British School Trip: Bursary applications now open

Now in its third year, Hyundai’s Great British School Trip programme is once again accepting bursary applications to support schools in need. These bursaries help cover essential costs such as booking fees and travel, ensuring more children can enjoy the transformative experience of school trips. To date, the programme has supported 146,882 schoolchildren, with a goal of reaching 160,000 by the end of this academic year.The need for this initiative has never been clearer. Recent research commission by Hyundai reveals that 94% of parents have had to cut back on spending due to the cost-of-living crisis, with nearly two-thirds (64%) struggling to afford school trips for their children.School trips play a crucial role in children’s development, with 63% of parents acknowledging their positive impact on mental well-being. Yet, on average, children missed out on five trips last year, with 43% of parents keeping their child at home and 37% sending them to school to join another class while their peers were away. In addition to this, one in six parents (16%) reported that their child’s school had to cancel a trip because too many families couldn’t afford to participate. As a result, 49% of parents are concerned about the long-term impact of missing out on these experiences.Ashley Andrew, President of Hyundai Motor & Genesis UK, commented, “These findings highlight the financial challenges many families are facing, making it harder to access school trips. While parents are eager to provide these opportunities, rising costs are increasingly putting them out of reach. Through our Great British School Trip programme, we’ve already supported 146,882 children, and in response to these findings, we’re reopening bursary applications to help even more families. This reaffirms our commitment to ensuring as many children as possible can benefit from the invaluable experience of school trips, regardless of financial circumstances.”Hyundai Motor UK has already invested £3 million into the programme, enabling children to explore exceptional venues such as the Imperial War Museum, Boscobel House, and Knowsley Safari Park. However, research shows that 16% of children still lack access to even the most affordable trips, highlighting the importance of continued support.Hyundai’s Great British School Trip is reopening the bursary applications on 28th January. To find out more about the programme or to direct teacher to apple, please visit: https://greatbritishschooltrip.com