March 2021 Expeditions Update: FAQs

In response to the latest information we have received in relation to the global coronavirus pandemic, British Exploring Society has made the decision to cancel all overseas activity in 2021. Our decision-making was driven entirely by external factors and was made at the earliest possible moment when the data we were receiving indicated that these programmes were unlikely to proceed successfully this summer. We will be delivering activities in the UK this year. Our priority will always be the wellbeing of our Young Explorers and the teams who support them. Although we’re clear that this is the right course of action, we also understand the impact it will have on our Young Explorers and their families and carers, and we are very sorry to have to give you such difficult news.

In 2021, British Exploring Society moved to a new Fundraising model where we ask young people to fundraise towards British Exploring Society as a charity instead of paying for their place on expedition. Our donors, trusts and foundations subsidise all places on expedition and all of our Young Explorers benefit from their generosity.

You will remember when you signed up for a programme with us for this year, that you agreed to fundraise in order to make a donation towards our work as a charity. Although this donation is not related to the costs or delivery of the programme you were joining us for, we have asked the Charity Commission for discretionary consent to return your donations to you should you wish if you are unable to join us on a UK adventure.

We would love for Young Explorers / Trainee Leaders who were planning to join an overseas expedition in 2021 to continue your journey and complete your expedition with us. At this stage, we are not in a position to open recruitment for our 2022 programmes. However, if you would like us to hold you a place until we have more information about next year, we are happy to do this.

We can offer you a refund for the amount that you have already paid towards the Trainee Leader programme, excluding the modules that you have already completed. Further information will be sent to you on the next steps to obtain your refund.

Please get in touch with a member of the Engagement Team who will be able to discuss options available to you.

We would love for Young Explorers who were planning to join an overseas expedition in 2021 to continue your journey and complete your expedition with us. This might mean being able to transfer to a UK expedition instead. Further detail about this option will be communicated to you via email. Please get in touch with the Engagement Team if this is something you would like to do and we will make arrangements with you.

Currently, we are looking to adapt the Trainee Leader programme to be delivered in the UK while still achieving the key outcomes and ensuring the key experiences take place. We will not have a definitive new package for you in the next two weeks but are happy to hold your place until we have more information. You can then decide whether to withdraw or to continue your journey with us.

Yes! We have been delivering our interactive Wildestan Adventures over the past year so that you can stay connected and experience the excitement of expedition life through a range of engaging activities and adventures – even if we have to stay at home. We hope you’ll join us on these to challenge yourself and have some fun through what is continuing to be a difficult year. Through these adventures, we’ll connect you with our inspirational Leaders who may have joined you on expedition. You can find out more about Wildestan here or by getting in touch with the Engagement Team.

Young Explorers fundraise in many different ways and, in some cases, this may include securing donations from charitable trusts and individual donors on the basis of British Exploring Society’s charitable objectives.

Where Young Explorers have received donations specifically to support these charitable activities, and if the Young Explorer chooses to have their donation returned to them, they should contact those donors/supporters wherever possible to explain that their money will not be used for the purpose they gave it. The donor can then choose what they would like you to do with their donation.

Safety remains British Exploring Society’s top priority. The management of COVID-19 in the UK is changing rapidly and we will continue to monitor the situation between now and the expedition’s departure date. Whilst we remain optimistic that it will be safe for Young Explorers to travel in the UK before our summer UK expeditions are due to depart, we will let you know if we think there continues to be an unacceptable risk from COVID-19.

All members of British Exploring Society expedition teams are required to complete a comprehensive medical form called our “Supporting You” form before they can participate in an expedition. Young Explorers with an underlying medical condition should declare this on their “Supporting You” form. A member of our medical team will review whether you might be at additional risk from COVID-19 and advise if it will be safe for you to participate.

No – at the current time, UK expeditions in the summer have not been cancelled. British Exploring Society will continue to review its expeditions in the UK in 2021. We are monitoring government advice closely and will be in contact with Young Explorers and Leaders engaged in these expeditions with any updates or changes to programmes in due course.

At present, unfortunately, it is too early for us to say which locations we will be travelling to in 2022. Further information about opportunities to defer or transfer your place to an alternative programme will be communicated to you individually via email when we have more information.

The global situation remains very uncertain and whilst we hope that by 2022 many of our expeditions will be back to normal, events in 2020 and 2021 have proved that there can never be any guarantees. We will continue to plan our 2022 expeditions as normal but will be monitoring the global situation and will be in touch directly with Young Explorers and Leaders in the event that the situation changes.

Whilst we are no longer delivering overseas expeditions in 2021, it is possible that a young person might contract COVID-19, or indeed any other illness, whilst on a UK expedition. In the event that a young person contracted COVID-19 on a UK expedition, our qualified and trained expedition team would follow normal medical protocols to ensure that they got the NHS care they needed before liaising with home contacts to arrange for their self-isolation.

We are fortunate to have a brilliant community that is committed to supporting our charitable objective, even when all our circumstances change. We would love to hear your ideas and involve you further in this journey with us. If you are a Leader, you may have received an email from us with further details about how to contribute ideas and get involved. Alternatively, please drop us an email anytime. We really look forward to hearing from you.

Following government guidelines, British Exploring Society’s team has been working from home since Tuesday 17th March 2020. To reach a member of our team, please call 0204 534 0777.

To reach a member of British Exploring Society’s team please email explorers@britishexploring.org or call us on 0204 534 0777.