The Now on Earth Youth Adventure Grant is a new grant for 2023, aimed at supporting young adults aged 18-24 undertaking an adventurous expedition. We believe that adventure can have a hugely positive and long-term impact on self-confidence, resilience and fulfilment. At a time when mental health issues, particularly in teens and young adults, are spiralling out of control, we hope to give some young people the opportunity to challenge themselves, by offering some financial support for their adventure endeavours. Money should not, after all, be a barrier to attempting what could be a transformational life experience! By offering small grants we hope to make these adventures more accessible to more young people.

Our grant judges include Belinda Kirk of Explorers Connect, a leading voice promoting the benefits of adventure on wellbeing, and author of the best-selling, award-nominated book Adventure Revolution: The life-changing power of choosing challenge. Belinda has pioneered inclusive expeditions for people with disabilities, and led dozens of youth development expeditions around the world.

We’re facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that adventure and challenge are essential to our wellbeing. In westernised society in particular, the adventurous elements once commonplace in our children’s upbringing have been gradually stripped away by health and safety measures in schools and wider society, the drifting apart of larger, close-knit family groups and communities (which would once have collectively kept an eye on the children, giving them more freedom to explore within safe boundaries), and the risk-averse approach to parenting, often born of fears exaggerated by the constant bombardment, through our ‘always-on’ technology, of negative media stories.

This is an imbalance which urgently needs to be addressed. We’re advocates of the #adventurerevolution. By giving young people the opportunity to challenge themselves, adventure can lead them to uncover new perspectives, develop stronger social connections, lessen anxiety, increase self-belief, and access deeper levels of resilience.

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