Youth expedition organisation Raleigh International is relaunching under new ownership.
Previously trading as Raleigh International Trust, the organisation was badly hit by the impact on global travel during the Covid-19 pandemic and went into voluntary liquidation in May 2022.
It has been acquired by the Impact Travel Group (ITG), an alliance of nine education and experiential brands, including African Impact and Roots Internships.
Operating as Raleigh International, the organisation which specialises in international volunteering experiences for 17-24 year olds, is relaunching with a new expedition to South Africa taking place in June.
Raleigh International is also running expeditions to Costa Rica, also from June.
The company said: “Volunteers who had historically registered while under the previous ownership Raleigh International Trust but were then unable to complete their expedition, will be contacted by the new owners to be offered a discounted ITG expedition in the future.”
ITG managing director Greg Bows said: “It’s tremendously exciting to be bringing back Raleigh International, an organisation that means such a lot to so many people and has had such a positive impact on the world.
“Since 1978, Raleigh has continuously evolved and constantly adapted to new ideas and challenges, while always retaining its focus on supporting young people to act and create lasting change for themselves, their communities, and the world.
“We are committed to continuing this legacy and look forward to launching a new cohort of dedicated young people on the expedition of a lifetime in Costa Rica or our new destination, South Africa, in 2023.”
Raleigh International began life as Operation Drake in 1978 before evolving into Operation Raleigh in 1984. It became Raleigh International Trust in 1992.
More than 55,000 young people from more than 100 countries have participated in trips over four decades.