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Residentials, Adventure & Activity Centres

We were pleased to see some of AIM Members mentioned in this piece from School Travel Organiser .  The category of Best Residential experience is voted for in their annual School Travel Awards ceremony in May.  We know that there are many residential centres offering vital services that may not have been featured or nominated so a big shout out to you all.  This article highlights just a handful of them.  Many congratulations to Lost Earth Adventures, Lee Valley Canoe Cycle and Mill on the Brue.  If you run an activity business please speak to us we have experienced underwriters who are familiar with the type of activities you offer and residential centres and we’d be happy to help.  There are many benefits to being part of the Mutual, please see some of our Member Profiles to get a taste for the broad and diverse mix of Mutual Members.

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H5 Adventure – Member Profile

Our Member profiles focus on individual Members and what they offer.  We cover a wide variety of activity providers from various sectors and as our Membership continues to grow this gives us an opportunity to learn from each other, and share ideas especially in a landscape where diversifying the offering is vital to ensure survival.    We caught up with Paul Webb from H5 Adventure who told us what’s happening in their world.

What do you/your organisation do?

H5 Adventure deliver outdoor activities to the Education Sector, Groups & Corporates. All across the south of England & Wales, from Dartmoor, to The Brecon Beacons, the M4 Corridor The peak District and as far East to London and it’s surrounding area. We offer Team building Days, Multi Activity Residentials and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions and have over 30 years of experience in the sector, drawn from the Charity, Local Educational Authority and Commercial Sectors

How long have you been an AIM Member?

We have been an AIM Member since 2013 and fully appreciate the support they have offered throughout the years.  AIM offer support and guidance with a variety of aspects of our business. We enjoy attending their annual conference and learning from guest speakers on these events too.

What’s the best part of your job?

One of the best parts of our job is successfully delivering outdoor activities to all of our clients. Seeing how young people develop when working with us on courses. Especially when delivering The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and how teams of young people develop over an expedition.

What issues do you think the industry faces this year?

We feel you always have to be willing to adapt in business and that was notable with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions adapting the expeditions, we also adapt our programs so we could deliver Residential in School grounds. We feel with the lack of growth and downturn in the economy there is likely to be less customers in the near future, so diversifying or increasing your client base is likely to be a challenge

What exciting projects do you have lined up for the future?

From 2022 we have created 2 new Full-time roles within our office team who are Client Managers and oversea a variety of admin roles within the business too. We are really excited to see how these positions grow over the coming years and how it will help us deliver a better-quality product to all of our clients. We will also be developing our venue, The Lake, a 33-acre site set in rural countryside, around a stunningly landscaped lake, yet just 10 minutes out of suburbia and the M4.

What’s your favourite activity and is there anything on your bucket list for 2023?

It’s simply, one that the client is enjoying themselves. That could be a 7-year-old, for the first time using a flint & steal, or one of SEN School groups trekking in the countryside, excited about seeing sheep, for the first time.

Thanks to Paul Webb from H5 Adventure for sharing his thoughts and support for the Mutual.