No day is the same at Conway Centres – being based in Wales, it often starts with checking the weather forecast! Groups could spend a morning navigating the waves of the Menai Strait in a canoe with their peers then the afternoon they could be heading down to our quarry which is about 1km along the coast and doing some climbing. Many centres offer short, quick-fire activity sessions, but ours are designed to last up to three hours, giving young people the time to build confidence, develop skills and get the most from every session.

Whilst young people build resilience, teamwork and confidence, one of the best things I see is the relationships that develop. Pupils see Miss or Sir as the first to leap off the diving board and suddenly realise their teachers are human too. At the same time, teachers watch shy pupils grow in confidence and step out of their comfort zones. For me, the outdoors has a unique way of bringing pupils and teachers closer together. 

I struggled in school, but when I visited Conway Centres I found a different way of learning. From doing bushcraft and learning about angles and friction with the flint and steel to understanding vertical and horizontal movement whilst paddleboarding – outdoor education transforms lessons into lived experiences, allowing young people to shine outside of the school environment. 

For me, it is the team and the place. From staff who have done ultra marathons, climbing expeditions in Greenland, to Superstar Sailors – it’s not just about experiencing the outdoors, it’s about the passionate team who make that happen. It often even rubs off on the teachers and young people. Plus, the environment we have around us! With the Snowdonia Mountains ahead, our private dock on the Menai Strait and the coastline of Anglesey all around us it’s one of the most inspiring classrooms you could ask for. They say if you can navigate the Menai Strait, you can navigate the world!