News

We had wonderful evening at Café Linea in Chelsea last night (Tuesday 13 October 2026). It was our annual Odyssey Circle gathering – where we bring together supporters, guests, cadets and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) to celebrate the life-changing opportunities that challenge and adventure can provide. Our sincere thanks to the Earl Cadogan DL

The Ulysses Trust is pleased to offer a limited number of bursaries to Officer Cadets, Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers who are aged 18-25 to attend the Royal Geographical Society’s (RGS) Explore event 6-8 November 2026 at the Royal Geographical Society, London. We also have a special discount code for those who want to attend, who are not eligible for

On 15 July 2026, we held the Ulysses Trust’s Annual Gathering at HMS President — a lunchtime event bringing together our volunteers, trustees, Ambassadors, Vice Patrons, staff and special guests to celebrate the contribution of all our volunteers, reflect on our work and look towards the future. Hosted by our Chair, Brigadier Tim Seal, the

Honouring a life of service by creating opportunities for the future The Ulysses Trust is honoured to launch the Mark Pendleton Bursary, established in memory of Lieutenant Mark Pendleton RNR, whose lifelong passion for the sea, service and developing young people continues to inspire others. Mark served in the Royal Naval Reserve during the 1980s

We are delighted to announce that the Ulysses Trust has been awarded silver status in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. This award recognises organisations that demonstrate a meaningful commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, veterans, Reservists, and their families. We believe this recognition will help strengthen our mission, enabling us to

We’ve crunched the numbers and are delighted to present our Impact Report Summary for 2025. Since 1992 we have extended grants totaling nearly £4.37 million to support over 47,235 young people participating in over 3,240 expeditions. In 2025 we supported 142 expeditions, 3,235 participants with grants totalling £369,307 – our best year ever! Note: The

Join Dr. Amelia Rudd, polar expedition leader, endurance athlete and inspirational speaker, for an exciting talk on how adventure builds powerful leadership skills and resilience. Through real-life stories from some of the most challenging environments on Earth, learn how adventure can help you expand your comfort zone, and how these experiences can be applied to everyday

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

The Ulysses Trust is honoured to announce that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has become Royal Patron of The Ulysses Trust charity. The Ulysses Trust fosters confidence, resilience, and self-awareness by providing funding and expert guidance for challenging and adventurous expeditions undertaken by members of the UK’s Volunteer Reserve and Cadet Forces. These

The Ulysses Trust Outstanding Service Award celebrates Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) who have made an exceptional contribution to the development of cadets through challenge and adventure. This new award recognises volunteers who plan and deliver cadet expeditions supported by The Ulysses Trust, highlighting both the benefits to the young people who take part and

The Ulysses Trust is pleased to offer a limited number of bursaries to Officer Cadets, Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers who are aged 18-25 to attend the Royal Geographical Society’s (RGS) Explore event 31 October- 2 November 2025 at the Royal Geographical Society, London. We also have a special discount code for cadets who

Online Talk – Monday 12th May 2025 In celebration of World Mental Health Week, Speakers for Schools in partnership with The Ulysses Trust hosted an inspiring talk with Sally Orange MBE—former British Army Major, multi-record-breaking adventure athlete, and passionate mental health advocate. From running marathons on every continent to cycling the length of Britain dressed

The Ulysses Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of Colonel Mark Siebenaller TD VR FRGS as a new Trustee to its board. With a distinguished career that spans over four decades in both business and the military, Colonel Siebenaller brings a wealth of experience that will greatly benefit the Trust. Mark’s military career began

Ulysses Trust ambassador Jordan Wylie MBE delivered a talk to the Speakers for Schools network entitled: Adventures in Resilience: A Journey to Mental Well-Being on Thursday 10th October 2024 – World Mental Health Day. Jordan is an award-winning adventurer, international bestselling author and one of the stars of channel 4’s BAFTA nominated shows “Hunted” and

Ulysses Trust Ambassador Levison Wood is a world-renowned explorer, writer, & photographer. Known for his epic expeditions across the globe, like walking the length of the Nile and trekking through the Himalayas. On 15 July 2024 Lev shared his stories with a live audience of over 20,150 young people who signed-up to watch and listen online

The Ulysses Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of two distinguished new Trustees to the charity’s board: Honor Wilson-Fletcher and Dawn McCafferty. Their extensive experience and shared commitment to enhancing opportunities for young people and cadets promise to be invaluable to the Trust’s mission. Honor Wilson-Fletcher MBE FBES FRGS brings 8 years’ experience from

Ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery? Don’t miss this broadcast with world-renowned explorer, writer, & photographer, Levison Wood. Known for his epic expeditions across the globe, like walking the length of the Nile and trekking through the Himalayas, Levison will share his incredible stories & insights into the transformative power of challenge &

We were honoured to be presented with the Geographical Prize 2024 from Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in South Kensignton, London on Monday 3 June 2024. The award is given to an organisation that has provided outstanding (non-commercial) support for individuals or groups learning through expeditions, and enables the impact that arises from challenge, exploration

2024 medal and award recipients announced today, Tuesday 7 May We’ve won an award! This morning, the Royal Geographical Society has announced its 2024 medal and award recipients and we are pleased to report that The Ulysses Trust will receive the Geographical Award. On hearing the news our CEO Polly Marsh said, “The whole team

Next week our CEO Polly Marsh will be taking part in an online presentation to the ‘Speaker for Schools‘ network. Polly will be giving a talk entitled: The Benefits of Challenge and Adventure – simple life changing. Polly will highlight how Adventurous Training helps build confidence, resilience – supports mental health, academic attainment – creates

The Ulysses Trust appointed a new Chair at the RAF Club in London yesterday. Brigadier Tim Seal (pictured left) took over from AVM Nick Kurth as our new Chair of Trustees on 8th August 2023. Tim has a background in business, the charity sector and the Reserve Forces. On his appointment Tim said, “It is

The Ulysses Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of its first CEO – Capt Polly Marsh DL. Polly joined our grants committee in 2021 as a volunteer and 12 months later she was appointed as a Trustee. Polly is passionate about the life-changing benefits outdoor activities can bring into the lives of young people.

Garth Miller climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest in record time (3 weeks from leaving home) – a tale of courage and determination that will inspire young people, and adults alike. Garth is an Army Reserve officer, a captain for British Airways, and an extra-ordinary mountaineer. His adventure was supported by The Ulysses Trust.   

Our Chairman, Air Vice-Marshal Nick Kurth, attended the Royal Geographical Society’s (RGS) EXPLORE 2022 event on Saturday 5th November 2022. The event included a presentation by Cadet Sergeants Nicole Mosquera and Gauri Shaji from 282 (East Ham) ATC Squadron (pictured left) regarding their expedition to Costa Rica which was supported by The Ulysses Trust. Our

In 2022 we introduced a Volunteer Recognition Scheme, to acknowledge the hard work undertaken by our team of volunteers to support the Trust. The charity is run mainly by volunteers with only a handful of paid staff, so it is important to recognise the vital support provided by our fantastic team. A series of badges

The 2021 Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Award was presented by ACM Sir Simon Bryant at The Ulysses Trust’s 30th Anniversary event at Cadogan Hall on Thursday 28 July. The event was a celebration of the Trust’s 30 years of grantmaking during which it has supported over 40,000 reservists, university cadets and cadets to take part

We were featured on BFBS radio recently to showcase our partnership with the Veterans’ Foundation. If you visit our website you can follow the links to listen to the interviews with Major General David Shaw CBE and Major John Stopford-Pickering.

Our Chairman of Trustees, Air Vice-Marshal N J E Kurth has got a smile on his face. After many weeks of early starts and cycling in sub-zero temperatures Nick has passed his target of £1,000 in sponsorship. Nick is raising money for The Ulysses Trust by cycling the Ride London – Essex 100 on 29th

We are delighted to have two new recruits join our board of Trustees. Polly Marsh and Colonel Paul Edwards MBE have been volunteering for the Trust as members of our Grants Applications Committee in Spring 2021 and have recently accepted the invitation to join our Board of Trustees. Polly is passionate about young people being

Reservist attempts to beat record London – Everest – London. On Monday 2nd May Army Reservist Garth Miller embarked on a unique expedition to Nepal in an attempt to set the ‘fastest known time’ from London to the summit of Mt Everest and back again. Garth’s ambitious ‘Man V Mountain’ expedition coincides with the Trusts’

Our Chairman of Trustees, Air Vice-Marshal N J E Kurth CBE FRGS is back in the saddle, once more, raising funds for The Ulysses Trust. Nick completed the Ride London – Surrey 100 in 2018 and again in 2019 to raise funds for the Trust. And he’s doing it all again in 2022! ‘With events

The second of our prestigious 2019 Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Awards was presented by Lord-Lieutenant of Fife, Robert Balfour, yesterday. The Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Awards highlight the very best in leadership, challenge, courage and planning. The annual awards are selected from over one hundred Cadet and Reservist expeditions supported by The Ulysses Trust, whose

We would like to thank everyone who joined us during our ‘Seeking New Horizons’ event which took place on 17th June 2021. This online presentation was organised to introduce members of the Army & Navy Club to the work of The Ulysses Trust and provide a detailed insight into on how the cadet and expedition

AT LAST! The day we have been looking forward to for over a year is nearly here. On 29th May 2021, cadets from 2344 (Longbenton) Air Cadet Squadron will be the first cadets to deploy on expeditions supported by The Ulysses Trust since March 2020. The cadets have already been preparing as they ventured outside

It is with great sadness that we announce that Ulysses Trust Vice Patron, Clive Richards Esq CBE KSG DL, passed away peacefully at home on Friday 16th April. Clive was a generous supporter of The Ulysses Trust for many years. Clive was a supporter of the DARC STAR expedition which ultimately led to the creation

The first of our prestigious awards was presented by Lord-Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross, Mr Stephen Leckie on Monday. The Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Awards highlight the very best in leadership, challenge, courage and planning. The annual awards are selected from over one hundred Cadet and Reservist expeditions supported by The Ulysses Trust, whose patron

Tile Cross Academy has won the school/college category of the prestigious Social Mobility Awards 2020. The award was announced on Thursday 8th October 2020 during a special online awards ceremony. On making the award to Tile Cross Academy, the organisers commented that the Academy was: “Committed to providing equal access to education and opportunities to

We are delighted to announce that Brig Paul Orchard-Lisle CBE has agreed to become a Vice Patron of The Ulysses Trust. Paul has been a significant and generous supporter of the Trust since 1993 and has recently supported the Trust as Chairman of our Campaign Planning Committee. Paul is widely known and respected within the business

David Benest sadly died of heart disease on 10 August 2020. David’s wife Genevieve and sister Jacquetta have expressed a wish that In Memorial donations be made to The Ulysses Trust. David retired as a colonel in 2009, after an active and successful career in the British Army. Settling in the village of Manningford Abbots

IMPORTANT MESSAGE RE: COVID-19 and Expedition Cancellations If you have you have been allocated a grant from The Ulysses Trust and have had to cancel or postpone your plans, please email our Hon. Treasurer Major Stephen Wright TD: hontreas@ulyssestrust.co.uk Please quote the expedition reference number in all communications. Many thanks.

The Ulysses Trust has been featured in the latest edition of Pennant Magazine – The Journal of the Forces Pension Society. In the article our Vice Chairman, Phil Neame, tells the story of the unexpected outcome of a winter attempt on Mount Everest. The magazine is circulated to the 60,000+ members of the Forces Pension

Cycling across Mongolia, snowshoeing in the Alps and exploring the depths of Scapa Flow are some of the highlights of The Ulysses Trust’s 2019 Prince of Wales’s Expeditionary Awards. Each year the Trust presents the awards for the best expeditions it has supported in the previous year. These awards highlight the very best in leadership,