Young Explorers’ Trust becomes Young Explorers’ Group

In the late 1960s, a wide range of organisations engaged in providing overseas expeditions for young people. It seemed a natural progression to create a formal platform to share advice, knowledge and support for all things related to expeditions and exploration. Thus in December 1968 at the Royal Geographical Society there was a meeting of representatives of exploring societies and bodies concerned with youth development training and environmental education. This group worked steadily in the next few years to create an organisation that would become known as the Young Explorers’ Trust (YET).

The situation in 2026 is very different. Now there are very few organisations nationally providing expeditions for individual young people, fewer expeditions being provided voluntarily by school teachers or regional charities, and — because of the long-lasting impact of Covid-19 — fewer commercial organisations making such provision.

The Young Explorers’ Trust has also been affected and its future as an independent charity supporting and promoting the benefits of youth expeditions has become in doubt. Therefore, after careful consideration, the YET Trustees reached an agreement with the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) to become an integral part of IOL as a Sector Specialist Group. The functions and accumulated experience of YET, built up over more than 50 years, is being brought to this new group known as the Young Explorers’ Group (YEG). YEG is open to all members of IOL who elect to register with this Sector Specialist Group.

Do follow the link to the YEG website to see how we can answer your needs and the support we offer to those interested in the provision of expeditions for young people, or better still join our membership.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Haydyn “H” Tanner FRGS
Committee Chair
Young Explorers’ Group
Institute for Outdoor Learning