A charity that has given thousands of youngsters the chance to learn through outdoor adventure for more than half a century has had to put its work on hold.

Outward Bound Bermuda does not have sufficient instructors and so is not expected to run its popular annual camps for teenagers on Paget Island in the summer.

All its other activities, including fundraising, are also understood to be on hold.

The programme had two full-time instructors: an officer from the Bermuda Police Service and a soldier from the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

However, The Royal Gazette understands that the police officer is no longer assigned to the Outward Bound unit.

A source described the programme as having been “mothballed” owing to “personnel issues”.

Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons said this week: “The OBB programme will be in abeyance until staffing and training requirements are met.

“This decision was not taken lightly and came about due to unfortunate circumstances.

“I deeply appreciate the significant role the Outward Bound Bermuda programme has played over the past five decades in youth development across our island.

“The programme has unquestionably made a positive impact on thousands of young Bermudians, providing valuable life skills and experiences that have helped shape their development.”

He added: “The Ministry of National Security, the Royal Bermuda Regiment and the Bermuda Police Service are working collaboratively to put a solution in place that is sustainable and builds on the rich history of OBB.

“Our shared goal is to preserve the valuable legacy of this programme while ensuring it meets all necessary requirements for safe and effective operation.

“We remain committed to youth development and community safety initiatives across Bermuda.

“Programmes like OBB align with our strategic priorities of reducing serious crime, working in partnership with community organisations and building public confidence in policing services.”

Mr Simons added that updates would be provided "as the collaborative work progresses towards restoring this valuable programme“.

Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Simons, the Commanding Officer of the RBR, said earlier that efforts were under way to get the programme back on track.

He told The Royal Gazette: “The regiment has supported the Outward Bound Bermuda programme over the past four years and is committed to supporting the programme going forward.

“In addition to logistical support, the regiment has supported OBB with a full-time staff member and part-time soldiers during the school year and over the summer.

“The Bermuda Police Service, who hold the Outward Bound Charter in Bermuda, have provided an additional full-time instructor.”

Colonel Simons added: “Due to career moves, there are no longer two qualified instructors available to meet the programme’s compliance requirements.

“Once approval has been secured, the regiment hopes to hire a second person to support the programme and play a greater role in delivering the programme going forward.

“Unfortunately, this means that OBB programming will not be delivered in the short term.

“However, we are working towards putting the programme on a sustainable footing over the long term.”

A global programme, Outward Bound was brought to Bermuda in 1970, when it began offering month-long overseas adventure courses to youngsters for their personal development and physical health.

The BPS, with support from what was then the Department of Youth and Sport, began running the programme locally to allow more young people to benefit.

A course was erected and first used on Paget Island in July 1974 and the local charity’s 50th anniversary was celebrated last year.

At the time, the organisation said that more than 10,000 youngsters had taken part in its local and overseas Outward Bound programmes, with hundreds of adults also using the Paget Island facility for team-building exercises.

A spokesman for the Ministry of National Security this week described the Outward Bound programme as “a valuable youth activity”.

He said that despite staffing issues, the ministry was “pleased to support the Royal Bermuda Regiment as it seeks a trained full-time instructor to ensure the long-term sustainability of the programme”.

“The process to recruit such a person is well advanced, and the ministry has ensured funding has been allocated for this purpose,” the spokesman added.