Rock UK Adventure Centres Brochure

All centres are inspected by AALA and CLOtC. In addition Whithaugh Park is inspected by the Scottish Tourist Board and Summit Centre by NICAS.

Your Team

Your Family &Friends

Your Faith Group

Your Youth Group

Your School

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John Heasman

We invest heavily in our team’straining and personal development,and feedback from our guests provesthat this sets us apart from ourcompetitors. Each one of ourinstructors has a real passion for theoutdoors and they strive to instil thisenthusiasm in the groups that cometo us. Of course we do all this in asafe and secure environment.

Individual Growth

My passion is to see every single oneof our guests grow mentally,physically and spiritually as a resultof their time with us. Having massivefun at the same time comes with theterritory!

We would love to welcome you toRock UK soon.

John HeasmanChief Executive

Welcome to Rock UK and thank youfor taking the time to find out moreabout who we are and what we do.

We are a Christian charity with ahistory that goes back more than 90years. At Rock UK we believe thatexperiencing the outdoors is aboutmore than just having a good time;we strive to bring new learningopportunities to life by activelyengaging with our beautifulsurroundings. We positivelyencourage groups of all ages andbackgrounds to work together sothat every experience can be sharedand built upon long after your visithas ended.

What Sets Us Apart

As I spend time at each of ourcentres I am always thrilled to seeand hear how our staff teamencourage and train the manythousands of people who visit useach year. We provide a variety offlexible accommodation and cateringoptions; I’m sure you will find theright combination for your group.Talk to one of our experienced adminstaff who will be able to help youdecide exactly what works for you.

“We are a Christian organisationthat is passionate aboutdeveloping young people,bringing adventure into learningin the outdoors, to transformlives.”

Rock UK has six core values. We arecommitted to:

INTEGRITYADVENTURESAFETYSERVICERELATIONSHIPS

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Take a tour through our brochure to find out more about Rock UK and what we cando to support your group in accessing their next adventure.

- How to make a booking- Tips for organising a residential- The Rock UK Bursary Scheme

Like us / Rock UK

Follow us / @RockUKAdventure

www.rockuk.org

We hope you’ll find your general questions about a visit to Rock UK are answered inthe following pages, but we recognise you may have some specific queries.

We have therefore created a range of additional inserts that you may wish to add toyour brochure; tailoring it to meet your needs.

Choose to add pages about:

Select or download the coloured inserts matching your group type, and slip theminto the handy pocket at the back.

- Frequently Asked Questions- What’s new at our centres- Prices

All groupsSchools groupsFamilies and individualadventurers

Youth groupsCorporate groupsFaith groups

Call now on:

Carroty Wood ……………..01732 361361Frontier Centre ……………01933 654120Summit Centre …………….01443 710090Whithaugh Park ….……….013873 75394

@RockUKAdventures

Rock UK Adventure Centres is the idealchoice for your next group residential orday visit. Whether you’re a uniformedgroup, school, youth group, club, churchor work team; our centres are great forresidential stays, team training,weekends away, or club meetings.

As a provider of outdoor adventure forover 90 years we have developed greatopportunities for learning to take placebeyond the day-to-day environment.We are sure that a visit to a Rock UKcentre will provide excellent fun for youand your group.

Higham LaneTONBRIDGETN11 [email protected] 361361

Addington RoadIrthlingboroughWELLINGBOROUGHNN9 [email protected] 654120

The Old Drift MineTrelewisTREHARRISCF46 [email protected] 710090

NEWCASTLETONTD9 [email protected] 75394

We fully tailor our residentials and dayvisit packages to meet the needs of ourvisitors. Leaders can choose from fullboard or self catering, an action packedactivity programme or to leave a littlefree time for personal reflection andgroup-led activities during your stay.

Whatever your reason for organising avisit to a Rock UK centre our teams willwork with you from the outset to ensurewe are able to meet your individualrequirements.

Call the centre of your choice for more information and to make a [email protected]

“All activities were superb andwell run by friendly andenthusiastic staff.”

Fairchildes Primary School

We do recommend an exploratory sitevisit if you have not stayed at a Rock UKcentre before, or wish to refamiliariseyourself with a centre.

www.rockuk.org Rock UK @RockUKAdventure @RockUKAdventuresW

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Woodland Setting

Location

This idyllic, rural location is just outside Tonbridge, Kent andwithin 30 minutes of the M25 and M20.

Facilities● 4 self contained buildings accommodating up to 168 people● Dedicated team of instructors● A wide range of instructed and self-supervised activities● 58 acres of enclosed woodland for activities, walks or quiet time● Spacious meeting rooms● New sports hall (providing meeting space for up to 190)● Indoor, heated swimming pool● Floodlit, all-weather sports pitch● Low ropes area● Camping grounds● BBQ and campfire areas● Outdoor church area● Rock Shop● Catered package available

Choose from our instructedactivities, swimming pool,sports hall or free low ropesto build the perfectprogramme for your group.Leave us to provide the food,or use our excellent cateringfacilities.Call now on 01732 361361 for more information and to make a booking.

[email protected]

Creating MemoriesFun Activities

Self Catered Kitchens

Set in 58 acres of beautiful enclosed woodland, Carroty Wood is the perfect place for your group toexperience new adventures. We have a great range of instructed activities designed to help developcommunication skills, build confidence and get your group working together as a team.

Alternatively you can just come and enjoy the comfortable accommodation, have a swim in our indoorpool and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

W www.rockuk.org Rock UK @RockUKAdventure @RockUKAdventures

Carroty Wood has accommodation for upto 168 people (132 Oct-April). There arefour well equipped, A-Framed buildings,with fitted kitchens, showers and toilets,comfortable lounges/dining areas andBBQ/campfire areas. Each building is selfcontained which allows groups exclusiveuse of their chosen accommodation.

Two buildings are suitable for disabledvisitors with bedrooms and facilities onthe ground floor. Most buildings havetheir own drying room.

Additional summer capacity is achievedthrough provision of designatedcamping areas (great to keep costsdown) and the addition of tents besidesChestnut Loft.

Building AccommRange

Capacity No. ofBedrooms

Leaders’Rooms

EnsuiteRooms

MeetingRoom

DiningRoom

DryingRoom

DisabledAccess

Catered/Self

CateredHornbeam

HousePremier 34 12 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Either

WoodlandLodge

Comfort 40 11 Yes Part Yes Yes Yes Yes Either

Chestnut Loft(Sept - April)

Economy 34 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Either

Chestnut Loft& Camp

(May - Aug)

Economy 70 8 (+7 tents) Yes Yes Yes Either

WoodpeckerRanch

Economy 24 7 Yes Either

Accommodation

Malcolm Maclean, CentreDirector for Carroty Wood, hasbeen with Rock UK for over 15years, he is married to Lucy andhas two young sons. He enjoysplaying a variety of musicalinstruments and is on theManagement Committee for alocal pre-school. Malcolm has apassion for seeing young peopleachieve their full potential.Malcolm Maclean

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“The Staff were really welcomingand created a warm, familyatmosphere. Great centre, awonderful experience and thehighlight of the year for thestudents.”

Sola IngramSt. Marks, Oval

“We would like to thank you very much for the enthusiasm, encouragementand fun all your activity leaders gave us on our trip to Carroty Wood this year.”Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School

Large Sports Hall/Meeting

Space

Location

It is easy to think you are in the middle of nowhere when you are at Frontier Centre,surrounded by lakes and the beautiful countryside of the Nene Valley. However, thecentre is just 90 minutes from London and Birmingham and is very close to majorroad networks for the north and south of the country. This makes it ideally placedfor groups from all over the country.

Facilities

● Accommodation for up to 234 people● Many ensuite bedrooms● 122 acres of picturesque grounds● Large conference room for 300

people● Smaller meeting rooms for up to 120

people● Purpose built conference/meeting

room for 40 delegates● Spacious dining room for up to 150

people

Call now on 01933 654120 for more information and to make a [email protected]

King Swing


● Full and self-catering options● Sports hall● Rock Shop● Dedicated room for movie nights● Self-supervised adventure play and

adventure pits areas

Additional Camping

AvailableSelf Contained

Accommodation

Indoor ClimbingWall

Frontier Centre is a great place for group residentials or day visits as it offers your group everything you needin one location, enabling you to maximise the time spent at the centre and to get the most out of your stay.

The Centre has 122 acres of young-woodland and open grounds. The river and lakes provide spectacularviews and great opportunities for all your water based activities. There are lots of optional adventurousactivities available including the high ropes course, archery range, mountain biking, king swing and many,many more.

For residential visits the Frontier Centre has a wide choice of comfortable accommodation for your group.There are also extensive grounds available for groups who may wish to erect a marquee or additionalcamping accommodation if required.

Frontier Centre has an excellent choice ofaccommodation, consisting of nine areasthat can sleep up to 234 people.Whittaker Lodge provides comfortableensuite bedrooms for up to 128 people,large meeting rooms for conferences andseminars and additional chill-out areas.The large dining room also ensures plenty

of space for groups during their full boardstay.

Oak, Willow and Rowan lodges havespacious meeting rooms and kitchens forself-catering groups; as do Pines cabinswhich are smaller Scandinavian-stylelodges sleeping up to 28 in total. Full

packages are also available in theselodges. Most accommodation offers acomfortable leaders’ room and meetingrooms for group activities. Campingspace is available in the warmer monthsfor additional, cost effectiveaccommodation.


Capacity No. ofBedrooms

Leaders’Rooms

EnsuiteRooms

MeetingRoom

DiningRoom

DryingRoom

DisabledAccess

Catered/Self

CateredOak Comfort 40 12 Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes Either

Willow Comfort 10 3 Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes Yes EitherThe Pines Economy 28 6 Yes Yes Yes Either

Cherry Comfort 8 4 Yes Yes Yes EitherRowan Comfort 20 6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Either

Ash(Whittaker)

Premier 30 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes** Yes Yes Cateredonly

Beech(Whittaker)


Elm(Whittaker)


Cedar(Whittaker)


Accommodation

* not all rooms.**Meals served in main dining hall.

Adventures For All

“As an experienced Headteacherand inspector of schools, I set avery ‘high bar’ with myexpectations for the pastoral care,safety and well-being of pupils; theFrontier Centre always exceedsthese expectations.”

Martyn SkinnerHead of Monkston Primary SchoolMilton Keynes

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Rich Sewell is the Centre Directorfor Frontier Centre. He has beenleading the centre since 2009. Youwill often see him around thecentre chatting to guests abouttheir visit. Rich loves the outdoorsand particularly rowing which hefinds to be outstanding exercise! Hehas a real passion for the centre,living on site with his wife Debbie,their two daughters and pets.

Rich Sewell

“As a Headteacher, our residential at Frontier Centre is one ofthe highlights of the school year. The children areencouraged, inspired and challenged through the engagingactivities, and always grow in confidence through the week.”

Dan GoddardActing Head of Bramcote C of E Primary School Nottingham

Bushcraft

Planned Refurbishment

Summit Centre is set to undergo a £4mrefurbishment of accommodation andfacilities during 2016. When completed,the newly refurbished centre will providean excellent range of facilities andactivities. The centre will have fullycatered accommodation for around 100people split over 3 separate wings, eachwith 2 and 4 bed ensuite rooms. Therewill also be dedicated bedrooms forleaders and staff rooms. To the rear ofthe current reception there will be a

Location

Summit Centre is located in the heart of the South Wales Valleys and set against abackdrop of stunning woodland and hills. The centre is just 15 minutes from theBrecon Beacons National Park and within easy travelling distance of Cardiff. Closeproximity to the A470 and M4 makes Summit Centre a popular residentialdestination for groups from across South Wales, the west and south west of England.

conservatory extension housing a newcafé serving hot and cold food; a meetingspace for local groups and clubs, internetterminals and free Wi-Fi. The café willopen on to a new children’s play area.

Throughout the refurbishment theclimbing wall and all on-site and off-siteactivities will remain open as normal.


Archery

Summit Centre provides action packed adventure in the South Wales Valleys. Our bespoke programmes forgroups are designed with you to meet your specific needs, and to work alongside your desired objectives.The Centre offers a great range of activities which are perfect for developing and exploring group dynamics.

Our qualified instructors are great at getting groups to work together as teams through challenges,encouraging communication, trust, inspiring confidence and a sense of achievement. You can chooseadventure activities as an option during your visit. Off site activities are also available close to the centre.


Aerial Adventure

Rachel Allen has been with RockUK for 15 years. She has beenthe Centre Director of SummitCentre since 2010. Rachel lovesthe outdoors; in her spare timeshe likes to go mountain biking,climbing and hill walking. Rachellives close to the centre in theWelsh Valleys with her dogs.

Rachel Allen

● Camping area● BBQ area● Rock Shop and snack bar● 18m high indoor climbing walls● Man-made caving system● Bouldering area● Aerial Adventure● Flood-lit all-weather sports pitch● Instructed activities● 30 minutes from Cardiff and close to

the M4 and A470● NICAS awarding centre

Current Facilities

Indoor Climbing

Picturesque Location

“The staff were informative,experienced, and encouraging. Theychallenged us to push ourselves. Ourstay was an important part of teachingour students to take responsibility,learning commitment to the group andteamwork”

Cath McGourtyUniversity of Worcester

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New Facilities and Activities● Accommodation for around 100 people● Ensuite bedrooms● Drying rooms● Leaders’ bedrooms and staff rooms● Meeting/class rooms● Audiovisual facilities● Café and children’s play area● Meeting space for clubs/groups● Workstations and free internet access● 4* Visit Wales rating● Bike Skills Track● Team building area● Campfire area

Location

Whithaugh Park is set on a hill in 110 acres of beautiful Scottish Borders countrysidejust outside the village of Newcastleton. The centre is just 45 minutes away fromCarlisle city centre and close to the M6, A74(M) and A69 making it a very popularcentre with groups from across the north of England and southern Scotland.

Facilities

● Accommodation for up to 192 people● Large meeting hall/sports hall for up to

250 people● Smaller meeting rooms for up to 65

people● Indoor, heated swimming pool● All-Weather sports pitch● 300m twin zip wire● Instructed activities● Rock Shop● Drying rooms


Accommodation Lodge

“Rock UK Whithaugh Park is by farthe best residential we havestayed at for NCS. The experienceour youngsters have had from thequality and delivery of theiractivities has been exceptional.Huge thank you to all!”

Middlesbrough Football Club NCS

Zip Wire

Whithaugh Park is a popular choice with groups for residential stays and day trips because of the hugerange of activities and the wealth of natural adventure resources right on the doorstep.

You’ll be guaranteed an action packed activity programme for your group. No matter what the weather islike you can choose from a wide range of activities including climbing, high ropes, our amazing 300m twinzip wire, swimming, kayaking and many more. We can help you to design a programme to meet yourobjectives and bring out the best in everyone in your group. Right next to the centre you will find one of the7stanes world class mountain bike trails. You can hire mountain bikes at Whithaugh Park and try out ourexcellent mountain bike guided rides or coaching courses.

Each cluster of lodges has its own meeting/activity lodge which are great for group activities or workshops.

Reaching New Heights

● Disabled access● Bridge linking centre to village and

7stanes mountain bike trail● Mountain bike hire● Catered or self-catered options


The accommodation at Whithaugh Parkis set out in a cluster of Scandinavian-style lodges called holms. Each consistsof a kitchen/dining lodge, meeting/activity lodge and your accommodationlodges. There are up to 192 beds inclusters of holms so there’s bound to bea combination that fits your group size.

Full catering is available for day andresidential visits or you can choose theself catering option.

The centre has a large hall with seatingfor up to 250 people which is ideal forlarge groups, and can be hired inaddition to the smaller meeting rooms;this is a multi-purpose room which alsofunctions as an indoor sports hall.


Capacity No. OfBedrooms(per lodge)

MeetingRoom

DiningRoom

DisabledAccess

Catered/SelfCatered

Alder Holm Comfort 65 4 Yes Yes Either

Beech Holm Comfort 36 3 Yes Yes Either

Oak Holm Comfort 38 3 Yes Yes Yes Either

Birch Holm Comfort 27 3 Yes Yes Either

Pine Holm Comfort 13 2 Yes Yes Either

Spruce Comfort 7 2 Yes Yes Either

Hazel Comfort 6 3 Yes Yes Yes Either

Accommodation

Lee Musson is the Centre Directorfor Whithaugh Park. Lee lives justdown the hill from the centre inthe village of Newcastleton withhis wife Claire and their young son.Lee has a real passion for theoutdoors and can be foundclimbing, biking and generally outin the mountains in his spare time.Having run outdoor activity youthcamps for many years he loves tosee the impact that time outdoorscan have on young lives.

Lee Musson

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Large Sports Hall orMeeting Space

“Great centre, facilities andfriendly staff. Masses to do all overthe centre.”

Dalbeattie Scouts

Mountain Biking

Please check out our activity list opposite for details of adventurousactivities available at each Rock UK centre. We’re sure you’ll findplenty of activities for every group to enjoy. When you contact us tomake your booking speak to our team of experienced administratorswho will help you to build an inclusive adventure programme that’sdesigned to engage each individual and tailor-made for your group.

Our qualified instructor team are experienced at working with allabilities and confidence levels as your group take on new challengesleading to a greater appreciation of each other’s needs, andenhanced self esteem.


Call the centre of your choice for more information and to make a [email protected]

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*Contact centres directly for details of the range of spotlightsessions they have available.

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Woo

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Fron

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Cent

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Sum

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Cent

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Whi

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Abseiling • • • •

Advanced Gorge Walking •

Aerial Adventure •

Archery • • • •

BMXing •

Bouldering •

Bushcraft • • • •

Camp Fire • • • •

Caving •

Circus Skills •

Climbing • • •

Fencing • •

Geocaching • •

Gorge Walking • •

High Ropes • • •

Hill Walks •

Indoor Climbing Wall • •

Inflatables • •

Kayak Explore •

Kayaking • • • •

King Swing •

Low Ropes • •

Mobile Climbing • •

Mountain Biking • •

Night Hikes • • • •

Offsite Climbing • • • •

Offsite Water Activities • • •

Open Canoeing • • • •

Orienteering • • •

Overnight Camps • • • •

Raft Building • • • •

Search & Rescue •

Slacklining •

*Spotlight Sessions • • • •

Swimming • •

Team Development Tasks • • • •

Water Walkerz • •

Zip Wire •

Bushcraft

Fencing

Spotlight Sessions

Mountain Biking

Watersports

High Ropes

Archery

Abseiling

Health and Safety / ChildProtection

We take safety very seriously at Rock UKcentres. Every instructor is a qualifiedfirst aider. Our instructors undergo a

rigorous trainingprogramme where they areconstantly supervised,monitored and assessed.We are fully licensed by

AALA (Adventure Activities LicensingAuthority) to carry out the wide range ofadventurous activities which we offer. Allspecialist equipment is provided foractivities and it is regularly inspected andmaintained in line with industryrecommendations and technical advice.Every member of staff is checked by theDisclosure and Barring Service (England,Wales) or Disclosure Scotland and workswithin our comprehensive childprotection policy.

Risk Assessments

All of our activities, facilities andaccommodation are regularly riskassessed and copies of currentassessments are available at our centres.We are visited by hundreds of groupsevery year and are approved providersfor many Local Education Authorities.We know how important it is that ourcentres are safe for your group so if youwant to carry out additional riskassessments too, that’s fine by us. Pleasecontact the centre directly to arrange anappropriate time for a visit.

Insurance

At Rock UK we hold public liabilityinsurance to the level of £10m. Groupsare encouraged to arrange their ownpersonal/group travel insurance to coverany unforeseen issues such as needing tocancel your visit.

Who is in-charge of mygroup?

As the main leader/organiser of theresidential, you are ultimately in chargeof your group; however our staff willhelp you throughout your stay. Rock UK

will provide fully qualified instructors tolead your activity sessions but werequest that children’s groups provide anadult leader/helper to assist with groupsupervision and we hope you’ll want to“have a go!” at the activities too. Each ofour centres has a member of staff on-call24/7 so when you’re on site there’salways someone you can call on ifneeded.

Catering

If you have chosen a catered option foryour stay we will contact you with detailsof meal times and menus etc. All ourfood is home cooked, nutritious and willhelp to fuel your group for thoseenergetic activity sessions. During thecourse of your booking, you will be askedto provide details of any dietaryrequirements within your group toensure that we provide appropriate foodfor everyone!

Accessibility

At Rock UK we aim to make adventure“accessible to all” and therefore workhard to ensure that our pricing iscompetitive and offers great value formoney. Our aim to deliver accessibleadventure means that our centres alsoinclude various accommodation optionsincluding wheelchair accessible rooms.Skilled instructors will work with you toensure the specific needs and objectivesof your group are fully met through atailored programme.

Site visits

If you’ve not already been to a Rock UKCentre (or would like to refamiliariseyourself) we would encourage you toarrange a site-visit. A member of ourteam will be delighted to show youaround the centre (includingaccommodation and activity areas) andanswer any questions you might haveabout your booking. Centres are oftenvery busy so please call at least a day inadvance to arrange a visit.

Before your residentialvisit

Is your group getting excited? Nervous?Are you being asked questions thatyou’re not too sure about answering?Why not contact us to arrange for amember of our team to run aninformation evening for your group?Usually arranged approximately 2 weeksprior to a residential visit these meetingsprovide a great opportunity forattendees and/or parents/guardians tohear more about Rock UK and to ask anyof their remaining questions prior to thevisit. We’ll answer everything we can!!

GOT MORE QUESTIONS?Then why not visit the FrequentlyAsked Questions pages of our websiteor pick up one of our GroupInformation leaflets that’s specific toyour group type. For more informationyou can call the centre of your choiceon the number below, send us anemail at [email protected] visit www.rockuk.org

Carroty Wood ……………….01732 361361Frontier Centre ……………..01933 654120Summit Centre ………………01443 710090Whithaugh Park ….…………013873 75394

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● Four centres across the UK

● Specialists in outdoor adventure

● Excellent cost effective tailor-madepackages for groups

● Over 90 years experience in the outdoors

● Over 50,000 visitors every year

/ 01732 361361/ 01933 654120

/ 01443 710090/ 013873 75394

Rock UK Adventure Centres Ltd. is a registered charity No: 1107724 (England & Wales) SC040118 (Scotland)

Documents

Rock UK Adventure Centres Brochure