DFSC Early Winter Update

Coracle Building & Relay Racing is a new activity we introduced this year, but it has certainly now got too cold for what you will see in the following 2 minute video!:

 

The lawn mowers are now locked away for the Winter and we've got the Christmas decorations up:

We are presently in the process of changing all of the Main Centre lights to LEDs to save energy. We are also installing PIR sensors in many areas so that they switch on and off automatically.

The Garden Room now has some new disco lights for those last evening discos and karaoke/talent shows. Also great for our outside groups booking parties.

At this time of year the garden lights have also been useful when finishing afternoon sessions as it gets dark

Some of them act as feature lighting that can change colour, like the ones illuminating our bamboo

The Roundhouse has also had it's Christmas makeover with fairy lights to brighten it up inside and out

Meanwhile the Common Room now has 2 new table football machines and a new air hockey machine. All 3 are durable arcade quality machines

The Air Hockey is proving particularly popular with students when they have a few spare minutes

We have more purchases planned for the Common Room/Games Room. Watch this space...

Early Autumn 2015 Update

We were so busy over the summer that we didn't manage to do a Blog Update! So here's an update of some of the things that have been happening.

Our new archery range has proved to be a great success and we hope more of our existing schools will add this activity to their programme.

This summer saw us running a lot more Bushcraft sessions which were also very well received. 

Groups started fires using flint/steel and charcloth and then cooked dampers (made to Jane's secret recipe) on the fire.

 

Click on the short video below to see how tasty they were!

 

Here's another fun little video of one of our Summer groups mountain biking. You can tell that Ian, the Centre Manager got a new video camera for Christmas!

We have also hosted several parties over the weekends in the Summer. The Garden Room and it's deck makes an excellent venue for such occasions. We have even hosted a wedding reception! Pictures to hopefully follow in a later Blog post.

 

A couple of groups have also camped on the new lawn as part of a party weekend.

One group even hired in a hot tub that we sited for them!

Of course the tunnels were also hired

 and we also ran a High Challenge session for them

 

You know where to book you next big party weekend!

DFSC Spring 2015 Update

Spring came early to DFSC and the lambs are already getting fat

 

The Bluebells were once again fantastic in the forest and the Centre grounds are fragranced with wild garlic

Our nest boxes are full of bluetit chicks once again and the parents are busy feeding them

Our centre garden was looking like the Somme before Easter!

 

It has now transformed into a lush lawn ready for enjoying some new activities that are in the pipeline

 

New steps access the lawn and an alcove to one side will shortly be transormed into a new archery range

Inside the house we now have Wifi! This is coded so that visiting staff have access but so that it can be restricted from students.

Staff can also keep in touch via the internet using the staff computers in the lounge

We have now installed a data projector and sound system in the lounge so that audio visual presentations & DVD's can be viewed

 

Lots more developments are planned for the Summer...

DFSC Winter 2015 Update

We've bought some new toys for the Common Room to keep our guests amused in those spare moments:

 

 The Common Room has also been completely repainted and had new lights fitted

 

We've also been upgrading all staff bedrooms to include more powerpoints to charge up all those mobile devices you bring!

 

A new sink in Staff Bedroom 21:

 

Our new 2 day First Aid in the Outdoors Course, which we run every January, now includes First Aid outdoors in the dark!: 

...and resuscitation practice on babies too:

The big change for 2015 will be new landscaping in the Centre Grounds

We have created a large new open space which will be laid to lawn. There is 20 tons of stone chip drainage channels in it

The new area will allow Camping, an Archery Range, Volley Ball Court and Problem Solving Challenges 

 

This is being made wheelchair and buggy accessible and will also feature nighttime lighting. We'll post more photos once the grass seed grows and it's no longer mud! In the meantime please accept our apologies for any inconvenience while the landscaping work continues.

 

  

 While we were churning the ground up with diggers we also did some maintenance work on our High Challenge Course: