BBC CWR talks: outdoor education centres
Warwickshire County Council’s outdoor education co-ordinator, Neil Wilson, has spoken to BBC Coventry and Warwickshire in the latest of a string of interviews with county council officers about how the authority is making important budget decisions.
Neil co-ordinates activities for Marle Hall in Llandudno, Wales and Kingsbury Water Park which are residential and non-residential activity centres respectively. They offer a range of activities for young people.
Marle Hall features well-equipped geography, biology and general teaching rooms, computer software, facilities for Geography and Biology GCSE and A Level field study.
Kingsbury Water Park offers water and land-based activities for young people. The meeting and conference facilities offer businesses the chance to have team building days for staff alongside the adventure activities.
The budget for 2010/11 has identified the need for the centres to reduce costs and to ultimately look at being self-financing. The challenge for the county council is to bring enough school parties, businesses and activity seekers through the doors to keep these facilities up and running.
In his interview with BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, Neil Wilson said: “We need to be able to cover operational costs. Now, it is nothing new for Marle Hall. Back in the early 90s, when Warwickshire County Council was undertaking significant cuts, the centre came under threat. The councillors agreed that the centre can stay as long as it covered costs.
“It’s slightly different with Kingsbury. It’s a new operation so it takes time to bed in. To date we’ve done a very good job, we’re getting numbers through the door. This is about getting the message out there and obviously the council has to fund those significant areas of operation.
Outdoor education is not a statutory requirement; it is a challenge but we see it as an exciting time. “
The interview with Neil Wilson is part of a series of interviews with Warwickshire County Council officers as part of the BBC’s national campaign highlighting the pressures faced by local authorities as they set their budgets for the forthcoming year.