our STORY
Venture Out has been a lifelong dream
While only meeting for the first time in 2015 on a Masters Course in NUIG, Barry and Nick quickly identified that they had the same vision and Grá for the outdoors. Both came together with the same understanding that Ireland has not met the same heights as other countries with regards the potential of the outdoors. Outdoor Developmental Work is very much embedded in our neighboring countries and are utilised to great effect, changing individuals and whole communities. Through their roles within the social care fields, they identified that outdoor programmes were, broadly speaking, under valued throughout the mainstream social service organisation and passionately believed that something needed to change.
INCLUSIVE, AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE
Having identified this gap, Barry and Nick knew that by designing and delivering outdoor developmental programmes in a more inclusive, affordable and sustainable manner, they could positively affect the lives of individuals and communities living in disadvantage. From this starting point, Venture Out Wilderness was established as a Charity, with an ambition to grow an organisation that gives the outdoors a voice among the myriad of mental health and well-being, and personal development focused interventions that exist within social care professions. By establishing in such a manner, Venture Out are able to provide our interventions to the people and communities most in need, at little or no cost to the participants involved.