2021 Adventures

Changes to our 2021 summer adventures

We've been looking at how we can run our summer residential programmes this year in a safe and COVID-compliant manner. This is a complicated task as a lot of the required guidance for our sector hasn't been issued yet.

We are under the guidance of government and national governing bodies, and currently, we are being advised that young people can attend a residential in the summer if we make some distinct changes:

We need to allocate single en-suite rooms for each young person (rather than shared dorm rooms)
Operate with groups of 1:5 ratios (six people rule)
Forming social ‘bubbles’ and limiting mixing outside of the group
Social rooms limited to ensure two-metre social distancing
We are encouraging participants to take a lateral flow test before coming on their Summer Adventure, and then at regular intervals during and after their adventure.

When our residentials return, all our adventures will be organised according to the latest guidance from the education, hospitality and outdoor sectors, and in line with the latest government guidance for England, Wales and Scotland.

Take a look at our COVID-safe guidance to find out more.

New adventures for 2021

The changes we are required to make have had a significant impact on how many young people we can work with within 2021. And in order to maximise the numbers allowed in a centre, we have taken the decision to launch a brand new portfolio of adventures.

The main changes to our adventures are:

We're no longer offering the 19-day Skills for Life Award course
The 19-day Ultimate Expedition remains but dates have changed
In addition to our current 7-day adventures, we are now offering brand new 5-day and 14-day adventures
Adventures are now levelled to help young people choose the adventure that is most appropriate to what they want to get out of it

We appreciate that you may be disappointed that your original booked adventure may not be going ahead, and if that is the case, we're sorry for any inconvenience caused. However, we really hope you are able to move onto one of our new adventures. Any bursary support will be reallocated at the same pro-rata rate.

- See our new adventures

New Adventures FAQs

What time do your new adventures start and finish?

All our 5-day, 7-day and 14-day adventures start at 2pm on the first day and finish at 1pm on the last day.

The Ultimate Expedition starts at 5.30pm on the first day and finishes at 9am on the last day.

How many participants will there be in a group?

We are currently working towards having a group size of six: five participants to one instructor. This is subject to change if the guidance is updated.

Do I need to take a COVID test before arrival?

Although not mandatory, we are encouraging participants to take a lateral flow test before coming on their Summer Adventure, and then at regular intervals during and after their adventure. This will give an added layer of protection for the participant, other young people, and our staff.

Test packs can be ordered through the government website or collected from a pharmacy or test centre.

What are you doing to minimise the risk of COVID-19?

We are committed to minimising the risk of spreading the virus and are putting in safety measures so we can work with young people again. We are continuing to monitor the development of the COVID-19 outbreak and have put together information that explains how we will adapt and continue to do this in a safe and appropriate way.

Why is my original booked Summer Adventure no longer available?

To help us to continue to achieve our charitable mission, we have made the decision that we will go ahead with our Summer Adventures this year, whilst working within the current COVID and practice guidance available at present. This has led to us needing to change and update our whole portfolio of summer adventure programmes for 2021 so we can work with as many young people as possible. Therefore, all original dates and courses are no longer available.

If you have been contacted to move your booking onto one of our 2021 adventures or to be included on a waitlist, you can see the full list of dates in the link in the email we sent you.

Is the Skills for Life programme still available?

No, the Skills for Life programme is no longer available. We are providing a brand new portfolio of adventures so if you're looking for a challenging and longer adventure with multi-day expeditions, have a look at our 14-day adventures or our 19-day Ultimate Expedition.

See our new adventures.

Will I be in my own room and/or my own tent?

Yes, as we are working towards the current guidance that is available and due to social distancing, all participants on a summer adventure need to have their own room and sleep in their own tent when out on an expedition. This is subject to change if the guidance is updated.

Is there any transport available to help get to your centres?

We are offering a free bus transfer from Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Penrith (depending on which centre you're going to).

How do I choose which level of adventure is right for me?

We offer four levels of adventure: Basecamp, Ridge, Summit and Pinnacle. To discover which level is right for you, take a look at our Levels of Adventure.