Outdoor centres (From Malvern Gazette)

Outdoor centres

10:07am Tuesday 11th December 2007 in Letters

TWO cheers for the cabinet of Worcestershire County Council who recently (December 6) reversed their decision to close the County Outdoor Education Centre at Llanrug in Snowdonia; only two cheers though because for 12 months they have turned resolutely deaf ears on the overwhelming educational arguments for the Centre's survival. The change has come about, above all because Lib-Dem and Labour councillors called-in' the original decision to sell off the centre and it was referred to the Scrutiny Committee of the County Council who found that proper procedures had not been followed.

Nevertheless, Worcestershire (and Herefordshire, too - many Herefordshire schools use the centres) can feel very proud of the successful campaign that has been mounted to demonstrate the great strength of public feeling against closures.

The young people of the two counties deserve special praise. Their petitioning and leetter-writing, their camp at County Hall, and their personal testimony, have all shown very clearly the value they place on their three excellent centres.

Thanks are also owed to the media - including, of course, the Malvern Gazette - for their extensive and fair coverage you have given the matter. As a result of this the people of both counties, not to mention local politicians, are now far better informed about the centres and what between them they seek to promote.

Before congratulations become too overwhelming, however, we must remember that the victory we are celebrating is a rather hollow one: how can we sincerely applaud the progressive removal over the next three years of all the subsidy that the centres have hitherto deservedly received?

In this colder, harsher climate it is inevitable that the quality of service will be compromised to some degree, thought the centre leaders are determined to maintain the quality as far as they are able, without pushing up charges to parents (it is parents who pay) to a prohibitive extent.

Our support group WOEDA will be actively seeking funding over the next three years, in the first instance to replace the South Block residential building at Malvern which is fast reaching the end of its natural span.

Our first fundraising event will be in May 2008, a sponsored walk on the Malvern HIlls to which every school in the counties will be invited (since every school can avail themselves of the tailor-made courses the centres offer).

Meanwhile if there are any benefactors out there with deep pockets and big hearts ...

CHARLES EDEN, (Chair, Worcestershire Outdoor Education Development Association), Rectory Lane, Madresfield, Malvern.