Everdon Outdoor Learning Centre celebrates its 50th anniversary

The Northamptonshire centre, which used to be known as The Old School, has been offering environmental activities for young people either on a residential trip or day trip, over the last five decades. 

Activities which have stood the test of time include woodland survival, fire lighting, shelter building, minibeast hunting, pond dipping, orienteering and river studies. 

The centre says that it has remained true to its ethos throughout the years, which is to offer environemntal activities and engage as many young people as possible by showing them the wonders of the natural world and the environment around them.

Centre manager Nina Krawczyk said: “I think all of us at the centre would agree that educational visits are vital to a young person’s development.

“The benefits are endless and can improve self-esteem, confidence, knowledge, encouraging teamwork, communication skills and with residential groups basic life skills such as how to lay the table for dinner, clearing plates etc you’d be surprised at how many children don’t know where the knives and forks go when laying a table.

“All our rangers at the centre have a wealth of experience and knowledge in relation to the great outdoors and love passing this onto the children that visit us. Last year alone we engaged with 2,881 young people through our day trips and residentials.”

An example itinerary for schools visiting Everdon Outdoor Learning Centre…

Morning

• Wake up about 7am.
• Have a cooked breakfast and help clear away.
• Children pack their lunches (made for them) into their rucksacks and then kit out for day.

Day activities - option one

• Walk across the countryside to nearby Fawsley following maps and directions.
• Take part in orienteering, bird watching and a historical church study as a ‘round robin’ of activities.

Daytime activities - option two

• Take part in a shelter building session using natural materials, followed by lunch in the woods.
• Walk back to the centre using maps and a ‘treasure hunt’ clue sheet.
• Light a camp fire in the centre garden and cook marshmallows. Pupils will try using fire steels to light the fire.

Dinner time

• Set the tables for dinner.
• All staff and children have a cooked two-course dinner at 5pm.

Evening activities

• An evening circular walk, with map and directions, is available as are lots of games, a library of children’s books, or perhaps have your own talent show.

One of the centre’s biggest benefits is that the team provides waterproofs, rucksack and wellies to all residential groups, and aims to make the experience as simple as possible for parents and avoid, if possible, any additional costs to them.  

Nina Krawczyk added: “The future is looking good, we have made some changes to the centre itself over the last couple of years which has included gates, a covered area from the main building, to the equipment room and a new cabin situated in the garden.”