How alternative residential experiences promote inclusion and accessibility for young people
Matthew Lea, Company Director at Fenland Adventure
The connection between mental health, personal development and growth can clearly be linked to attending residential outdoor centres. It is our responsibility, as providers, to ensure that children are given the opportunity to attend these experiences. With parents and schools feeling the financial pinch, alternative residential experiences are an excellent substitute to the traditional, more costly experience. Our case study will show how these experiences promote inclusion and accessibility across all young people.
To promote inclusion across all young people, we first had to identify the hurdles that schools and parents were facing when deciding whether to attend a residential school visit. After a number of surveys, we concluded the two major contributors to be cost and travel.
With this in mind, we set about addressing both of these factors across all of our products.
We focused on efficiencies within our business and pieced together an extremely competitive ‘traditional’ residential experience, stretching across 3 days and 2 nights. Participants stay in an ‘off grid’ cabin and participate in a range of outdoor adventurous activities, including archery, bushcraft, climbing, giant go-karts, midi-fencing, orienteering, pioneering, target shooting, team building, trust trail and a range of evening activities.
Our residential visits (Classic Residential & Mini Residential) are extremely popular, they have helped open up outdoor learning to a wider range of young people. Participants will develop and learn essential life skills, from being responsible for their personal belongings to managing their emotions and behaviour in a different environment. Our adventurous activities challenge guests both physically and mentally, they help to develop social interaction and allow guests to bond in a different setting.
Initially, tackling travel was a daunting task. We were considering the lease of a minibus, and had been in discussion with a number of transport companies. Unfortunately, neither solution looked to have a bright future. We started looking at the feasibility of going into schools, removing the need for transport all together (reducing the cost further). Shortly after, we launched our residential outreach.
Residential outreach is our most cost effective residential solution, we set out our tented village on your school field, this will be the accommodation for the participants during their residential. We bring all the activities with us, including our 7.5m mobile climbing wall. Our residential outreach has helped bridge the gap for those finding travel or cost as a deciding factor. The learning outcomes are similar to our Classic and Mini residentials, only under canvas!
We have learnt that the current financial climate is affecting how schools and parents view outdoor residential experiences. As a provider, Fenland Adventure is committed to providing affordable pathways for young people to attend outdoor learning experiences. We have taken on board the challenges faced by schools and parents and adapted our experiences to suit. Going forward, we are working to provide more big ticket activities, including a crate stack and trapeze activity base.
What can schools expect from your educational experience?
A visit to Fenland Adventure can provide young people with the opportunity to develop and improve essential life skills. Taking part in exciting and challenging outdoor activities will help participants improve their confidence, trust and teamwork.
Holding the LOtC Quality Badge for Fenland Adventure means we are able to demonstrate our commitment to providing quality risk management and educational provision outside of the classroom. We are extremely proud to be holders of the LOtC Quality Badge.
Find out more
Fenland Adventure is a family owned business that is passionate about providing affordable outdoor learning experiences to young people. We are based in the East Midlands and provide services to the surrounding Counties.
We offer a range of adventurous outdoor activities for youth and school groups aged 7 – 16. Our offering includes residential visits, activity days, residential outreach, birthday parties and climbing wall hire.
Our residential visits take place at an ‘off grid’ cabin, situated East of Rutland Water. We are fully mobile, allowing us to deliver adventurous activities at your school, during our residential outreach, participants will stay in our beautiful 5m bell tents.
Our idea is simple, to provide outdoor learning experiences that are affordable, educational and fun!
Visit www.fenlandadventure.co.uk or call Fenland Adventure on 01780 620160.
