast; directly comparable mix of multi-activity outdoor adventure programming with similar pricing tiers.
• The Bendrigg Trust: Inclusive outdoor education charity in Cumbria offering residential and activity programmes for children and adults with disabilities; comparable mission-driven, impact-tracked outdoor adventure delivery model.
• The Calvert Trust: National network of outdoor centres running adaptive/inclusive adventure activity programmes for disabled children and adults; the closest U.K. peer to Venturing Out's inclusive ASN and Carers provision.
• Celtic Quest Coasteering: Welsh coast-based provider of coasteering, surfing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding; one of the UK's leading adventure activity operators and the closest activity-by-activity comparable to Venturing Out's coastal and water offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Wilderness Scotland: Established guided-adventure tour operator running hiking, kayaking and wild-camping trips across Scotland; broader, higher-margin B2C experience brand with overlapping activity set but more mature scale and itineraries.
• Outward Bound Trust: UK charity operating residential outdoor learning centres delivering adventure programmes for schools and young people at national scale; relevant benchmark for what a scaled-up inclusive/outdoor charity looks like.
• Bear Grylls Adventure: Branded indoor/outdoor adventure experience brand (Neville, Birmingham) operating climbing, archery, coasteering-style experiences; illustrates a high-profile scaled category competitor with overlapping activity mix.
• Discover Adventure: UK adventure challenge and corporate team-building operator running multi-day trekking, cycling and water expeditions; comparable on corporate away days and group expeditions at larger scale.

Regional players

• Climbaline West / Vertical Tryline (Scotland): Scottish rock-climbing instruction and guiding provider; directly comparable on guided outdoor climbing instruction within Scotland and a credible local competitor for Venturing Out's North Berwick Law programme.

Others

• Mud and Routes: UK outdoor activity discovery and booking platform listing adventure providers, climbing venues and water sports; relevant adjacent distribution channel rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/venturingout
• Xx.com/VenturingOut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/venturing-out-cic

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Venturing Out