How Stean Gorge – New Member Profile

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How Stean Gorge is a unique natural attraction and presents an exciting opportunity for those looking to try some gorge walking, scrambling or other outdoor activity set in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.  The gorge contains a maze of footpaths, caves and potholes which have been hollowed out of the limestone rock by the constant water flow over thousands of years.

Stan and his wife Ann Beer offer a range of activities including Via Ferrata (since 2009), gorge walking, caving and canoeing plus much more.  There are also camping facilities, a café and shop available to visitors on site.
The Mutual were happy to assist How Stean Gorge with cover for the public and employer’s liability element of the business, together with buildings, contents and activity equipment. They had been part of the JLT scheme that was unable to continue to offer cover and left many activity providers seeking an alternative at short notice.

The activities that How Stean Gorge provide are similar to those the Mutual is presented with regularly, but the location and setting are certainly something strikingly different.

How Stean truly look to utilize the natural environment to provide access to some amazing activities for groups and individuals alike.

Stan Beer, the owner of How Stean Gorge, requested the quotation from the Mutual and had this to say:

 “We were pleased with the knowledge and understanding of this industry by those dealing with our enquiry and are happy that our entire basket of cover is with this professional provider.”

For more information on How Stean Gorge please contact them by visiting:- www.howstean.co.uk

If like How Stean you are an activity provider who needs cover for a range of activities and is in a challenging or possibly unusual location then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote and discuss your requirements.

Thorpe Woodlands is a centre which joined the Mutual this September after they came out of local authority arrangement with Suffolk Council and became an independent company. The centre is set in the beautiful surroundings of Thetford Forest, and offers a fantastic range of adventurous and educational outdoor activities for primary schools, secondary schools, youth groups, FE colleges, universities, adults and corporate groups. They offer indoor accommodation for up to 46 people in a modern Cedar-clad building which blends perfectly with the surrounding forest and offers a warm and welcome retreat from the outdoors at the end of a busy day. There is also camping facilities for 100+. The catering team on site provide food for all visiting groups although self-catering options are available if required. The building is all on one level so they have no problem in accommodating people with disability or other additional needs. They also have state-of-the-art accessible shower room featuring hoists, changing bed and shower chair. Some of the activities offered at Thorpe Woodlands include, 6 High Ropes activities, climbing tower, caves, mountain bike trails, 2 orienteering courses, archery range, kayaks, canoes, zip wires and much more. Tim Edmonds, Head of Centre at Thorpe Woodlands commented:- “As a centre leaving the Local Authority we were faced with having to find our own insurance – luckily AIM came highly recommended and the transition was smoother than we could have ever expected. From the first enquiry to the actual placing of the policy, the AIM staff were extremely helpful and supportive.” AIM is very pleased to welcome Thorpe Woodlands to the Mutual. For more information on Thorpe Woodlands please contact them on www.thorpewoodlands.co.uk

Thorpe Woodlands – New Member Profile

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Thorpe Woodlands is a centre which joined the Mutual this September after they came out of local authority arrangement with Suffolk Council and became an independent company.

The centre is set in the beautiful surroundings of Thetford Forest, and offers a fantastic range of adventurous and educational outdoor activities for primary schools, secondary schools, youth groups, FE colleges, universities, adults and corporate groups.

They offer indoor accommodation for up to 46 people in a modern Cedar-clad building which blends perfectly with the surrounding forest and offers a warm and welcome retreat from the outdoors at the end of a busy day. There is also camping facilities for 100+.

The catering team on site provide food for all visiting groups although self-catering options are available if required.  The building is all on one level so they have no problem in accommodating people with disability or other additional needs. They also have state-of-the-art accessible shower room featuring hoists, changing bed and shower chair.

Some of the activities offered at Thorpe Woodlands include, 6 High Ropes activities, climbing tower, caves, mountain bike trails, 2 orienteering courses, archery range, kayaks, canoes, zip wires and much more.

Tim Edmonds, Head of Centre at Thorpe Woodlands commented:

“As a centre leaving the Local Authority we were faced with having to find our own insurance – luckily AIM came highly recommended and the transition was smoother than we could have ever expected.  From the first enquiry to the actual placing of the policy, the AIM staff were extremely helpful and supportive.”

AIM is very pleased to welcome Thorpe Woodlands to the Mutual.

For more information on Thorpe Woodlands please contact them on www.thorpewoodlands.co.uk

Wolf Mountain

Wolf Mountain – New Member Profile

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Wolf Mountain is an activity centre set in an urban area but with great access to mountain bike trails and water who joined the Mutual in October 2014.  Julian Porter, Director at Wolf Mountain tells us a bit about the set up of the company and what they offer to the community.

“We primarily set up as an indoor climbing wall making use of a closed down sports centre with the main wall actually built in what was a swimming pool. Since inception it was always the plan to add further outdoor activities so that local people can access outdoor activities without the expense of travelling too far. We now have a very large indoor caving system with hundreds of metres of sculptured tunnels and an indoor archery range but we also have the equipment to set up archery off site which is very popular with schools. The centre is set in green belt land, a little oasis in the urban jungle of Wolverhampton, with access on to a 10 mile long disused railway gifting us with an excellent mountain bike trail. Running next to the old railway line is the canal which again has allowed us to offer kayaking and canoeing to groups and schools.

With the addition of these activities it is great that we have found Activities Industry Mutual who understand fully what our company activities are and have been excellent in meeting our insurance needs!’

AIM is very pleased to welcome Wolf Mountain to the Mutual and for more information please contact them on http://www.wolfmountain.co.uk

AIM Member Profile – Adventure Plus

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Adventure Plus is an interdenominational Christian Charity that works with over 5,000 young people per year in both residential and non-residential settings throughout the UK.

Adventure Plus is not a typical outdoor adventure provider. It is an interdenominational Christian Charity that works with over 5,000 young people per year in both residential and non-residential settings throughout the UK. Programmes combine adventure and education in order to instil positive values in young people, inspiring them and building their confidence to assist in other aspects of their lives.

Founded in 1990, the organisation currently offers a 100% mobile service from its base in Witney, Oxfordshire. Adventure Plus can bring the adventure to young people on their own premises, support them on adventures at one of its Associate Residential Centres, or take them to remote parts of the country for expeditions.

Adventure Plus offer “Total Adventure” activity holidays to individuals and activity programmes for school and youth groups. These programmes operate during term time for groups and for individuals during the school holidays. They even offer a February ski trip in Switzerland.

Their “Adventure Impact” programmes are designed to inspire and mentor vulnerable young people. Referrals can be made by Schools, Pupil Referral Units, Youth Offending Services, Social Services or Youth Organisations. The needs of the group are discussed with the leader and goals for the programme agreed. If possible a meeting with the group will also be held prior to the programme starting. Activities are selected based upon the needs of the group and the agreed programme goals. Outcomes are evaluated at the start and end of the programmes after which results are fed back to referrers/teachers/parents.

Adventure Plus is licensed by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and a DofE approved activity provider. They are also members of CCI, an association of more than 160 Christian residential centres and holiday organisations in the UK.

Operational Challenges

Adventure Plus Associate centres are located as far afield as Shropshire and Monmouthshire so there are a lot of logistical and transportation challenges in addition to the operational challenges of delivering activities such as abseiling, archery, climbing, kayaking and raft building. Executive Director, Jon Cox is keenly aware of the operational challenges of providing a 100% mobile adventure programme in so many different locations.

“From a risk management point of view we have to have an approach that is both robust and flexible. Our team have to be good at exercising judgement in the field as well as making sure that everything gets safely from store to activity base and back again. Our greatest asset, we are told, is our team of activity  instructors, both staff and volunteers, who are passionate about encouraging the young people we work with each year, through adventure & education in a positive Christian environment.”

Adventure Plus operate all activities with a minimum of 2 staff, usually on a 2:10 staff:child ratio. A full time team of 15 staff is complemented by a network of freelance specialists and over 200 volunteers. Adventure Plus also offers a unique gap year training programme that provides up to 6 trainee instructors with a comprehensive training programme working alongside their experienced permanent team.

Future Plans

Adventure Plus are currently seeking funding to develop their own permanent adventure base in Oxfordshire. They are in negotiations to take on a 50 acre site that could host a range of land-based adventure activities and offer bunk house or tented accommodation. The location is also within easy reach of a waterfront that could offer canoeing, kayaking and raft building.

 

A permanent location would allow Adventure Plus to increase their level of provision and improve efficiency by reducing costs on up to 60% of their operations. This would allow them to increase their range of services within SE England but they would still aim to offer a UK-wide operation via their associate residential centres.

Why AIM?

Jon Cox selected AIM as their insurance partner for a number of reasons:

“Adventure Plus was an early supporter of Activities Industry Mutual and we valued the idea of insuring with a mutual as this reflects our own approach and organisational structure. We also value the fact that we speak to informed people who really understand the practical needs of our organisation and take a positive approach to risk management.”

More info: www.adventureplus.org.uk