Improving Wellbeing through Adventure: The Adventurer Club

“Money doesn’t bring you happiness, and I can be a testament to that. Just over four years ago I quit the high-octane life of global IT sales and moved to North Wales. My life had been outwardly amazing but inwardly conflicted. I had to find my purpose.”

Adventure has long been Jason Rawles' obsession: he believes it can improve our wellbeing, self-esteem and purpose. So after a few years of soul searching, he founded The Adventurer Club to share his passion for adventure with others.

The Adventurer Club’s purpose is two-fold: firstly, to bring people together as a community, improve their skills and confidence, reconnect them with their inner adventurer, and help them see that anything outdoors, from walks around lakes to scaling summits, can be classed as an adventure; secondly, to reinvest all profits back into socially responsible adventure projects.

There are millions of people who do not have the means to experience adventure: they could come from a disadvantaged background, be living with mental health issues or simply be lacking support for their goals, aspirations and dreams. As Jason explains:

“I came from a single parent family that didn’t have much money, but I was lucky enough to find the Air Training Corps, which nurtured my passion. However, not many people get this opportunity or can afford adventure activities. The Adventurer Club aims to help more people find meaning and purpose with affordable, accessible adventures.”

The Adventurer Club is a paid-for membership, but in return it gives people access to events, skills, workshops and discounts that will justify a return on their investment. More importantly, perhaps, they become part of an amazing community where they can share inspiration and make new friends. So far, the club has run walks on Snowdon (including a guided walk for single-parent families), adventure talks and navigation skills days. The club is also making some video content to help show how people with Autism can use adventure as a therapy.

“I set up this initiative in North Wales because I’m passionate about its amazing natural environment, culture and history. My vision is that we bring groups, schools and organisations to the area and use local organisations to deliver adventure activities, which should also have a positive effect on the economy. The Adventurer Club is set up as a Community Interest Company, and all profits will be invested back into the company. My goal is to deliver over £100,000 in funded projects by the end of 2020.”

If you’d like to join or purchase our environmentally-friendly merchandise, please visit https://www.theadventurerclub.co.uk/.

Jason Rawles FRSA is Chief Adventure Officer of The Adventurer Club and is passionate about leveraging adventure for positive social change. To contact him with thoughts and feedback, use the details in his member profile.