UNCRC and The Outward Bound Trust

UNCRC & The Outward Bound Trust

The Outward Bound Trust is proud to operate within the recommendations of the United Nations Charter for the Rights of the Child.

There are a few assets that help understand the charter and what it means, as well as our documents demonstrating where and how we apply the articles within the charter:

Mission Alignment

The Outward Bound Trust’s Mission is to Inspire young people to realise their potential through learning and adventure in the outdoors.

As an organisation we believe, in the words of our co-founder; Kurt Hahn, that:

“We are all better than we know. If only we can be brought to realise this, we may never again settle for anything less.”

Our Core Values are:

1. That we all have undiscovered potential
2. In the power and intensity of learning through adventure
3. In the balance between risk, reward, and responsibility
4. In compassion and respect for each other, and for our environment
5. That staff and participants should always feel valued and encouraged to be themselves.

These are in line with the four general principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), namely:

• Article 2: Non-discrimination – Core Value 5 – No child should be treated unfairly on any basis

• Article 3: The best interests of the child – within Values 4 and 5 – Promotion of children’s health is a core part of their well-being, and being active contributes to the promotion of Children’s well-being. Adults must act in the best interests of the child.

• Article 6: Life, survival and development – within our mission, and Values 1-5 – Children have a right to live and be healthy.

• Article 12: Respect for the views of the child – within our mission and in Values 4 and 5 – The recognition that the child who is capable of forming his or her (or their) own views has the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.

The Outward Bound Trust in Scotland has embedded the principles of GIRFEC into its operation and recognises that these principles were drawn from the UNCRC.