Our journey so far

Adventure Uncovered’s mission is to help build a more inclusive, sustainable and impactful adventure culture.

We embarked on this in 2016, publishing adventure stories and journeys with a purpose. By 2017 we were organising live talks and outdoor impact events, and since 2018 have organised the only adventure film festival dedicated to films about social and environmental change. Building a unique concept that matches an appetite for change means the festival has flourished, and Adventure Uncovered has evolved into a broader space for critical but inspiring thinking and doing.

In March 2020 we launched our new approach to online publication: Editions. Editions are thematic collections of the best adventure storytelling - articles, longform features, interviews, photography, film and more - akin to a digital magazine. We also publish Stories (one-off pieces outside of Editions) and produce Projects in collaboration with like-minded organisations.

Together this work highlights issues, advocates for action and change and champions those leading the way - all crucial tasks if adventure, in its myriad forms, is to be a powerful force for good. But providing a space isn’t enough. That space must be truly sustainable and empower the people involved.

Adventure Uncovered remains part business, part labour of love. We’ve done good work, built an audience and generated some revenue, but it has been slow and organic. No bad thing, but we’re not yet fully sustainable. We haven’t yet been able to pay ourselves more than occasional, nominal amounts. And although we can now pay Editions contributors, we would love to be able to pay more and commission more regularly.

Enter Patreon

This is why we launched a Patreon in 2021. We felt confident that our editorial output justified requesting a little financial support from those of our readers who agree and can afford it, and still feel that way. During 2020 and 2021 we published hundreds of pieces which have been read by tens of thousands and feature hundreds of important adventure thinkers and new voices. 

2020 highlights included trail running environmentalist Rosie Watson’s post-Covid rallying cry, CEO Jen Gurecki on game-changing feminist snow-sports company Coalition Snow, academic Maxwell Ayamba on racial inequality in outdoor participation, writer Jini Reddy on seeking the magical in Britain’s landscapes, artist Simon Faithfull on treating the earth as a sculpture and snowboarder and artist Meghann O’Brien on the relationship between snowboarding and her Indigenous heritage. 

And our Patreon directly funded our 2021 highlights: Hannah Parry’s humanising account of a Sudanese refugee’s journey; Em Hartova’s essay on greenwashing in outdoor fashion; Natalie Dunning on unexpected virtual adventures in the wake of a debilitating injury; Ashli Blow on the remarkable career of pioneering woman mountaineer Alma Wagen.

We are proud of this work, but Patreon will help us do more and do better. This is why we’re asking readers for support. Although there will be some exclusive Patreon content, anybody who isn’t able to contribute is still welcome to enjoy the vast majority of our content for free.

Why support Adventure Uncovered through Patreon?

Our top financial priority is to pay contributors fairly. This is why, as we work towards wider financial sustainability and paying ourselves fairly, we are committing 100% of all Patreon revenue to paying Editions contributors. We won’t keep a penny. We will also contribute a further £250 to each Edition ourselves, and publish records of how we used the funds. 

What are the benefits of supporting us?

How will Patreon actually work?

Transparency is vital to us, so we explain this in full at the bottom of the document. If you’re interested in supporting us, the process is simple:

1. Choose a tier. Go to Patreon and choose to support us through one of four monthly membership tiers: £2, £5, £10 or £25 per month.
2. Get rewarded. Enjoy the host of rewards that come with your tier.
3. Enjoy the fruits of your support. Enjoy early access to all of our Editions, packed with the vital adventure stories and voices that you have directly funded.

What kind of stories will your support help us publish in 2022?

All our stories - articles, interviews, photography, films, lists and all -  show how adventure intersects with the vital social and environmental issues of our day. Beyond this, our stories aim to amplify lesser heard voices and perspectives. As was the case in 2021, each of our 2022 Editions will approach adventure through a specific theme.

Emergence (spring - 20th March)

To emerge is to become visible. Whether through awakening, growth or a decision to step into the light, to emerge is to be seen. Emergence can echo from the past, define the present or exist only as a possible future. Emergence is change, and it can bring hope or fear. Our spring Edition will explore the process of becoming visible, in its many forms, where adventure and social change meet.

Abundance (summer - 21st June)

Driving change means seeing possibilities as well as problems. As well as critiquing outdoor culture, we must celebrate the good in it. Abundance can be fleeting, after all - especially if not nurtured. But abundance also creates its own problems, like the blind spots, complacency and denial that often fester in its wake. Our summer Edition will consider the implications of having plenty.

Stewardship (autumn - 22nd September)

Autumn turns the natural world from abundance to darkness. For humans this traditionally means the time of harvest: of giving thanks, taking stock and ritualising our role as stewards of the land. But what does our stewardship, both of the land and of the outdoor community, look like today? This is the question at the heart of our autumn Edition.

Darkness (winter - 21st December)

Dark places are places of fear and foreboding, so the story goes. But they are places of dreams as well as nightmares. They are also places less explored, which makes them revealing. Our winter Edition will step into the darkness of the adventure world. Our only expectation is that we’ll be surprised.

A full explanation of how we will use your money

This section offers full detail as to exactly how we will use your money. For an ongoing breakdown of precisely how we have been spending Patreon revenue, we will keep track on our website.

Firstly, it’s unlikely that Patreon revenue will allow us to pay all contributors sufficiently fair fees. We are therefore committing to paying all contributors with original content in Editions only - our flagship content. This will mostly mean written articles, but could include other mediums. It will not include interviewees. Ultimately we aim to pay all contributors.

We will publish an Edition every three months, on the seasonal equinoxes and solstices. We collect most Patreon revenue on the 1st of each month, although if you join midway through a month you will be charged immediately for that month (what Patreon calls ‘charge up front’) and then on the 1st of every month thereafter. Monthly payments allow us to tell contributors how much we can pay them in advance.

For each Edition we are committing £250 of non-Patreon funding. We will then add 100% of three months of Patreon revenue (after paying Patreon fees) to this £250. The budget for each Edition will therefore be £250 + three months of Patreon revenue.

We will calculate the budget for a given Edition using all Patreon payments received in the three months prior to that Edition being published. This table should make it clearer:

We will pay the week following publication.

We will pay a flat fee of £100 to every contributor - the same for every piece, regardless of experience or word count. We value all contributors equally, and a flat rate is easier to manage to boot. And we will roll over any unused budget to the next Edition.

None of this is fixed forever. These terms will evolve with Adventure Uncovered, and with feedback received if a better approach becomes apparent. We welcome any feedback at info@adventureuncovered.com.