Project Odyssey

The rehabilitative good of the natural environment

Founder Nimsdai Purja spent 16 years in the military as both a Gurkha and in the UK Special Forces. During that time, he was inspired by the bravery, courage and camaraderie he experienced.  It also made him all-too aware of the hardship many veterans face after leaving the military, whether that’s dealing with life-changing physical injuries, or grappling with mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Nimsdai Foundation provides supported treks to enhance the well-being of former members of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and others experiencing physical or psychological injuries or mental health conditions. These treks allow those attending to evaluate their lives, help tackle and overcome deeper issues and benefit from the rehabilitative force for good that these environments provide.

Time and again studies have proven that being in nature and hiking can help in the healing process, giving veterans and those struggling with a renewed sense of purpose, a chance to put their specialist skills to use, and the opportunity to operate as part of a team.

University of Southampton x Peak Potential - Creating lasting change through projects

For Project Odyssey the Nimsdai Foundation teamed up with a group of students from the University of Southampton for a piece of work called Peak Potential. The aim was to unlock the students’ potential to solve real-world problems. In this case, how do we measure the impact of the Project Odyssey treks in a meaningful way that could be backed up by data?

This experience challenged the students to think critically, innovate, and develop a structured model to help solve real world issues that will change lives. The students created a comprehensive assessment model called ‘North Star’ to evaluate an individual’s ability to access funds following a life-changing injury, as well as developed a wellbeing programme used by those on Project Odyssey to measure its impact.