2022 Spring Challenge

We are conscious that for many young people, the COVID 19 pandemic has had a huge negative impact on their mental and physical health. A survey by Young Minds, facilitated in January-February 2021, found that ‘67% of their young respondents believed that the pandemic will have long term negative effects on their mental health’.

We have witnessed this directly with the young people we support, who are experiencing heightened anxiety, agoraphobia, hopelessness, and depression.

There are many national and international scientific research papers that have proven a connection between engagement in the natural environment and positive mental health. Equally importantly, the remarkable successes of our previous programmes have highlighted how, through participation in outdoor education sessions, wellbeing workshops and via our outdoor expeditions, young people have developed life changing positive behaviours, enabling them to better manage their mental health, enhance their physical health and realise positive life-changing outcomes.

Therefore, we facilitate our annual programme of outdoor education and annual expedition programme. Thanks to investment form the Areti Charitable Trust and TNL Community Fund we can facilitate three challenge events per year, in Spring, Summer and Winter.

In March, we travelled to Langton Adventure Centre in Patterdale for our Spring Challenge. Which saw our team undertake numerous activities including rock climbing, orienteering, bush-crafting, canoeing, and Ghyll Scrambling.