THREE employees of Scotch whisky and gin producer, Chivas Brothers, pushed themselves to the limit to become Outward Bound Trust mentors during a recent trip to The Trust’s Loch Eil centre.
Fenella Letham of the company’s Finance team in Paisley, Rachel Higgins of the Glen Keith Technical Centre in Keith, Speyside and Kris Harrison of the Projects team in Paisley were chosen to become Chivas Brothers’ first ever employee mentors after being selected from several applicants for the coveted places.
While at Loch Eil they assisted a group of 30 pupils aged 13-14 from Uddingston Grammar school, who had been funded by Chivas Brothers to take part in the week-long residential Outward Bound course. They guided the pupils through a number of activities aimed at building their confidence and preparing them for the world of work – as well as helping educate them about entrepreneurship and what it means to be an entrepreneur.
Employee mentor, Fenella, said: “I was delighted to be selected as an Outward Bound mentor as it’s a fantastic scheme. The pupils were engaged and it was really rewarding to see them develop over the course of the week – learning that with the right combination of determination, hard work and support it is possible to achieve great things.
“As a mentor I was also able to develop my teamwork and leadership skills to bring back to the workplace. Without the financial support of Chivas Brothers some of the pupils may not have had this opportunity.”
Teacher, John Millar, of Uddingston Grammar, added: “We are very grateful to Chivas Brothers for the funding they provided. The pupils had a very enjoyable experience at Loch Eil and it was great to see them really challenge themselves as well as learning all about teamwork and developing skills they will use in the world of work. Fenella, Chris and Rachel were fantastic mentors and really helped bring the activities to life, alongside a team of excellent Outward Bound instructors.”
Chivas Brothers has been a patron company of The Trust since 2012, and has helped create courses with a particular focus on Entrepreneurship, so young people from areas close to its distilleries, warehouses and bottling plants can learn vital skills and build confidence for the world of work. Activities during the week included kayaking, camping, hill walking, rock climbing, assault courses and gorge walking.
Martin Davidson, Scottish director of the Outward Bound Trust, added: “The involvement of Fenella, Chris and Rachel really helped our instructors deliver learning that was relevant to the pupils’ everyday lives and to create an environment where we could highlight the importance of having an entrepreneurial spirit.
“This coupled with the funding provided by Chivas Brothers has really helped to ensure that young people have not only had an Outward Bound experience that otherwise would not have been possible, but also had an experience that will stand them in good stead as they continue to progress through school and into the workplace.”
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Notes to editors:
About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
About The Outward Bound Trust
The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity which raises over £5m a year in order to make an Outward Bound course available to up to 27,000 young people from across the UK each year. The Trust works with over 6,500 young people annually in Scotland, their goal being to increase the total number of Scottish participants each year to 10,000 by 2017.
They are the UK’s leading provider of bursary-assisted outdoor learning and are determined to make their courses as widely available as possible to all young people, irrespective of their financial circumstances. Currently just over 69 per cent of all course participants are financially assisted by an Outward Bound bursary.
To speak to a member of The Trust please call 0141 413 0244. For further details regarding The Outward Bound Trust, its numerous courses and how it operates, please visit www.outwardbound.org.uk
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