Self-Storage Gisborne and Clark Charitable Trust have seeded an endowment fund at Sunrise to help local students attend the renowned Outward Bound course in the Marlborough Sounds.

Outward Bound has been transforming the lives of New Zealanders since 1962, with more than 65,000 young Kiwis attending courses designed to help them to reach their full potential through challenge and adventure in the outdoors.

The Tairāwhiti Outward Bound School Course has been developed in partnership with our local secondary schools. Each year fourteen local Year 12 students – a ‘watch’ - will be selected because they show commitment at school, but are not necessarily achieving to their full potential. 

Self-Storage Gisborne director Peter Jex-Blake sent facility manager Polly Taukamo on an adult course earlier this year to celebrate her five years at the company. 

Polly’s initial thoughts when Peter offered it to her were ‘gee that feels more like a punishment rather than a reward” and that “a holiday at a resort would be just dandy’.

However, she took up the challenge and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, coming out with a massive sense of achievement and pride.

Peter says that “Polly came back fizzing” and he wondered how they could give more people the same opportunity.

He believes the schools course is important as “with the social needs this region has, we thought if we can reach children before they leave school, this is an opportunity to turn young kids into role models.”

“The good thing about it is Outward Bound actually work with the schools to choose the kids. They will be kids that don’t have the resources to attend something like this. They could also be under-achievers at school but have been identified as having potential to become leaders at school, and then when they leave school they could go on to be leaders in their community or in their workplace.”

The regional schools programme helps teens to build courage and resilience, and experience success as a member of a team. They also learn to identify their own values, develop an appreciation for the natural environment and gain experience being of service to others. 

Peter says the “aspirational goal is to build the Tairāwhiti Outward Bound Fund up so it could continuously provide the $60,000 needed each year to fund a fourteen person watch”. 

“Self-Storage Gisborne and Clark Charitable Trust have each committed to donating $10,000 a year, $20,000 in total. Half of this will go into the endowment fund for future students and half will be used for that years intake.”

“The challenge now is to get other businesses, individuals or charitable trusts on board to fund the rest. As more donors become involved it will become self-funding eventually.”

Read more about the Tairāwhiti Outward Bound fund

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