Q&A with the Ulysses Trust
Read our interview with Polly Marsh, CEO of the Ulysses Trust, recipient of the Geographical Award 2024.
The Ulysses Trust is dedicated to supporting the development of their Volunteer Reserve and Cadet Forces through community-related activities, exploration and adventurous training in the outdoors.
For the first time I discovered a world where people had the same values as I had and gave me the confidence to be myself.Polly Marsh, CEO of the Ulysses Trust
What did you want to be, or where did you want to work, when you were a teenager?
"I grew up poor, the oldest of four children to two 'starving artists' who survived on benefits. As a result, I wanted to be wealthy so I could travel the world - to 'escape'. The only thing I thought that made you rich was working in London, so my goal was to work in an office, wear a pinstripe suit, carry a brief case, go to meetings, and have business cards. I didn't know anything else. I went to one of the worst performing secondary schools in the country. There were no role models and everyone was expected to leave school at 16 to work in the local factory. Luckily, despite being poor financially, my parents were rich in every other way: loving and supportive with strong values. They encouraged me to achieve academically and go to university. My dad was also a mountain man so I spent many days walking in the mountains of North Wales. At the time I had no idea how influential that was."
What role do you do now and how would you describe your work?
"I am now the CEO of The Ulysses Trust, a military charity that supports all our cadet and reserve forces to participate in adventurous training and expeditions, focusing especially on those who would otherwise be unable to take part, bringing these activities within the financial reach of everyone. Challenge and adventure is proven to develop confidence and resilience, developing values such as courage, respect, integrity, as well as life skills such as risk-awareness and resourcefulness. Getting outside in the natural world has huge benefits for mental health and wellbeing. My role brings together a lifetime of different experiences, part military, part charity work developing young people, and part business, all rolled into one job. I love it."
How did you get into this field of work?
"My life completely changed when I joined the Officer Training Corps at university. Suddenly I went from feeling different, the only person who wanted to see more of the world and take on opportunity, to being surrounded by people like me! Everything I thought you needed lots of money to achieve, was suddenly available - travelling the world on adventures and expeditions being top of that list. Skiing, sky-diving, scuba diving, parachuting, hang-gliding, caving, hiking in the Alps or the volcanoes of Iceland, conservation projects in Africa and rainforests of North East India, exploring different countries and cultures. These experiences gave me a great sense of what mattered to me, and for the first time I discovered a world where people had the same values as I had and gave me the confidence to be myself."
What projects are you working on right now?
"I want to expand our audience and widen our net to help more people get on expeditions, to benefit all participants in the many ways we all know are possible through being outside in the natural world, taking part in travel and adventure. Since I took on the CEO role, the value of cadet force applications has risen by 60%, which is fantastic news in terms of how many people we are helping. We fully expect the reserve forces to follow this trend this coming year. This increased demand is a reflection of several things. Awareness is one, but it is also about increased need. The number of cadets on free school meals before Covid was 12%; it was 25% last year. There are many social, emotional and mental health issues in our young people today, plus there is a cost of living crisis, so parents are struggling too, meaning the demand for our services will only continue to grow. Making sure we continue to meet this increasing demand is a key priority."
What are you looking forward to in the future? What’s next?
"I would love to grow our charity to engage and support as many cadets and reserves (and crucial adult volunteers) as possible, to benefit not just themselves, but also to benefit their units, their schools, their organisations, their families, their communities, and society at large. For every £1 spent on cadet forces, society reaps £4 in social return on that investment. Saving money for the NHS, Department for Education, and Police and Crime Prevention services.
"The benefits of joining cadets and reserves are massive and undisputed, especially for those who come from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. Access to outdoor challenge and adventurous activities is critical, but there are financial challenges. The MOD [Ministry of Defence] budget cuts are having an impact, so our cadets and reserves need the help of charities like ours more and more. Travel and expeditions are key factors in why people join the services, and one of the main reasons people stay. Our country needs us to keep supporting our servicemen and women and enable them to continue these vital activities, to boost morale, and to help them develop the moral and physical courage, confidence, integrity and resilience we need them to have. If we can help to retain our cadet and reserve forces, and that includes our adult volunteers who are absolutely crucial, then that supports our entire nation."
What legacy do you hope you’ll leave?
"I was in my mid to late 20s before I really knew who I was or had the confidence to be that person. I wish more than anything I'd known about the cadet forces when I was at school. I would love my legacy to be that every child living in challenging circumstances knows about our cadet forces. These organisations are wonderful places of enormous opportunity, and it's all largely FREE, so those who need it most are able to participate. A place they can thrive if they don't thrive in a classroom, a place where everyone is welcome regardless of background or circumstance, a place that does wonders for anxieties and mental health problems, a place where they will be noticed and supported and where they can achieve in ways they don't even know about. Most importantly, it's a place where they can have fun and make friends, see the world, go on adventures."
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