PGL and Regatta Great Outdoors join forces to get more young people and families kitted out for adventure
PGL, the UK’s biggest outdoor education provider has announced an extension of its partnership with Regatta Great Outdoors with the provision of 6,000 waterproof jackets and trousers for school visitors to its centres.
Following on from its collaboration with PGL Kids’ Camps and Family Breaks, Regatta, a family-owned leading retailer of outdoor wear has now also, officially partnered with PGL Schools and Youth Groups. Alongside reduced prices for PGL adventure-ready Kit, this year, Regatta will now support thousands of young people visiting PGL as part of our organisation’s ‘Breakthrough Fund’.
“PGL has funded over £2 million of trips for school groups who wouldn’t be able to afford an outdoor adventure, “said Helen Monks, Brand Director for Regatta, “but we understood that for many whilst this removed some barriers to participation, schools still didn’t have the funds for the necessary outdoor equipment.”
We know that part of the enjoyment of any outdoor experience is having the right clothing for adventure, so we are ensuring there are supplies of clothing at every centre for children to use whilst at PGL.”
For Michelle Evans, Director of Product & Marketing at PGL Beyond, this was the perfect way of driving the partnership forward with purpose. “At PGL Beyond we are committed to unlocking the potential in young people to really create brighter futures, and our Breakthrough Fund has gone a long way to achieve this.”
“We know that for some schools this has been hugely valuable and allowed them to be able to create these opportunities but to have the support from Regatta to ensure any child could utilise the clothing stocks they have provided has been a real game changer.”
One of the schools to benefit from this initiative was Tinsley Meadows Primary Academy from Sheffield. The school, which received a Breakthrough Fund trip, which allowed many children their first ever residential.
“The opportunity to experience a residential trip is a valuable and memorable primary school event, which we want as many of our children to access as possible. This year, the Breakthrough Fund has enabled more of our families to participate in this year’s trip and the offer from Regatta has ensured that all children are much better equipped to fully participate and enjoy all aspects of the residential experience,” says Tania Macpherson, Principal, Tinsley Meadows Primary School.
Whilst PGL Beyond has been able to support over 17,000 children to have access to residentials since launching the Breakthrough Fund in 2023, there are still many young people where the financial barrier still remains an issue.
In Scotland, where the Schools Residential Bill was passed in December last year, and was granted royal assent in February, all pupils in state and grant-aided schools will have the chance to experience at least four nights and five days of residential outdoor education during their school career. For Michelle Evans of PGL Beyond, this is something that needs to happen across all of the UK.
“We firmly believe that out of the classroom experiences should be a given, not a privilege, and it is vital that every young person has this opportunity during their school years,” says Michelle.
We are encouraged by the hard work Liz Smith MSP has undertaken in Scotland which has also been championed in both Wales and England, but the reality is still too many children are missing out on these vital educational opportunities. They really are part of their journey into shaping brighter futures, and the transition into adulthood and we implore for this to be considered further.”
