The financial year was one of significant achievement. As we celebrate our 60th year of operation, it is a credit to the whole Outward Bound New Zealand team that strong progress was made on most of our set objectives.
This was achieved despite the significant impact of COVID on our operations and resources, and two major adverse weather events impacting Anakiwa. This meant that we operated at an average 65% capacity only throughout the year.
In the rapidly changing world we are all adapting to, the need to support our younger New Zealanders in their personal development has never been greater. It seems much of our education system is not delivering the basics in education to the required standard, and there is insufficient focus on teaching essential life skills. Our health system is also failing to provide adequate support in the areas of mental health.
Against this background, the need for programmes that build resilience, personal focus, self-belief, and social skills, has never been greater. Outward Bound has an increasingly important role to play in this regard and the demand for our courses continues to exceed capacity.
Significant progress has been made over the year in repositioning Outward Bound to expand the number of course participants we are able to support each year. Part of this expansion will be the opening of another course delivery site in the upper North Island. Assessment of operational requirements and course structures is well advanced and we expect to make a decision on location in Q2 2023.
As we have learned from many years of operating experience, these decisions need to be carefully developed and expansion taken in managed stages. The whole organisation needs to be positioned for this change. There are many moving parts from revised staff structures, to systems, and essential support funding that are all being progressed.
Course delivery outcomes as measured by our participant surveys, continue to be outstanding and we all acknowledge the skill and dedication of our instructor and delivery teams who consistently deliver this despite the many variables they must deal with daily. One of our long-standing projects is the definitive measure of the ROI to society of completing an Outward Bound course.
The engagement of Impact Lab to provide analysis of our course data together with post-course analysis enabled stage one of the project to be completed this year. The Impact Lab findings showed that in the first five years of a student returning from a course, every $1 invested returned $2 to New Zealand society. We then overlayed these results with international research conducted by Outward Bound International to look at the longitudinal impact. This demonstrated that over a working lifetime, every $1 spent supporting a student returns $12.70 in value back to New Zealand society.
This social value return strongly demonstrates the significant positive societal impact achieved by the generosity of our funders and supporters. I would like to extend, on behalf of the Outward Bound Board Team and our students, huge recognition, and thanks for your support. Without you, we could not deliver what we do, and many young New Zealanders would miss the life-changing opportunity to attend Outward Bound.
This generosity, which over many years has also grown our Foundation, enables us to survive and continue to deliver in the adverse times we have recently experienced. Our net operating deficit for the YE June 2021 of $686,000 was achieved after substantial efforts to reduce costs and achieve operating efficiencies wherever possible. Our continued operation is reliant on our generous supporters at times like these.
As is the nature of these annual reports, they are written some time after the end of the financial year. As I write this in early October we are in the midst of our 60th-anniversary celebrations. A week ago over 150 Outward Bound supporters and past Alumni attended the open day at Anakiwa as part of these celebrations. A wonderful event attended by some on the first course in September 1962.
The stories from these Alumni, and the common theme of how Outward Bound was such an enduring positive influence in their lives, were heart-warming, and reinforced what we know – Outward Bound makes a significant and enduring personal impact.
To our current Board, Foundation Trustees, CEO, management, and staff on which that responsibility lies, I wish to acknowledge you all for the significant efforts this year. It has taken huge dedication and effort which you continue to give, in your knowledge that what we do makes a real difference, to individuals, and ultimately to our communities and society.
Grant FaberTiamana | Chairperson
Alumni attending our 60th celebration
It is then timely to cast our minds back to thank all our founders, staff and supporters that over the past 60 years have contributed and built the successful organisation that we are today. Against that strong foundation, we must endure, grow and move forward.
