Educational charity in search for new centre

BRUTON Knowles has stepped up the search for a new outdoor education centre for the Outward Bound Trust.

The Trust is looking to open a new centre in the Brecon Beacons National Park to the east of the A470, to complement its six centres in the Lake District, Scotland and north Wales.

Lisa Roberts, from Bruton Knowles’ Cardiff office, who is coordinating the search on the Trust’s behalf, said: “All of the Trust’s centres are located in wilderness environments with outdoor activities immediately on their doorstep, but it’s also important for them to be within easy reach of major conurbations and have good transport links.”

The new centre must be large enough to accommodate 120-180 students in dormitory rooms, plus staff accommodation and all of the ancillary facilities necessary for the successful delivery of Outward Bound’s renowned outdoor learning courses.

“A suitable location could include an existing centre capable of further development or adaptation to suit the needs of the Trust, or it could be another substantial property such as a large house or obsolete former institution such as a school, care home, conference centre or healthcare facility.”

All options would be considered provided they have immediate access to the natural environment.

The Outward Bound Trust was established in 1941 to train young sailors and help them develop the physical and mental resilience to cope with serving on the perilous North Atlantic convoys.

Since then the organisation has become synonymous with challenging outdoor learning activities through their mission to “unlock the potential of young people through learning and adventure in the wild”. The Trust’s residential courses have become regarded as the gold standard in outdoor learning experiences for young people.

Ms Roberts said: Bruton Knowles’ nationwide office network had attracted the Outward Bound Trust to come to them for help with this search.

She added: “The Trust has been looking for a new centre for a while, but we were appointed last year to help them in the process. The knowledge that we have across the country, together with our expertise in the charity sector, means that we are well-placed to work alongside them in searching out the right opportunities.”

The Outward Bound Trust aims to work with more than 30,000 young people every year, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them to develop key life skills and improve their self-confidence through taking part in challenging outdoor learning activities.