APPLICATIONS CLOSE 20TH DECEMBER
#GetOutDoStuff Grant
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THE #GETOUTDOSTUFF GRANT
IN MEMORY OF DAVID MARTIN
It's time to Get Out and Do Stuff with our new grant which could help fund your next adventure.
Whether you dream of riding around the world on a scooter and sidecar or walking to the top of the biggest hill in your local area, the #GetOutDoStuff grant is here to help you make that dream a reality!
BACKGROUND
#GetOutDoStuff was David Martin's idea. Dave had a simple idea, to spread the message that life is short and while we're here, we need to make the most of it and #GetOutDoStuff.
Dave embodied this phrase. He served as an inspiration to thousands of people, us included. Dave was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in 2016. He was told there was no cure but an experimental drug might buy him some time. The drug wasn't available on the NHS so Dave had to work out how to fund this really expensive treatment himself at the same time as dealing with the brutal side affects of the chemotherapy and the brutal symptoms of the cancer itself.
Most people would have accepted that life had dealt them a terrible hand and it was time to tap out, but not Dave. He spent the next six and a half years living more adventures than most people do in a full life time.
Dave went through 100 rounds of chemotherapy and fought to add years on to life. He lived in a cycle of one week of chemo and feeling horrendous and then one week of adventure and living life!
In those precious one week windows, Dave rode his motorbike from Land's End to John O'Groats, drove through the Alps, explored Croatia, ventured through ice caves in Iceland and even rode Route 66 across America and got married to his amazing partner Krina in Las Vegas!
Dave proved it's not about how much time you have, it's how you spend it.
In his memory we've set up this grant to help you make the most of your time here and we hope that in doing so you can carry Dave's mantra forward and inspire more people to #GETOUTDOSTUFF!
THE ARMCHAIR ADVENTURE FESTIVAL
New here and wondering what the heck the Armchair Adventure Festival is? We are the UK's best celebration of adventure travel. The festival was founded by Matt and Reece (AKA The Sidecar Guys) during the first covid lockdown as a way of connecting adventurers when we couldn't leave our living rooms. In the 3 years since the festival has been around we have held a number of virtual events, two in-person festivals and raised more than £15,000 for good causes.
Our purpose now is to celebrate adventure travel and inspire more people to embrace the positive impacts adventure can have on your life.
This years festival will be held from 27th-31st July at Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Cornwall and it will be a full on weekend of tales of adventure, activities to get involved with and live music. Find out more here.
THE ARMCHAIR ADVENTURE FESTIVAL
New here and wondering what the heck the Armchair Adventure Festival is? We are the UK's best celebration of adventure travel. The festival was founded by Matt and Reece (AKA The Sidecar Guys) during the first covid lockdown as a way of connecting adventurers when we couldn't leave our living rooms. In the 3 years since the festival has been around we have held a number of virtual events, two in-person festivals and raised more than £15,000 for good causes.
Our purpose now is to celebrate adventure travel and inspire more people to embrace the positive impacts adventure can have on your life.
Our next festival will be held from 24th-27th July at Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Cornwall and it will be a full on weekend of tales of adventure, activities to get involved with and live music. Find out more here.
Applications are now open for #GETOUTDOSTUFF adventure travel grants! Thanks to the amazing fundraising efforts of the Armchair Adventure Festival community and the support of the Change Your World Fund there is more than £5,000 up for grabs in #GETOUTDOSTUFF grants! for the second year running!
Each grant has it's own criteria but to give you a general idea of what we are looking for here's some 'must' and 'good' to haves. But remember, ANYBODY can apply. If for any reason you're struggling with your application please feel free to send any questions to contact@armchairadventurefestival.com
Must haves
1. This adventure has to be about YOU getting out and doing stuff. It could be anything that is adventurous for you!
2. You have to be undertaking the adventure within the year of applying (if not, please wait to apply for the following year)
Good to haves - (as we expect a lot of applications, not everyone can be a winner so here's a bunch of good to haves. Please note you don't have to meet them all and you shouldn't try to change your trip to shoehorn them in!)
1. Your trip will inspire others to #GetOutDoStuff
2. Your trip will use the power of social media or other formats to reach more people with the message #GetOutDoStuff
3. Your trip will raise money for a good cause - bonus points for a cause close to Dave's heart including anything to do with mental health and bowel cancer.
4. Your trip will be environmentally and socially conscious and you'll consider the impacts of your adventure on the environments and communities you pass through.
5. Your trip will aim to harness the transformative power of adventure travel as a catalyst for change. Be that leaving positive mental and physical health benefits for you or to combat wider social and environmental issues within society
THE #GETOUTDOSTUFF
ARMCHAIR ADVENTURERS CHOICE AWARD
Maximum amount £3,000.00 | 1 available.
This grant is to be awarded for an epic adventure! It can be any kind of adventure and anyone can be undertaking it. So whether you're planning on crossing the Atlantic on a pedalo or cycling around the world on your BMX we want to hear from you. To win this one you have to be really getting out and doing stuff!
Here’s the criteria:
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This must be an epic adventure. By that we mean it has to be something that takes YOU firmly out of YOUR comfort zone.
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Your adventure will do good. It doesn’t matter if this means good for your mental health or good for society in general.
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Your adventure will inspire others to #GetOutDoStuff. Make sure you tell us how you will plan to do that.
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Your adventure has to be happening this year.
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We understand that things get in the way but you have to have a good plan of how to make this actually happen.
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You have to be able to attend either The Armchair Adventure Festival 2024 or a future AAF if you’re still on the adventure, to tell us about it.
How will it be awarded?
Applications must be submitted before the deadline of December 20th 2024. Applications will then be assessed and finalists will be picked. A public vote will then take place between the finalists on the Armchair Adventure Festival website. The grant will then be awarded to the winner after the voting finishes on 31st January.
Watch this quick video on the Armchair Adventurers Award
THE #GETOUTDOSTUFF
YOUNG ADVENTURER AWARD IN MEMORY OF ALISTAIR FARLAND
Maximum amount £1,000.00 | 1 available.
Watch this quick video on the Young Adventurers Award
This grant is in memory of Alistair Farland. Alistair sadly lost his life while riding his motorbike from Ushuaia to Alaska. Alistair was 24 when he lost his life on his adventure. His trip was intended to inspire more people of his age to take on adventures and see the world. He said that his trip forced him to realise that people are inherently good. Alistair learnt from his adventures that adventure travel allows you to understand people from different cultures and backgrounds to your own and that ultimately you realise that quirks aside we are all the same. This award is to go to anyone under the age of 30 who is taking on an adventure in 2024 or 2025.
Here’s the criteria:
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Anyone under the age of 30 can apply for this award.
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This must be an epic adventure. By that we mean it has to be something that takes YOU firmly out of YOUR comfort zone.
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Your adventure will do good. It doesn’t matter if this means good for your mental health or good for society in general.
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Your adventure will inspire others to #GetOutDoStuff. Make sure you tell us how you will plan to do that.
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Your adventure has to be happening this year.
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We understand that things get in the way but you have to have a good plan of how to make this actually happen.
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You have to be able to attend either The Armchair Adventure Festival 2025 or a future AAF if you’re still on the adventure, to tell us about it.
How will it be awarded?
Applications will be submitted by December 20th. Applications will be assessed during the month of January and a winner will be decided by our panel of judges. The winner will be informed in the month of January.
THE #GETOUTDOSTUFF
MICRO-ADVENTURES AWARDS
Maximum amount £500.00 | multiple available.
This grant is designed to help YOU take on YOUR personal 'Everest'. It doesn't need to a be a world first, Guinness world record breaking skateboarding trip around the moon. This one is to help you finally taking on that adventure you've been meaning to do that is personal to you.
Here’s the criteria:
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This must be an epic adventure. By that we mean it has to be something that takes YOU firmly out of YOUR comfort zone.
-
Your adventure will do good. It doesn’t matter if this means good for your mental health or good for society in general.
-
Your adventure will inspire others to #GetOutDoStuff. Make sure you tell us how you will plan to do that.
-
Your adventure has to be happening this year.
-
We understand that things get in the way but you have to have a good plan of how to make this actually happen.
-
You have to be able to attend either The Armchair Adventure Festival 2024 or a future AAF if you’re still on the adventure, to tell us about it.
How will it be awarded?
Applications will be submitted by December 20th. Applications will be assessed during the month of January and a winner will be decided by our panel of judges. The winner will be informed in the month of January.
Watch this quick video on the Micro-adventurers award
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE GRANT?
INDIVIDUALS
The best way to get involved is to #GetOutDoStuff!
Please #GetOutDoStuff and use the hashtag so we can reshare your posts. Talk about the grant in your posts so more people can hear Dave's story and #GetOutDoStuff. You can also share this webpage with anyone who might be interested in applying for or supporting the grant.
You can also donate to the grant here. All funds raised are ringfenced and 100% of the money raised goes to funding adventures. Some fundraising platforms take a small fee for their service but The Armchair Adventure Festival takes no fee and every penny that makes it into the grant goes to funding #GetOutDoStuff adventures.
BUSINESSES
Could your business become a sponsor of the grant? We are looking for sponsors to offer up matched funding for next years fundraising at Armchair Adventure Festival 2025. To do so we would like you to join our #GetOutDoStuff 100 club.
This means you pledge to match up to £100 of funding. So if AAF25 festival goers raise £100 your business will match that £100 and make it £200. You only have to match £100 though so we are looking for as many businesses as possible to join the club.
We will also ask all 100 club members to donate a prize of any size to our raffle. So for just a £100 donation and a raffle prize you can support this amazing grant and have your logo featured on this page!
If you want to go the extra mile you can take one of the 1000 club member spots and pledge £1,000. You'll get loads of extra exposure including a mention in our press release about the grant.
To become a sponsor please email contact@amrchairadventurefestival.com
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