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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts
Outward Bound's mission is 'to help people discover and develop their potential to care for themselves, others and the world around them through challenging experiences in unfamiliar settings. Courses are designed to foster confidence, responsibility, leadership, teamwork, creative thinking, problem-solving skills and social responsibility. The organisation uses challenges in the outdoors to help participants gain insights and skills that can be applied to work and real life situations. More than 8,000 people join OBHK's courses every year.
OBHK is based in Sai Kung, with headquarters at Tai Mong Tsai and an island base at Wong Wan Chau. OBHK has a wide range of facilities and resources, including a 67-foot sail training yacht, the Spirit of Outward Bound, a world-class rope course and a fleet of sea kayaks and ketches. All of OBHK's resources are checked regularly and maintained according to international safety standards.
OBHK offers public courses that cater to people of different ages and needs, taking participants to remote and scenic areas of Hong Kong that many people are unaware exist. It also offers expeditions to Mainland China, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
Hong Kong residents are eligible for courses subsidised by the government's Continuing Education Fund. With up to 80 per cent of the course fees covered by the fund, these programmes help individuals become more confident and effective in the work place and better equipped to handle challenges in their careers.
OBHK's corporate department, Outward Bound Professional, works directly with corporate organisations to design courses that help their staff become more communicative, cohesive and innovative, benefiting the organisation itself ultimately, OBHK also works with schools, colleges, universities and various charitable organisations to devise courses to help their students, teachers and social workers become caring and competent leaders.
Adventure Ship
Adventure Ship, a registered charity established in 1977, is the first charitable programme of its kind in Hong Kong. It operates Jockey Club Huan, a 34.5-metre sailing junk which provides educational training and recreation at sea for young people. Funded mainly by the Community Chest and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Adventure Ship is a member of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.
All young people above the age of nine are welcome to join the programme, which promotes personal development with its theme of 'learning by experience, but preference is given to disabled and underprivileged youths.
Jockey Club Huan went into service in April 2006. The aluminium-hulled three-masted traditional-rig sailing junk can accommodate up to 60 people and is equipped with modern navigational devices in addition to a full range of amenities and various barriers-free training facilities tailored for trainees with disabilities.
Around 10,000 young people benefit from the programme each year. The junk plies within Hong Kong waters, and each training trip lasts between one and three days. The training
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