Youth Adventure Trust

What Youth Adventure Trust does

Youth Adventure Trust is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1019493), founded in 1992 and headquartered in Swindon, that uses outdoor adventure activities and one-to-one support to help vulnerable young people aged 11–16 in Somerset and Wiltshire build resilience, confidence, and life skills. Its core product portfolio comprises the flagship two-year YAT Adventure Programme (with Mountain, Coastal, and Forest camps plus regular Activity Days), the year-long YAT Resilience Programme launched in 2024 with RWE Foundation funding, the one-to-one YAT Mentoring Programme, and the YAT Bursary Programme for financial accessibility; supplemental Help Hub and What's Next? resources support participants pre- and post-programme. All programmes are delivered free of charge to young people nominated by schools and youth organisations.

The organisation's business model is donation- and event-funded rather than revenue-generating. The stated cost is £1,300 per young person place per year, with no charge to participants. Income is raised through individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Beard Construction, Taylor Wimpey, Codestone), foundation grants (RWE Foundation), and community challenge events including the Wiltshire 3 Peaks Challenge (£15,723 raised in 2024 from 155 participants), Somerset Cycle, and other outdoor fundraising activities. A wholly-owned trading subsidiary, Youth Adventure Trading Ltd, supports commercial activities. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on school referrals for beneficiaries and corporate plus individual donor networks for funding, with operational delivery managed by a small staff team (1–10 employees) supported by 65 volunteers and 38 mentors in 2024.

Name

Youth Adventure Trust

Legal name

Youth Adventure Trust

Website

https://youthadventuretrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Youth Adventure Trust is a UK-registered charity, founded in 1992 and based in Swindon, that delivers free outdoor adventure and one-to-one mentoring programmes to vulnerable young people aged 11–16 across Somerset and Wiltshire, funded by donations, foundation grants, and community challenge events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Youth development programmes
• Outdoor adventure activities
• Mentoring services
• Youth charity services
• Resilience building programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Swindon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies primarily on public donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events to fund operations. Donations from individuals, families, and businesses support programme delivery for vulnerable young people.
2. Challenge Events: Registration fees and sponsorship from challenge events including Wiltshire 3 Peaks Challenge, Somerset Cycle, and various outdoor adventures. Corporate sponsors like Beard Construction provide event sponsorship.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Companies like Taylor Wimpey, Codestone, and Beard Construction sponsor events and provide team building opportunities, with funds directed to supporting young people's participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Youth Adventure Trust is a UK-registered charity that delivers free outdoor adventure programmes and one-to-one mentoring to vulnerable young people aged 11-16 in Somerset and Wiltshire. Core offerings include the two-year Adventure Programme, the year-long Resilience Programme, and a Mentoring Programme, with a Bursary Programme providing funded places. All programmes are provided at no cost to nominated participants, funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.

Product overview

Youth Adventure Trust offers a portfolio of complementary youth development programmes centred on outdoor adventure and one-to-one support. The core offerings are the YAT Adventure Programme (two-year programme with overnight camps including Mountain, Coastal, and Forest experiences), the YAT Resilience Programme (year-long monthly activity days with overnight expedition), and the YAT Mentoring Programme (one-to-one volunteer mentoring). Additional support includes the Bursary Programme for financial assistance, plus the Help Hub and What's Next? resources for participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YAT Adventure Programme The flagship two-year outdoor adventure programme for vulnerable young people aged 11-16. Includes Mountain, Coastal, and Forest camps along with regular Activity Days, building resilience, confidence, and life skills through challenging outdoor experiences. Provided free of charge to nominated young people at a cost of £1,300 per place per year to fund.
• YAT Resilience Programme A year-long programme with monthly activity days, takeaway challenges, and a 2-day overnight expedition. Helps young people in Year 8 build resilience, confidence and social skills through outdoor activities, bushcraft, and team challenges. Somerset expansion funded by RWE Foundation launched October 2024.
• YAT Mentoring Programme One-to-one mentoring programme pairing volunteer mentors with young people for a year-long relationship. Includes fortnightly sessions tailored to the young person's interests, needs and goals to build confidence and raise aspirations. 38 mentors supported the programme in 2024.
• YAT Bursary Programme Financial support programme providing fully funded places on YAT programmes for young people who otherwise could not afford to participate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of parents reported positive programme experience
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Island TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Island Trust provided sailing voyage opportunities for YAT young people. A group of young people recently completed an epic voyage aboard the tall ship Johanna Lucretia along the Southwest coastline, gaining RYA competent crew certificates and unforgettable experiences at sea.
• Wiltshire Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuring Pathway Days, young people participate in conservation work with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Activities include environmental management, learning to coppice and pollard trees, and constructing willow branch screens.
• Beard ConstructionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeard Construction is the sponsor of the Wiltshire 3 Peaks Challenge. Their support helps fund life-changing experiences for vulnerable young people through adventure camps and one-to-one mentoring.
• CodestoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIT company Codestone took on the Hike Bike Paddle challenge, raising over £5,000 for YAT. Company values of inspire, achieve, transform align with YAT goals.
• Taylor WimpeymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTaylor Wimpey partners with YAT for employee team building challenges including hikes and strategic activities to raise funds for YAT and other local charities.
• Call of The WildcoreTechnology or IntegrationActivity provider delivering outdoor activities including climbing during Mountain Camp. Their staff lead young people through challenging activities with encouragement and support.
• Black Rat CyclingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganiser of the Somerset Cycle charity event. Black Rat Cycling is well known for challenging and exciting routes in the South West, organising the 44km, 64km, or 109km routes through the Quantock Hills.
• ASDA BridgwaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerASDA Bridgwater provides feed stations for the Somerset Cycle event, generously stocking refreshment stops for cyclists.
• Schools and Youth OrganisationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational institutions and youth organisations across Somerset and Wiltshire identify and refer vulnerable young people aged 11-16 to participate in YAT programmes.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Citizen Service (NCS): Government-backed UK programme for 16-17 year-olds featuring outdoor team activities, social action and skills development. Comparable cohort and outdoor-adventure methodology, though slightly older and nationally scaled.
• The Prince's Trust: Large UK youth-development charity supporting 11-30 year-olds facing disadvantage through mentoring, training, and outdoor activity. Broader mandate and significantly larger scale, but operates comparable adventure, mentoring, and skills programmes for vulnerable youth.
• Scouts UK: UK youth organisation delivering outdoor adventure, skills, and personal development programmes for ages 4-25. Overlapping outdoor-activity methodology and youth-development mission, though much larger in scale and mixed participant base.

Direct peers

• Outward Bound Trust: UK charity delivering outdoor adventure and residential programmes for young people aged 11+, including vulnerable groups. Closest functional analogue to YAT's adventure-camp model with comparable participant demographics and school-referral channels.
• Brathay Trust: UK charity running outdoor adventure programmes and residential experiences aimed at improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people. Comparable mission, methodology, and beneficiary cohort to YAT.
• The Duke of Edinburgh's Award: Long-running UK youth development programme centred on outdoor expedition, volunteering, and skill-building for 14-24 year olds. Highly comparable target demographic and outdoor-adventure methodology, with similar school and community referral pathways.

Others

• Woodland Trust: UK conservation charity partnering with YAT on Pathway Days and operating youth-facing outdoor engagement programmes. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust: Local conservation charity providing activity-day partnerships to YAT. Thematically aligned via outdoor youth engagement but operates as an activity supplier rather than a competing programme provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-adventure-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Youth Adventure Trust