When I was growing up my Dad ran the local outdoor centre – a fantastic place in the Malvern Hills where every year thousands of kids learnt to climb, abseil, map read, raft build, and conquer their fear of heights in the various ropes courses that he designed and built. The centre was a labour of love for all those involved; every grown-up that visited the place could instantly see the value of this form of education outside the classroom. For many of the kids that visited the centre, their memories at Malvern are their most valued from their time at school.
Due to COVID, many of the outdoor centres across the country like Malvern are under threat of closure, due to government policy that restricts overnight stays. I know outdoor education is just one of many industries knocked sideways by COVID, but outdoor ed in particular does not involve much profit, so if these centres close it is hard to imagine they’ll ever reopen. The hard decision by government to ban over night stays is crippling, as it doesn’t even allow the centres to prove they can be COVID secure. If schools can be made safe, outdoor centres can be made safe too. If you agree, please sign this petition.
