Avon Tyrrell

Avon Tyrrell

Accessible Training at Avon Tyrrell

Two of our Outdoor Learning team joined the Adventure for All Professional Practice Group on Saturday 3 December for a weekend with other specialist providers of outdoor learning for people with a disability or those with an interest in making adventures accessible for all.

We’re committed to offering a wide range of inclusive activity programmes to make sure that outdoor learning is accessible so everyone can experience, learn and develop through adventure and discovery. At Avon Tyrrell, we are proud to offer accessible activities, with dedicated instructors who understand that everyone is different, with varying levels of support and equipment available to allow amazing adventures to be experienced by anyone who visits us in the New Forest.  

Two of our Outdoor Learning team joined the Adventure for All Professional Practice Group on Saturday 3 December for a weekend with other specialist providers of outdoor learning for people with a disability or those with an interest in making adventures accessible for all. 

Ben, Head of Outdoor Learning and Engagement, gave us a little update on the weekend; 

“Dan Rumble (Senior Outdoor Instructor) and I attended the conference held at Calvert Trust Lakes (Calvert Lakes – disability activity breaks). Calvert Trust Lakes is a specialist outdoor centre, it focuses on accessible activity breaks. The centre is in a stunning location right next to Braithwaite Lakes. The aim of the conference was to get the Group back up and running following the pandemic, share updates from the centres and individuals who attended, and some practical sessions aimed at sharing ‘best practice’- mainly focused on off-ground and water activities.

The conference was really important for us at UK Youth, we rarely have the opportunity to share knowledge and support each other to be as up to date on accessibility. A great deal of adaptations within the adventure industry are made from equipment not specifically designed for the role it is being used for, but those with the knowledge are able to adapt equipment to meet another need. By getting a group of people together to look at the way all this kit is being used means there are more eye and brains able to assess that it is both safe and the best approach for our participants.

From an industry perspective, having a group who are driving inclusion forwards and representing the industry where needed, will mean we can open more doors to those who have additional needs. Dan and I were able to provide first hand advice to help ensure that we are part of the Group changing the Outdoor Learning industry to be accessible for all. We couldn’t be happier to spend our weekend making a difference for the future.”