‘The whole ethos of Adventure Philanthropy is to get people talking about the gritty issues which affect our planet,’ says Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist Garreth Wood. He was speaking in London last week after the first educational debate of the organization which he has founded called Adventure Philanthropy (AP). It’s a private philanthropy club, membership of which is granted on payment of an annual donation to the Adventure Philanthropy Foundation which supports programmes and projects in the areas of social justice, social innovation and entrepreneurship, and the preservation of natural habitats and wildlife (the debate in London was about the rhino horn trade). In addition, an annual subscription allows members to participate in the organization’s events. These range from spending the night in the wild with an anti-poaching team, to funding social innovation and entrepreneurship programmes in a deprived township. This ‘getting your hands dirty’ approach ensures real engagement, says AP’s publicity, and derives from AP’s view that in order to really ‘get’ philanthropy, you have to do it. In return, AP supports members as they develop their philanthropic ideas and activities. ‘It is imperative to me,’ says Wood, ‘that Adventure Philanthropy can create a collective platform for Members to enjoy their philanthropic life, but also that they can bring their experience and impact to bear on so many important projects around the world.’

For more details http://www.adventurephilanthropy.org (note: at the time of writing, this website was still under construction) or email info@adventure-philanthropy.org