Outward Bound Hong Kong

Outward Bound Hong Kong is a not-for-profit organisation based in Sai Kung, with headquarters at Tai Mong Tsai and an island base on Wong Wan Chau. Its facilities and resources include a 67-foot sail training yacht named the Spirit of Outward Bound Hong Kong, a world-class rope course and a fleet of sea kayaks and ketches. All the resources are checked regularly and maintained according to international safety standards.

The organisation 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. Hong Kong residents are eligible for courses subsidised by the government’s Continuing Education Fund, which covers up to 80 per cent of the course fees. These programmes help individuals become more confident and effective in the workplace and better equipped to handle challenges in their careers.

Outward Bound Hong Kong (OBHK) is a member of Outward Bound International, which was founded in Britain in 1941 and is the world leader and originator of experiential education, operating more than 30 schools worldwide. OBHK was established in Hong Kong in 1970 to provide personal development programmes for local people to learn essential life skills and reach their maximum potential. It is the first and only experiential education organisation in Asia to be accredited by the internationally renowned Association for Experiential Education.

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. In 2016, more than 7,000 people joined its courses in Hong Kong.

OBHK’s corporate department, Outward Bound Professional, works directly with companies to design courses that help their staff become more resilient, communicative, cohesive and innovative, ultimately benefiting the company itself. OBHK also works with schools, colleges, universities and charities to devise courses to help their students become caring and competent leaders.