About Us
Helping young people grow and giving them the chance to achieve more than they thought possible, whatever their background.
Our Journey
1989
Hebridean Pursuits was born.
Founded by Andy Spink and Stephen Thomas, Hebridean Pursuits initially offered walking, sailing, and painting holidays. They soon began working with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, witnessing the positive impact of outdoor experiences on their confidence and aspirations.
1992
Rose’s Charitable Trust set up alongside Hebridean Pursuits.
The charitable trust enabled Andy and Stephen to secure grants, making activities more accessible for vulnerable youth. They offered outdoor residentials and sail training, reinvesting profits to support the Trust's mission.
1992 - 2020
Roses Charitable Trust (RCT) is in operation.
RCT and Hebridean Pursuits operated mainly from Tavool House on Mull until 2017, then moved to Glencoe and Arle Lodge. Over 28 years, they raised £1.7 million and supported over 6,000 disadvantaged youths.
2020
Hebridean Pursuits Outdoor Learning is formed.
In 2020, we became a charitable social enterprise, merging the efforts of Roses Charitable Trust and Hebridean Pursuits Ltd. We sustain our mission through diverse funding and private client work, maintaining our high standards.
Our Impact in Numbers
For over 35 years, we’ve been breaking down boundaries and launching young people into life-changing outdoor adventures! We pair exciting outdoor experiences with absolute safety, giving our adventurers the freedom to explore, push limits, and discover new heights.
35+
Years in the outdoors
20k
Adventurers guided safely
£3.5m
Raised to keep us exploring
Our Team
Andy Spink
Course Director and Instructor
I’ve completed all of Scotland’s Munros and have extensive walking and climbing experience in the UK, South America, the European Alps and the Himalayas too. I’ve surfed and sea kayaked in locations across the globe and have vast experience in coasteering for fun and as a trainer/assessor.
Learn more about Andy here.
Qualifications:
Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (WMCI)
International Mountain Leaders Award (IML)
BCU Level 5 Surf Kayak Coach Award
BCU Level 2 Canadian Canoe Coach Award
Snowboard Leader Award
BA Hons Fine Art Painting
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Fiona Colquhoun
Finance and Admin Lead
I have over 25 years finance and admin experience both as an employee and running my own business. I live in Oban with my husband and daughter and feel lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. Argyll is a wonderful place to live and I enjoy walking in the stunning countryside with my family. I appreciate how lucky I am to have the stunning hills, beaches and nature on my doorstep so it is wonderful to work with an organisation who offer young people from all over the country the opportunities to experience, share and enjoy this.
Development Crew
Funding Development
We work closely with the Development Support Crew, a team of third sector specialists, two of whom are based locally, who help us develop and deliver our fundraising strategy, strengthen our grants pipeline, and scale our impact. Their flexible support ensures we grow sustainably - so we can better serve young people experiencing disadvantage and maximise our community reach.
Learn more about them here.
Our Trustees
Hebridean Pursuits Outdoor Learning (HPOL) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and operates as a charitable social enterprise. The organisation is overseen by an experienced and skilled Board of Trustees who meet four times a year providing strong governance and oversight in line with HPOL’s constitution.
Geraldine Deighan
Lesley Burnie
Robbie Norval
Murdo MacDonald
Jill Nicholson
Child Safeguarding & GDPR Policy
Child Protection Policy
Our Child Protection Policy provides the framework for our trustees, employees and contract staff to understand our responsibilities and guides our actions in this regard.
DownloadGDPR
We are committed to handling your personal data with proper care in accordance to GDPR.
You can view our full Privacy Policy below.
Organisations & Accreditations
Registered Charity
We are a registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation in Scotland.
Our charity registration number is: SC049755
