Shaun Roberts

Principal, Glenmore Lodge

Based in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, Glenmore Lodge offers training in outdoor activities. Over the last year, the number of courses offered and people in the centre has been significantly reduced.

for them to come to us, and they need to have these outdoor educational experiences. Some of them have probably not left their flat in the middle of a city for a long time.

“School groups are already in a bubble, so the only other people they’ll come into contact with are us and the majority of the time is spent outdoors where the virus doesn’t really transmit. We’ll do whatever the school is doing, so if they’re wearing face masks inside we’ll follow their lead. We’ve installed hand sanitising stations throughout the centre and we’ll have fewer people coming so they can be more spaced out in the dining room and have lower numbers in dorms.

“The furlough scheme and Welsh government loan have helped keep the centre going, but that needs to be paid back at 5% so it’s going to have an impact on the business long-term. The industry will never be as healthy as it was before because it’s now in debt.

“It’s so important for children’s education, physical and mental health and their connection to nature. People need to be educated about the countryside so that they respect it and so they’ll look after it when they’re older. We can open safely and we want to, so that children can have the opportunities outdoors that they should be able to have.”

“Outdoor Education Centres are key to introducing the outdoors to many children who would never have that experience and opportunity otherwise. As a young child growing up in Kent, I was lucky to have a supportive school and access to the Kent Mountain Centre. It is through centres and supportive schools like this that teachers have the confidence to take kids like myself out into the hills and onto rivers. This experience and the people that made it happen are fundamental to allowing our future generations of Outdoor Instructors and Leaders to discover their potential and to help future generations of recreational paddlers, mountain bikers, hill goers and climbers to discover the mental and physical benefits of the outdoors.”