A milestone year, measured honestly
Raleigh has published its 2024 Impact Report, covering a year that marked 40 years since Operation Raleigh began in 1984. The report sets out, in specific terms, what 359 young people from 17 countries achieved across Expedition programmes in South Africa and Costa Rica during the year.
At ITG, we’re sharing this because the numbers speak for themselves. Raleigh’s 2024 report offers something travel is often asked for but not always able to show clearly: what actually changed for the young people who took part?
Who took part
In 2024, 359 young people joined Raleigh Expedition programmes, representing 17 countries including the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, France and Nicaragua, among others. A significant proportion were at a post-school, pre-university life stage, joining as part of a gap year.
The 2024 cohort also included the first recipients of the SES Raleigh Explorer Award, a fully-funded expedition opportunity established in partnership with the Scientific Exploration Society for young people from lower-income backgrounds. The seven young people who received the award in 2024 came from a range of circumstances, including care-leavers, young carers, community volunteers and young expats.
What Venturers came home with
Every Venturer who completed the programme reported growth in at least four core competencies, across areas including leadership, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making and self-awareness. These are the kinds of outcomes that show up later in personal statements, CVs, university interviews and the confidence students bring back into everyday life. The report puts specific numbers behind them.
94% of Venturers improved their leadership skills
98% improved their problem-solving skills
85% said they enjoyed digitally detoxing while on expedition
62% said their mental health improved from being without their phone
81% described their expedition as life-defining
87% achieved what they set out to achieve from their Raleigh experience
9/10 average overall rating across all Venturers in 2024
95% would recommend Raleigh to a friend or colleague
The digital detox side of the experience feels especially relevant. Raleigh asks Venturers to spend up to 19 days without their phones, which can sound daunting at first. But for many, that time away from constant notifications and screen time seems to create space to think more clearly, connect more deeply with the people around them and come back feeling better in themselves. The 2024 data backs that up.
South Africa: community and conservation
119 Venturers spent over 550 hours on community development projects across three expedition cycles in South Africa. The work was practical and specific.
On community projects, Venturers constructed or refurbished 9 playgrounds, 6 community kitchens, 2 vegetable gardens, 2 football pitches and 2 netball courts. On environment projects, they removed 44 wildlife snares and cleared over 64,900 square metres of invasive plants from conservation land.
Costa Rica: infrastructure and environment
In Costa Rica, Venturers delivered over 1,000 project hours across 9 indigenous communities, contributing to 16 significant infrastructure projects including the construction of classrooms and dining rooms. More than 620 students are now in improved learning environments as a direct result.
On environment projects, Venturers planted 3,890 trees, maintained 6,650 metres of trail, delivered 121 hours of beach cleaning and set up 24 camera traps to support biodiversity monitoring.
Forty years and counting
2024 marked 40 years since Operation Raleigh began. To mark the milestone, Raleigh launched the Raleigh Reconnect campaign, re-engaging over 450 alumni with the organisation’s current work. More than 30 alumni contributed directly to outreach activities during the year.
The alumni community is itself a form of proof. 57,000 people have now completed a Raleigh programme. The 2024 report adds 359 more to that number, each of them carrying the outcomes of their expedition into whatever comes next.
Read the full report
The Raleigh International 2024 Impact Report is available in full at the link below. It sets out the methodology behind the measurement, the individual project outcomes and the personal stories of Venturers who took part across the year.
