How do kids get benefited by outdoor learning activities in Nature-UK

Mining March

Posted on April 19, 2019April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

According to the Met Office, it was the 5th wettest March on record for the UK as a whole!

The wet weather, looming mine leader assessments and revalidations meant Arete instructors where driven underground to seek out adventures.

The abandoned slate, copper, gold and lead mines (to name a few!) of Snowdonia are underground labyrinths begging to be explored… The mines are rich in industrial history and can be explored on foot, or by using ropes and specialist equipment.

After a days work, instructors here have packed their head torches and helmets and headed off to discover a forgotten world. Half of the fun is locating the mine entrance in the dark, but lighter evenings towards the end of the month made the job a bit easier!

Here are some photos from our adventures…

5 years on…

Posted on April 8, 2019April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

This month marks 5 years since Arete took over the running of the centre and what an amazing 5 years it has been! We have continued the strong link with Worcestershire schools but have also welcomed new schools, colleges and groups from all over the country. We have challenged and enthused ‘learning through adventure’ with over 17,000 young people.

Expansion of the kitchen and dining room at Bryn Eryr is going well and is on track to be finished ready for the busy summer season. This year will also see the launch of the Arete Trust which will allow schools to apply for financial support so individuals, who may otherwise not be able to experience an outdoor education residential, have the opportunity.

Lastly, can we say a huge thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement over the last 5 years. If you haven’t already been to visit us this year we look forward to seeing you soon!

Ecuador Kayaking Trip

Posted on December 19, 2018April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

Just a few photos to give you a taste of what Gareth, Rich and Paul have been up to on their recent kayaking trip to Ecuador. 330 km of action packed rapids, technical to big volume and some extreme jungle portages.

Work begins on Bryn Eryr!

Posted on November 13, 2018April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

SUP Boards come to Arete

Posted on October 25, 2018April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

We have recently taken the plunge and bought some SUP boards for groups to use. Eager to try out one the world’s fastest growing water sports the Arete centre staff headed out to Anglesey this month to try their hand at surfing a SUP board.

Easy to master, within minutes we were all catching waves, getting our healthy dose of Vitamin D, exercise and judging by the shouts of joy, having a lot of fun!!

What could be better than having another way to explore the coast, waves and lakes of North Wales. I think it’s safe to say we are all hooked and looking forward to sharing our new purchase with all that visit the centre.

NCS

Posted on August 10, 2018April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

At the moment the Arete centre is working with NCS (National Citizenship scheme) a organisation for young people which runs all over the U.K. NCS brings together young people from different backgrounds and cultures that live in the same area. The aim of the scheme is to build stronger communities, and develop essential skills for young people.

The courses last three weeks with three individual elements, adventure, skills and social action. Arete is involved in the adventure week with the instructors working hard to challenge the teams and help them bond together. The following weeks typically take place at University Halls, they involve the young people developing domestic skills, discovering causes in their local community and developing a project of social action that will benefit their community.

The staff at the Arete centre have been working with NCS teams for the past few weeks over the summer. We’ve presented the NCS teams with a number of different challenges so individuals can face their fears and work together with encouragement and support. We’ve been taking teams to a number of venues around Snowdonia, coasteering, underground exploration, gorge scrambling, boating and zip lining. For a number of the groups this is their first adventurous outdoor experience but they have still been up for the challenge.

DofE

Posted on June 18, 2018April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

It’s that time of year again! Over the next few months, pupils will be working hard to complete their DofE training and assessments. Most of our teams will be exploring our local mountains in Snowdonia by foot, however, we have a few groups heading to Pembrokeshire and even to Scotland to canoe and sea kayak!

It’s such a fantastic opportunity having the Duke of Edinburgh Award available to so many young people, a great way to be inspired, challenged and to make life long friends.

Well done to High Clare School who have just finished their Bronze and Silver DofE training expeditions. They worked extremely hard as a group to plan their routes and were keen to learn new skills. We look forward to having them back for their assessment, where hopefully they’ve been able to consolidated what they’ve learnt and put it into practice.

Good luck to the 130 Calday Grammar School pupils completing their Bronze DofE qualifying expedition, they’ll be walking for 2 days along the Angelsey coast.

After two successful years in a row, we have decided to run our Gold DofE residential. This is a fantastic opportunity for pupils top to spend a week taking part in a range of different activities and getting to know other like minded pupils whilst completing a valuable part of their DofE.

Welcome!

Posted on May 30, 2018April 25, 2019 by Gareth Davies

Hi All!

Our managing director has been hard at work creating our new website, it is now up and running! We’ll be using this page to share any exciting news articles, and to keep you up-to-date on what’s going on at the centre. Keep your eyes peeled!

Whilst having our busiest winter season so far, we have also been hard at work renovating some of our accommodation in preparation for a busy summer ahead. We are now proud to say that we can sleep up to 120! We also have some fantastic new facilities such as our BBQ area, nightline and new Bryn Eryr drying room.

We have had a variety of different groups this May half term, from private families visiting all the way from America to cadet groups who have been learning essential bush craft skills, exploring the Angelsey coastline, gorge scrambling and taking a break from the sun to explore some of the historic welsh mines. What a great way to spend your half term, especially when the weather is as good as it has been recently.

Keep enjoying the sun!