Cover photo, L–R: Malindi MacLean, Outward Bound CEO; Melissa Cantell, Fidelity Life CEO; Wendy Thompson, Bellyful General Manager.
This year Outward Bound was selected alongside Bellyful, to be sponsored by New Zealand’s largest locally owned life insurer - Fidelity Life.
Sponsoring two local not-for-profit, organisations, Fidelity Life wanted to help bolster the charities’ respective operations and give back to New Zealanders in a meaningful way.
Fidelity Life Chief Executive Officer Melissa Cantell says Outward Bound was chosen based on the alignment to Fidelity Life’s brand and its purpose in making a tangible difference to New Zealanders today, and for future generations.
“As a proud New Zealand business, our brand is deeply rooted in the land, the people and our connection to nature. That gives us a sense of responsibility to protect what we’re proud of and ensure we’re contributing towards improving our society for all New Zealanders in a meaningful way.
“That’s why finding the right sponsorship fit is so important to us. Outward Bound was handpicked as we knew we could make a real impact, together.”
Fidelity Life’s sponsorship of Outward Bound offers twenty annual Classic course scholarships with the aim of reaching a diverse cross-section of young New Zealanders. One of those young people is 22 year old Jacob Mataiti - a barber from Wellington who is proudly one of Fidelity Life’s inaugural scholarship recipients.
Originally from Otautahi Christchurch, Jacob has been in Wellington for several years now. Jacob trained as a Muay Thai fighter but an injury paused that dream and required Jacob to refocus and reset his life journey. An emotionally intelligent young man, Jacob was actively looking for support and resources to help him find another pathway in life. However, from financially challenging circumstances, affording an Outward Bound course was a barrier for Jacob.
“I have been wanting to go to Outward Bound for over five years and Fidelity Life’s sponsorship has made this possible for me. My Classic course has by far been the most impactful three weeks of my life and the impact will undoubtedly continue to unfold as time goes on. For that, I am truly grateful.”
Jacob Mataiti
Separately, each year Fidelity Life staff and adviser partners are given the opportunity to realise their potential by taking part in a 5-day Outward Bound Professional course.
Leigh Bennett was one of the first Fidelity Life staff members to take up the opportunity.
“I’ve come away from the course with a few learnings that I’ll be implementing in my daily life. One is to try to have more quiet time to get more clarity on my thoughts.
The second is to be more present in those thoughts, but not just during those quiet times. In daily life, that means being more present in conversations, trying to just do one thing at a time and not thinking of 6 other things at the same time. Easier said than done, but I’ll give it a good crack!”
Leigh Bennett
Another aspect that Leigh found rewarding was to live in the moment more and relinquish always being in control – something she’s usually not comfortable with. “Not having any control over, or knowledge of what was coming next was an expected challenge for me – control and I typically have a close relationship. It took a day or two to be able to embrace it and not feel completely out of my depth.”
It's this type of leadership and personal growth experience that Fidelity Life believes will be invaluable for its staff.
“Stepping outside our comfort zone is often where we learn and grow the most. We can’t wait to see our scholarship recipients, our adviser partners and our people harness their Outward Bound experiences and build transferable skills and attitudes to take back to work, study and home, for life,” says Melissa.
Outward Bound Chief Executive Officer Malindi MacLean says the synergy the charity has found with Fidelity Life is something special.
“Being supported by organisations that understand the value of what we do and how it’s applied to the real world is important - and that’s what we’ve found in Fidelity Life.
The sponsorship will make a tangible difference to the lives of the young New Zealanders who receive the Fidelity Life scholarships, and we know they will go on to positively contribute to their communities across New Zealand.
“We’re seeing many of our youth struggling with their mental health, including dealing with the ongoing uncertainty from COVID, so providing an opportunity to equip them with skills to look after their wellbeing and build resilience is more important than ever.”
With students like Jacob still fizzing from their course, it’s clear the Fidelity Life sponsorship impact will burn brightly for years to come.
Pictured: Leigh Bennett, above - left of picture, and her Outward Bound watch, Blake 693.
Hyundai New Zealand’s Pinnacle Programme is growing our next generation of changemakers – and Outward Bound is a cornerstone of its success.
For the last 14 years, the two organisations have worked hand-in-hand to provide high-potential youth with the opportunity to unlock their capabilities and excel on the global stage. Together they’ve empowered hundreds of future leaders to blaze a trail in their fields of sports, science and business, to the arts, the environment and politics.
“Pinnacle Programme graduates end up all over the world – it’s a real conduit for growth and networks,” said Bernice Mene, former Silver Fern and Head of People and Programmes at Hyundai NZ with accountability for the Pinnacle Programme.
Split into three stages, the programme includes a ten-day voyage on the Spirit of New Zealand, a 21-day course at Outward Bound, and a four-day Kai Waho cultural and wilderness experience. There’s also a speaker series, goal setting and mentoring.
According to Bernice, the value Outward Bound brings to the programme is significant.
There are a lot of synergies between Pinnacle and Outward Bound. Both organisations are in the job of growing youth and developing their potential, and have always had a real connection to the environment. Our students are passionate about sustainability and want to make an impact.
Bernice Mene, Head of People and Programmes at Hyundai NZ
Ben Mollison
Bernice Mene
“Knowing who they are and where they come from is very important and both organisations help illuminate this.”
Students are required to apply for each stage of the programme. It's not easy to get in; the calibre of applicants is high, and the intake numbers are relatively low - 120 applied for seven places in this year’s first intake. But for those who make the cut, the experience is life-changing.
“Pinnacle graduates are like-minded; they are similarly motivated people. We select them on the premise they have that X factor and drive, but we also look for people that we can provide value to.”
Talented musician Ben Mollison was one of those people. Highly focused on forging a career in music, Ben was accepted onto the programme at the end of his final year at high school. He completed stage one with the Spirit of Adventure Trust shortly afterwards, and stage two with Outward Bound a few years later. He’s yet to complete stage three, but already the benefits have been vast.
“The Pinnacle Programme exposed me to challenges that encouraged self-belief and connected me to others who have supported me along that journey,” said Ben. “The collaborative nature of Spirit of Adventure and Outward Bound showed me the importance of helping others, and these challenges and experiences helped guide me towards decisions I might not have previously considered.”
The Outward Bound component of the Pinnacle Programme focuses on personal development and growth, and according to Bernice offers precious pause for attendees.
She said, “Outward Bound is a time to reflect, make changes and think about how to make a difference in this world.
A lot of our students are in their twenties and they’re at full speed, going at a million miles an hour. This is the time to nurture all aspects of themselves and achieve some balance."
This was certainly the case for Whangarei’s Andrew Wech who completed stage two in May.
Now working as an Environmental Monitoring Officer for Northland Regional Council – and running half marathons in his spare time – Outward Bound equipped Andrew with invaluable leadership skills and the ability to push beyond what he thought he was capable of.
Andrew Wech, Hyundai Pinnacle Programme Graduate
“On Outward Bound I realised that being a leader doesn’t mean taking the lead every time – it means recognising what your team needs and being that, while everyone in your team feels heard,” said Andrew, who has subsequently received the NZ Police He Tohu Aroha award for his community approach to teamwork during a six-week military defence leadership course.
“The Pinnacle Programme has had a dramatic impact on my life. Following Outward Bound I unenrolled myself from studying for a master’s degree to pursue my newly discovered taste for discomfort and seek a better understanding of who I am as an individual and the fingerprint I want to leave on this planet. I was accepted onto courses I’d never have done if I hadn’t stopped studying.
“Without these experiences and the maturity and grounding that living them gave me, I’d never have been able to land such an epic job with Northland Regional Council. I continue to live my life using my key values as my compass, and am only capable of running my third half marathon thanks to Outward Bound and the Pinnacle Programme.”
The powerful impact Hyundai’s programme has had on students like Ben and Andrew is unequivocal, and Outward Bound CEO Malindi MacLean couldn’t be prouder of Outward Bound’s contribution.
“It is a privilege for us to be a longstanding partner of the Pinnacle Programme. Now more than ever, we need to be empowering our young leaders in a way that sets them up for the challenges of the future. Pinnacle graduate are shaping our future, and they will need the resilience and optimism to face societal issues like climate change, inequality and digital disruption."
