The event was jointly sponsored by Banbridge District Council and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.Councillor Norah Beare welcomed the teenagers and their families to the event, and stated that the Council was delighted to be involved in the scheme.
Constable John Finn from Banbridge Community Safety Team spoke about the challenge explaining that it was an excellent way for police to communicate with teenagers and address many issues affecting both them and the wider community.
"This was a great opportunity for giving the young people a say in voicing their concerns on policing matters and issues that are important to them," he stated.
"The officers involved also found it beneficial to discuss the needs of young people in the community and hopefully we can assist in providing further positive opportunities for them in the future. Working within the group also provided the teenagers with opportunities to develop their leadership, decision making, communication and teamwork skills."
48 young people were selected from high schools across the district and 12 young people were selected by Community beat officers to participate in the first stage of the programme, which involved a walk in the Mournes and an open discussion on the issues faced by both police and young people. This took place on the 20th and 21st May and the teenagers were accompanied by community police officers.
Forty of these teenagers then progressed onto the second stage of the challenge on May 27th. This involved dynamic team building and problem solving exercises with police and instructor Steve Millar at a day out in the Tollymore Mountain Centre.
Twenty enthusiastic teenagers were then selected to complete the final stage of the challenge. This took place on Tuesday (17th) and Wednesday (18th) with the group spending two days on a canoe expedition on Strangford Lough before returning for the prize giving reception.
Constable John Finn gave a presentation of the two-day expedition and spoke about the benefits of the challenge before Mr Peter Simm took the stand to speak about the Northern Ireland Outward Bound Association.
John Russell, a previous Outdoor Challenge winner, spoke of his experience on the Challenge and his time at the Outward Bound Centre at Loch Eil near Fort William in Scotland.
Banbridge PSNI Inspector Joe McMinn and Councillor Norah Beare presented certificates to all 20 teenagers before announcing the two winners of the Outward Bound courses. Andrew Dodds and Adam Black were chosen for their exceptional effort throughout the three stages of the challenge.