Learn outdoors

Building a team and developing the individual within that team is a theme which runs very strongly throughout every activity we do. In addition we have an excellent selection of apparatus, games and problems to help us provide fun imaginative group challenges for all abilities. These activities are supported by skilful instruction and reviewing, which help promote the key elements of successful team work and develops communication skills, planning, cooperative working, and leadership.

Your options

On site we have a variety of fixed team building facilities including a low ropes course, abseil slope, orienteering course, indoor climbing wall and crate stack challenge. We also have purpose made team building equipment including mobile equipment which can be brought to your site.

It is possible to organise a selection of these activities for large groups either at our site or at a location to suit you.

We also offer training for school staff interested in developing effective team building activities within school.

At Arthog Outreach, we are keen for everyone to have a try at a variety of new experiences. We know that dangling off a rope may not be everyone's idea of fun, but we also know that having a go, overcoming fears and achieving success is a great way to build self-confidence and self-esteem. Of all of our activities, this is the one where you are most likely to hear the self-satisfied exclamation ''I did it!''

A short drive from our Centre in Wellington gets us to a range of outdoor climbing venues suitable for different ages and abilities. Across the border into Wales, opens up further opportunities for variety and progression.

At the Centre, we have our very own indoor climbing wall with plenty of challenges available suitable for beginners through to advanced climbers. We are registered to deliver the National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) Levels 1+2 and we also deliver GCSE Climbing modules. We can also make use of the selection of other walls available locally.

The hills of South Shropshire, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, form a very special landscape rich in geology, wildlife and heritage. Hill walking provides a great opportunity to introduce people to this environment and we try to ensure that the love we feel for the landscape is passed on. We also aim to provide the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary for people to access this activity for themselves in the future.

Your options

Visiting the hills and wild places is something that can be accessed by all ages and abilities. Some of the highest points are accessible from vehicles and have wheelchair accessible trails, but other places provide significant challenges for teams to reach. We have many hills and routes we regularly visit, choosing whichever is the most suitable for the group and the weather.

We develop the map reading skills necessary for individuals to navigate and the skills to look after themselves and others in the outdoors. Fossils, historic mining villages, ancient forts and the wonders of nature, all help to change a walk into a rich learning experience.

We deliver the National Navigation Awards Scheme (NNAS) which develops and provides evidence of navigation skills. We also deliver Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition training, practice, and expeditions.

We also run a selection of awards to suit all levels of experience to allow you to take your own groups out for walking activities and Personal Development.

There is something very special about being in control of your own small boat!

At Arthog Outreach we are very lucky to have a range of craft of different styles and access to a variety of fantastic venues including a swimming pool, our own sheltered lakes, canals, and the River Severn.

We run skills courses that enable us to deliver the BCU Paddlepower Award, and Star Awards.

Your options

For novices we use open canoes (Canadian canoes) on one of our lakes, developing basic skills and building confidence with a 'fun and games' session. Sharing a boat with a partner who also has a paddle can present some interesting problems, so this is a great activity for developing communication skills and cooperative working.

For the more experienced and adventurous, and in the spirit of early travellers, we can take canoes to the local canals or make use of the river Severn and see how people and goods got around the country in the days before the coming of the railways.

Our kayaks are ideal for introductory sessions on small lakes or for more advanced sessions on the canals and river Severn. We also have a fleet of kayaks in our indoor swimming pool. This provides a safe and warm environment to build basic skills and confidence and the opportunity to practice more advanced skills.

Occasionally we organise longer trips further afield for anyone interested in journeying by canoe. Please contact us.

Our fleet of quality mountain bikes and trailer enable us to capitalise on the fantastic riding opportunities available here at Short Wood or the mountain bike trail centres and open hills a short drive away. We can 'pick and mix' routes to suit age and ability and for those who prefer their riding to be on level ground, we can follow the Severn Way along the river.

Your options

We offer mountain biking to young people of secondary school age and adults.

With the younger riders our emphasis is placed on safe riding through control and skills, using the bike to experience an adventurous journey in the outdoors. Out of all of our adventure activities, this is the only one which requires prior skill i.e. the ability to ride a bike and have basic control.

The quiet and beautiful Shropshire Hills have been exploited since the Bronze Age, and at one stage boasted the largest lead mines in the world. Now mostly forgotten and lost a few mines remain which are safe to explore. The caves and mines of Shropshire offer a fascinating opportunity to discover and explore the world beneath our feet.

Your options

Each underground site has its own history, feel and challenges. Whether it is negotiating the twisting tunnels of a mine with thousands of years of history, visiting an abandoned Victorian mine and village, or visiting caves where the power of water has left a network of passages and underground rivers, we will tell you about the rock and the life and work of the miners through the ages as we explore.

This adventure is appropriate for all ages and abilities, with the venue and route being chosen to suit the group.

Orienteering is a fun but powerful tool that can be used in a myriad of different ways. For some orienteering can provide the gateway to the outdoors leading to a love of exploring the countryside. For many children it provides the first opportunity to hunt for treasure in the real world not just via a computer game. It can be used to develop a range of skills including an understanding of maps and navigation in a practical and fun way. Orienteering can be run as a group, paired, or individual activity.

Your options

We can introduce the activity using our on-site course as part of a longer day of problem solving activities or we can use other courses further afield for more of a challenge.

We encourage younger participants to work in pairs giving them the freedom to explore the orienteering area and find their own way. This encourages their independence, self-reliance and cooperative skills.

Bushcraft is about the acquisition of the ancient skills and knowledge that enabled our ancestors to survive and thrive in the natural environment. Bushcraft skills include; fire craft, tracking, shelter building, the use of tools, foraging, hand-carving wood, container construction from natural materials, rope and twine-making, and many others. Each session is different, depending upon the environment, what we find and what interests those taking part.

Your options

Our introductory bushcraft allows younger groups who may have already experienced 'Forest Schools' to continue to develop and explore more challenging environments.

Bushcraft introduces students to basic skills which allow them to identify, look after, and use natural materials available in local habitat. Students build their confidence and gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the outdoor environment.

We also organise training events for school staff, to enable you to enrich your forest school sessions and share best practice. We can also offer courses to develop your personal skills.

We are accredited to provide a range of external awards, which recognise and reward attainment in a range of adventure and environmental activities including:

• NICAS: National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (Levels 1 and 2).

A multi-level award where we can develop essential climbing skills allowing students to develop as safe, independent climbers.

• John Muir Award

A conservation award, which can fit alongside adventurous activities, requiring practical involvement with a conservation project and encouraging greater respect for the environment.

• GCSE PE Rock Climbing and Cambridge National Sports Studies (CNAT).

We provide the technical expertise, equipment and teaching to support GCSE PE Rock Climbing and provide Rock Climbing and Abseiling as outdoor activities for CNAT.

• Duke of Edinburgh Award

We can support your DoE programme using a mixture of afterschool sessions, half days, full days and expedition training and assessment.

• Wrekin Award

Our introductory award for younger children and potential precursor to the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Nights away allow more time and bigger memories.

Through our partners at the Longmynd Adventure Camp near Church Stretton we have access to a quiet, remote feeling, residential facility. This is set in its own land with a hall/dining area, fully catered kitchen, pod sleeping accommodation, and shower and toilet facilities.

The Adventure Camp is nestled into the beautiful foothills of the Long Mynd, a perfect location for hill walking and exploring. It is easily accessed, as it is still within South Shropshire, but for the participants it feels a world away!