At our outdoor activity centres, we believe every child should have the opportunity to experience a school residential or activity day with their classmates – no child should be left behind. To help make these experiences accessible, we offer a range of support including day rates, sibling discounts, SIMD priority discounts, and our School Bursary Fund.

SU Scotland’s School Bursary Fund

Our bursary fund was established to help schools offer these enriching experiences to pupils who face financial barriers, who may otherwise be unable to attend.

As one teacher shared:

“This bursary has enabled us to provide an overnight residential experience for our pupils, which would not be possible without this bursary fund. We cannot thank you enough for providing this and allowing our pupils this incredible experience, removing the financial barrier which our families often face.”

Who can apply?

The fund is open to all schools booking a residential or activity at one of our centres: Alltnacriche, Gowanbank and Lendrick Muir. We encourage schools to apply on behalf of any pupils who need additional financial support to fund the experience.

For full details on eligibility and requirements, view our School Bursary Fund guidelines here.

How much support is available?

Schools can apply for up to 50% of the cost for individual pupils. This covers accommodation, board and lodging, activities and transport whilst on the residential course.  It does not include travel to and from the centre or other costs added by the school.

To maximise our impact, our bursary fund is capped at £1500 per residential visit per group within an academic year.

How to apply?

If you’ve not yet booked: Please contact our team to discuss how we can support your school with a residential or activity day with us.

If you already have a booking: You’ll find the bursary fund guidelines and application form on our online booking portal, or you can speak to the team at the centre who will answer any questions you have and help you with the application process.

Schools have found the process simple and supportive, as one teacher shared:

“The application for funding was simple and straight forward and trusted the judgement of school staff, who know families well, to make the request on their behalf.”

Where do the funds come from?

Our School Bursary Fund is made possible by the generous support of donors who share our vision to work with children and young people at our outdoor centres. We are grateful for their faithful support in making this fund possible.

If you would like to make a contribution to the School Bursary Fund and help us support more young people, you can donate here.

“So grateful that this option was available and my child could participate without adding to our financial worries.” – Parent

Further support

In addition to our bursary fund, we encourage schools to also make use of other available funds, such as Pupil Equity Fund, fundraising, and school funds, to support pupils. However, we know that funding a school residential can be challenging financially for both schools and families, especially in the current financial climate.

For practical ideas on budgeting and planning your school residential, read our blog post on planning a school residential during a cost-of-living crisis. This guide offers tips to help make these experiences affordable and accessible to as many pupils as possible.