LONDON — Burberry is launching a partnership with the Outward Bound Trust, an outdoor education charity, to provide greater access to outdoor learning to secondary school students in London, Leeds, Castleford and Keighley — regions connected to Burberry’s heritage.
The program will support students aged 11 to 18 so they can join outdoor activities, including hiking, abseiling, canoeing and overnight expeditions, at a low cost in 2024. The initiative is part of Burberry’s communities program, Burberry Inspire. Burberry employees will also volunteer their time to mentor participants.
The first event took place in March at Ullswater in the Lake District. Further challenges will take place in Penrith, Cumbria, as well as in Aberdovey, Eryri/Snowdonia.
The brand said the partnership stands on a shared history of protecting explorers from the elements.
Historic adventurers Ernest Shackleton, Arthur Clouston and Betty Kirby-Green wore garments made from the brand’s innovative fabric gabardine during their respective adventures, while the Outward Bound Trust’s training helped young seafarers to survive in harsh sea conditions.
Jonathan Akeroyd, chief executive officer at Burberry, said the company is “proud to continue the legacy of our founder and to support young people in the communities that are so deeply connected to our heritage.”
“We hope that with our shared passion for the outdoors and equally storied heritage, our partnership will inspire a new generation of young people to believe in themselves and have the courage to go beyond,” he added.
Martin Davidson, CEO at the Outward Bound Trust, said: “Through this partnership, Burberry is not just supporting Outward Bound, they’re investing in the future leaders of our country. It’s about lighting a spark of adventure, resilience and determination in young people, values that have been at the core of our mission since 1941.”
As of 2024, the Outward Bound Trust has six centers in the Scottish Highlands, Eryri/Snowdonia and the Lake District, impacting the lives of 25,000 young people per year.
Burberry Inspire is a joint effort between Burberry Group plc and the Burberry Foundation.
In 2020, the program brought artists in Yorkshire and New York together during lockdowns, creating virtual dance, sculpture and digital media artworks. Last year, Burberry Inspire expanded the scope via a partnership with the International Youth Foundation to help more than 500,000 young people, aged between 10 and 24, in the next three years “to unlock their creativity and drive positive change in their lives and communities.”
At the time, it was announced that eight regional partners would take part in the program. They are CSV Milano, Community Youth Center of San Francisco, Girls Inc. of New York City, Girl Scouts of Japan, Heart of Los Angeles, Future for Youth Foundation in Korea, New York Edge, and Onside in the U.K.
Burberry will report its fiscal 2023 preliminary results on May 15.
The brand said in Janurary that adjusted operating profit for the 2024 financial year ending March 30 will land somewhere between 410 million pounds and 460 million pounds, below previously stated guidance, due to a slowdown in demand for luxury goods worldwide.
