Newsletter April 2018

COMPLETION OF THE DAY BLOCK & A NEW CAMPING CABIN.

2017 saw the completion of our new Day Block, providing much improved and extended showers and toilets with male, female and disabled facilities. We received generous support from several charitable trusts for this purpose, and we welcomed Graham White (The Loppylugs and Barbara Morrison Charitable Trust), and Richard Weaving and Christine White (Whitegates Children’s Trust) to the formal opening in June 2017.

We have just commissioned our new cabin, primarily for the use of campers but also for other groups such as educational birthday parties. Funded by the generous donations from Karen Ross MBE of Rosie’s Helping Hands and the Connie & Albert Taylor Charitable Trust, it is fully equipped with a fridge freezer, microwave, kettle, worktop and cupboard. We also have new benches & tables on the camping field for everyone to use.

HELLO!

At last the long, hard winter is   over and we look forward to the new season – and we have much to report!

Last year, we welcomed many new schools and groups from near and far, and already more have booked for this year and even for 2019.

We have been very busy extending, improving and providing new facilities which will enhance the numerous varied and exciting experiences we offer. Read more about our completed Day Block, our new Cabin for campers and our additional zip wire! On-going winter work has started on upgrading the banks of the lake which has already opened up the new picnic area and assault course areas.

We feel sure that the extensive and accessible activities we offer will continue to stimulate and educate our young visitors, many of whom are   disadvantaged in some way or have disabilities.  Our dedicated, experienced and professional staff ensure that every visitor, whatever age, background or ability, has a fantastic and memorable day. So, do make a booking and come to see us soon, be it for a half- day, full –day, residential or camping visit.

        

A SECOND ZIP WIRE.

You may recall from our last Newsletter that our greatly missed former Chairman, Neil Aitchison, passed away last year. His beloved wife and family very generously decided to donate the money which was received in his memory to Woodlands Adventure, for the purpose of raising funds for an additional zip wire, a project dear to Neil’s heart. This was followed by a substantial donation from the Saintbury Trust which originally funded the climbing tower from which the new zip wire will run. Below are pictures of Neil’s family who spent a day at Woodlands Adventure dedicating a bench and a tree to his memory, together with the new zip wire. He would have been so pleased.

           

OUR STAFF

We are fortunate to have the most wonderful team of staff, with some new appointments and new faces. Chris Williams, our previous Centre Manager, sadly left in 2017 to move to France with his wife, but we are delighted to appoint Darren Nutting, our former Deputy, to be our new Centre Manager. Greg Williams, one of our Senior Instructors was then promoted to be our new Activities Manager which replaces the Deputy Manager’s role. Visitors will continue to see Kieron our long serving Senior Instructor and Iain who has also been promoted this year to Senior Instructor, together with our permanent Instructors, Alex, Jack, Rob and Aidan, and our cleaning team Sue and Karen. In the Office, central and essential to the running of the business side of the Centre, Lynne, our highly efficient Office Manager was joined by Becky, our new Administrative Assistant, following the departure of James O’Hare for pastures new. In February 2018 we also welcomed new seasonal Instructors to the team. A very big ‘Thank- You’ is due to all our staff for the amazing job they do.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS – Stretch tent, LED lighting, Boats, Helmets & Harnesses & much more….

With the fantastic continued support of our many donors, we have been able to purchase essential pieces of equipment, some of which needs to be replaced every year. These include harnesses, helmets, ropes, paddle sport items – and so the list goes on. In addition, The Grantham Yorke Charitable Trust has funded a second stretch tent which will be erected in the climbing wall area, and grants from The Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust and The Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust enabled us to install LED lighting in the Saintbury Block, providing enhanced lighting at a much lower running cost.

A special THANK-YOU goes to all our donors, listed below. Without your continued help and support we could not continue to provide such worthwhile educational experiences for the many young people who greatly benefit from the time they spend at Woodlands Adventure in so many ways.

IN ADDITION TO THOSE ALREADY MENTIONED OUR THANKS GO TO THE DONORS OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

Scaffold Boards – The Grimmitt Trust & BAYC.

Staff Training, staff helmets & harnesses and tools – the Ratcliff Foundation.

Staff uniforms – The Wilmcote Charitrust.

Website hosting and management fees – Start Estates Limited.

Archery bosses – The Eric W Vincent Trust Fund.

Chain saw & pole saw – The Joseph Hopkins Charity.

Table Football game – Bernard Piggott Trust.

Mattresses – The Harry Payne Fund & Brewin Dolphin Limited.

Grass matting – The George Henry Collins Charity.

Ladder & base – The Rowlands Trust.

Metal work – Brewin Dolphin Limited & Miss L Wilkes.

Zip trollies – Brewin Dolphin Limited & The Edward Cadbury Charitable Trust.

Lake Bank repairs phase 1 – GJW Turner Trust.

Staff helmets & harnesses – The Birmingham Bodenham Trust.Helmets, gri gri’s, climbing rope – Bite Size Pieces, The Birmingham Bodenham Trust, Miss J B Albright’s Grimley Charity, The Richard Cadbury Charitable Trust, Michael Marsh Charitable Trust, S & D Lloyd Charity & The Lillie C. Johnson Charitable Trust.

Picnic benches – Roughley Trust.

Floor scrubber Dryer – The Lord Austin Trust.

Harnesses – The Roger & Douglas Turner Charitable Trust.

Paddle Sport equipment – Grantham Yorke Trust.

CCTV – The W.E.D Charitable Trust.

Tools – The Edward & Dorothy Cadbury Trust.

Staff Training – The 29th May Charitable Trust.

Football goal posts – The Fitton Trust.

ALSO, MANY THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS:

Mr G Breatnach, Edgar.E Lawley Foundation,

James Beattie Charitable Trust, Lady Tangye Trust Limited, Sir John Sumner’s Trust, The Challenge Network, The Dagny Raymond Charitable Trust, Dumbreck Charity, The Joan Lamb Charitable Trust, The Loppylugs and Barbara Morrison Charitable Trust and Whitegates Children’s Trust, Roughley Trust, The Goodenough Charitable Trust.

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