SUMMER 2026 UPDATE

We've been very busy as usual with lots of schools and courses over the Spring and now into the Summer.

Time again to enjoy outside lunches on the Garden Rm Deck or our new 'Railway Garden' that we continue to develop.

We have now added a large BBQ to this area so that groups can use it in the evenings
 

Last week we were very pleased to welcome 7 new additions to the Centre in the form of baby Moorhens! We knew Mum & Dad had taken up residence on our pond but didn't know they had a nest somewhere. The little chicks are busy exploring the pond and distracting our students from what they were originally doing.

And with Summer temperatures increasing we've already made use of the new aircon unit in the lounge. We have also installed one in the main kitchen with more planned for the bedrooms. Unfortunately climate change isn't going away and although we have metre thick stone walls that help to keep the main building cool in Summer, eventually with a prolonged heat wave temperatures can build up.

We have now trialled our new 'Escape Tunnels' with several schools and it is proving a great challenge for them to attempt. It is based on the 'Escape Room' idea but instead of breaking out you have to break in.

There are 7 doors and 16 different locks that you have to get through to complete the challenge!

Each lock requires either a code or a physical skill to open 

The group attempting the challenge have to split into two and start from opposite ends and try to meet in the middle. They communicate clues and solutions to each other via voice tubes to try to gain the codes to open different locks.

We love coming up with new activities that get teams working together, problem solving, communicating effectively and all whilst having a fun and rewarding time

WINTER 2026 UPDATE

 Can't believe we're hopefully already half way through this Winter already. 

At the end of 2025 we said "Bye for now" to Jane our Head Cook who had worked at the Centre for 24 years! We wish her a very happy retirement! We gave her a leaving gift - a wood carving of Paddington Bear.

Jane had been a central part of our Centre, feeding tens of thousands of children and staff over the years, always with a smile and a 'it's never too much trouble' attitude. She will be sorely missed by all but will hopefully pop round every so often for tea and hugs! 

Karen is now our Head Cook/Catering Manager, who has worked for us for over two decades and is also well known for her lovely cheerful personality and hardworking professionalism. All those who visit know just how fantastic our catering team are!

Oh yes, and a new cooker and dishwasher are now in our self-catering kitchen for the weekend self-catering groups who unfortunately don't get to experience our fantastic catering themselves.

Once again we have been awarded the AHOEC Gold Standard Quality Assurance Accreditation. This time we have put up a new cast iron plaque by the front door to celebrate the achievement

January we had all hands on deck to paint many areas of the Centre including all the third floor bedrooms. It is difficult during peak times to have time for the paint to dry as we are so busy, including weekends. 

Our new Axe Throwing activity has proved very popular over the last 6 months and so we decided to buy some different style axes to use with adult groups who have also taken a liking to it. We now have a collection of competition throwing axes as well as a double handed Viking battle axe!

Winter is also the time for more staff training and we had a very productive Instructor Training Day looking at aspects of Axe Throwing coaching, safeguarding and other aspects of activity instruction and safety management.

We also did another fire extinguisher training for staff

SUMMER 2025 UPDATE

 

We have had a great Spring and Summer is also going well!

Our Axe Throwing Range has now had several schools using it and is proving very popular.

We have also had our first Coracle session on the pond which was also great fun:

The groups first of all have to build their coracles from pipes and plastic sheets and then relay them out to the 'Duck Island' and back. By the way - two parent ducks managed to rear 7 ducklings on this island earlier in the year!

The other thing that has been working really well is our new 'Railway Garden' behind the Games Room. When we have had two schools staying at the same time we have had them alternating having lunch up there to give them their own space and some alfresco dining.

We are very happy with the transformation we have created here from when it just had two old oil tanks that have now been removed. Fantastic work from our Caretaker Team - Mike, Pete & Phil!

 

SPRING 2025 UPDATE

Well we've made it to Spring and have already been enjoying some warm sunshine. Yesterday got up to 19 degrees and was a nice reminder that Summer's not too far off!

We have been busy over the Winter on several projects including work around the edge of our pond which is now looking in good shape. Once the wild flower seeds we have planted start to bloom it should look great later this Summer.

You might spy we have a small island in part of the pond that we later hope will have a duck house on it.

The other big project has been developing an axe throwing range! We have our first group of Yr 4's using it in two weeks time alongside doing some bushcraft. We'll let you know how it goes and tell you more about this later!

Lots more exciting developments coming in the future...

SUMMER 2024 UPDATE

 It's been a busy Summer season so far. Mostly giving our school groups a fantastic time, but we've also, as always, been developing new things:

We've built a new shelter for spectators for our Leap of Faith activity. This always makes good spectator viewing and is actually a really good team activity where instructors cultivate a positive vibe amongst spectators to be cheering on other group members. They can now do this in the dry if it happens to rain but as it's a really high shelter they can see all that is going on up above.

Our Low Ropes Course has a new landing surface below it. This is now astro turf with fall impact matting below. The land was also levelled by excavator, then sanded and membraned before the matting went down. The hedge is growing nicely now as well, having been planted 3 years ago.

We have a new Canoe Trailer! Just need some new canoes now!

Our 'Staff Room' gets used for all sorts of things - an extra dining area for up to 23 people, a bedroom, a meeting room and sometimes a staff room. We've added new wall artwork that reflects our forest location.

We have a new table tennis table in our Games Room!

We've re-sited a living roof behind the kitchen in preparation for a big new Autumn project

This is a strip of land behind the Games Room that is ready for a big make-over in the Autumn. Watch this space!

SPRING 2024 UPDATE

Well, it's been a busy Winter! We have had some major work done already this year.

One project we are particularly excited to announce is the total refurbishment of our second floor bathrooms. This also incorporated a new en-suite bathroom to Staff Rm 21, featuring large over head shower, heated mirror and towel rail and waterfall basin tap etc. We do try to look after our visiting adult leaders!

We have also bought some very nice new oak bedroom furniture for visiting staff in Rms 21 & 31.

We have also been busy in the kitchen. We loved our new cooker so much that we have bought a second one to go with it! This now makes cooking our famous roast dinners even easier in these special digitally controlled combi ovens where heat and humidity etc. are all programmable. We regularly cater for up to 86 people at a time. 

The biggest project of all has been the renewal of our heating system as part of a decarbonisation project. Our old oil boiler has been replaced by a new wood pellet boiler that we source local wood pellet for. It is digitally controlled on an app so can easily having heating times adjusted remotely if needed.

In terms of course programmes we have been busy with schools again this year and giving them a great outdoor learning course whatever the weather. This week we had two wheelchair users and were able to do a big Swing on our High Ropes Course and Zip Wire with them as part of their activities.

Since our last blog post we have once again been awarded the high level 'Gold Standard' accreditation along with the widely recognised LOTC Quality Badge.

AUTUMN 2023 UPDATE

 We had a busy Spring & Summer since our last Blog Update with lots more developments and successful Outdoor Learning Courses run at Deanfield

The big bathroom refurbishment on the 3rd floor has been well received by residential groups and in particular by the visiting staff members occupying Rm 31 who now have a lovely ensuite bathroom featuring large shower enclosure, heated mirror and towel rail and waterfall tap!

Presently we are busy building a new retaining wall alongside part of our stream. This is to protect the Low Ropes Course from possible flooding in the future, with climate change in mind.

Whilst working on the wall we decided it might be nice to incorporate a Well and a Pump! These are to get water from the stream for use on our nearby Low Ropes Course. We thought pumping water or drawing it from a well is not things that todays children are likely to have experienced. Once completed we will report it on this Blog.

We also have a new Circus Skills Workshop session that we can offer schools. This is undertaken in the Garden Room and facilitated by a film on the organisation and coaching of the session. See the following link: