The Ulysses Trust is proud to have supported 13 young people to attend the Royal Geographical Society’s Explore weekend—one of the UK’s leading gatherings for expedition planning, field research, and adventurous training.
The aim of the bursaries was to inspire and enable future leaders to develop exciting and challenging expeditions for the years ahead. Those benefiting from the bursaries included a reservist, a Cadet Adult Volunteer and several Officer Cadets.
This year’s bursary recipients described the experience as transformative, expanding their skills, confidence, and ambition to deliver meaningful expeditions within their units.
India, from Manchester and Salford Universities Air Squadron, said the event pushed her beyond her comfort zone—especially when speaking at Postcards from the Field:
“It improved my public speaking skills hugely. I attended workshops on expedition planning, polar and marine environments, and met inspiring expedition medics. The weekend confirmed my desire to pursue a career in Expedition Medicine.”
For others, the impact was immediately practical. Adam from Southampton University Air Squadron (SUAS) shared how the weekend reshaped his unit’s expedition ambitions:
“The talks and workshops opened our eyes to what’s possible. We’ve already begun planning an 8-day canoeing expedition in Canada for summer 2026, involving three University Air Squadrons. The lessons learned at Explore are directly shaping our logistics, safety planning and leadership development.”
Officer Cadet Elly, a student nurse from Aberdeen & Tayforth Officer Training Regiment (Stirling Detachment) found the event invaluable for understanding how to build experience for future expeditions:
“I learned about citizen science, mental health first aid in the field, and climate-focused research. Speaking to exhibitors helped me understand the training and skills I should work towards. It was an amazing weekend—I gained so much from it.”
Each testimonial reflects why the Ulysses Trust funds attendance at RGS Explore: to equip young leaders with the expertise, networks, and confidence to deliver safe, ambitious and impactful expeditions.
The event was attended by members of The Ulysses Trust including a special appearance by Trust Ambassador, Ray Mears.
Our CEO, Polly Marsh also attended reflected on a fantastic weeekend,
“What a brilliant day at the Royal Geographical Society’s ‘Explore’ weekend. Last night we watched several university cadets delivering workshops and speaking to RGS audiences about their expedition experiences—an incredible opportunity for them, and they rose to it brilliantly. Today, another group from Oxford UOTC took to the famous Ondaatje Theatre stage to present their expedition to Nepal, and the compliments we received about all the cadet presenters were just wonderful. I hope they feel immensely proud of themselves.
We were also joined by our ambassador, Ray Mears, who spent the day with us and gave a superb talk on the importance of preparation and planning—sharing top tips for success and clear warnings about the pitfalls that can derail an expedition. We’re so grateful to him for his continued support.
It was a joy to meet so many university cadets supported by Ulysses Trust bursaries, enabling them to learn from some of the most experienced explorers and adventurers in the field. After seeing their passion and potential this weekend, I have no doubt that the next generation will go on to achieve great things.”
Bursary opportunities for the next Explore weekend will be announced in due course.
Cadets and CFAVs interested in applying are encouraged to monitor Ulysses Trust updates and to plan early for this unique professional development opportunity.
