Here’s what they say…
Paddling games on the cool waters of the River Great Ouse or learning new fire lighting skills around a campfire in woodland are the brilliant for young people to raise self esteem and build life skills. Adventure School was developed in response to a Sport England funding programme to get young people active, support their health and develop a love of sport and outdoor activities. Subsequently it has been endorsed by Sir Ranulph Fiennes (listed as the ‘world’s greatest living explorer’ by the Guinness Book of Records ) and hosts over 1,000 young people per year who paddle, cook and camp with youth charities, schools and through holiday clubs.
Each holiday, local kids attend the ‘Wet n’ wild’ and ‘Woodland Wild’ programmes to find their inner explorer and learn new skills and make friends guided by Canoe Trail’s professional instructor team. One mum reported back that her daughter had loved every moment of the programme finding calm in these otherwise uncertain times.
“(Adventure School) is brilliant, each day we learn new things and I have loved it, I even forgot for a while about the pandemic”.
The programme is based on 3 core principles, being safe, having fun and learning by stealth with activities including fire lighting, shelter building, problem solving challenges, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and canoeing, campfire cooking, wood carving to name a few.
The week long programme can either be booked for individual days or across the week with sessions and activities varied and progressive. The private woodland was a test woodland growing different tree species for match company Bryant and May and is aptly named ‘Matchstick Wood’. It is teaming with wildlife including badgers, wood peckers, owls, and deer as well as kingfishers, herons and otters on the little brook. It is the perfect venue to for young people to re-wild themselves and learn to love nature. The instructors are all experienced and qualified with a wide range of stories ranging from expeditions in the Canadian Wilderness, to tracking bears in Sweden for photographs, to paddling big waterfalls. They share their passion and love of the outdoors with the young people leaving a lasting impression.
You can book onto adventure school by the day ( £35 per day) or week ( £160) for young people aged 8 to 15 years old here. Once booked you will be sent joining instructions, booking forms and the code of conduct.