Your Views on
Outdoor For All

The children excell in all activities outdoors, they learn to solve problems and work together to achieve an aim. Like abseiling down a rock.. the weather on Arran is suitable for all kinds of outdoor adventures. The children return home feeling happy and confident having tried new activities 😃

Children need to be outdoors in all weather's come rain and shine. The benefits on their health and well being are imperative.

It’s an essential part of the island bringing old and young together being able to get out in the water learning how to sail.
Being part of a team is important for so many who struggle to mix on their own.
Be a great loss to the island!

I have worked with children at a special needs school I have seen how children benefit from outside activities we have seen a more positive happy child it is so positive healthy and rewarding to see a child develop in outside persists we need more outside activities all schools should have them .

Please keep this open, future generations need things like this

The continuation of the Outdoor Centre on Arran is crucial for the development of all using and running it. It opens up so many activities and possibilities for young people and helps with the development of social skills. Please please DO NOT think of closing this very unique facility. Hundreds of youngsters will be far worse off without it and so will Arran.

I was happily in involved with outside education for 20 years as a teacher. Being an outside person myself I could see children enjoy the freedom of being outside and safe in a controlled environment with qualified staff. Children that were struggling in a classroom to conform were totally different when they had freedom and responsibilities given to them. Schools are all about academic results and exams. More so than ever. There is more to life. Mental health for example.

Independence for some children who have never had the chance to be away from family (and some, caring duties) Life skills, survival skills The calming “green effect”. Challenges and thereby self-worth achieved Team work, social skills and bonding with class mates that last for life, often as not. Remembering such holidays. Knowledge of the environment. Many children have not seen outside of metropolis? I walk along the shore to the Outdoor Centre most days. It is teeming with wildlife that they are never likely to see otherwise. And lastly and sadly, physical exercise when children these days are glued to their devices. There is little to no internet signal at the Outdoor Centre!

I first used this centre as a young teenager. Up at Corrie Croft. I then had the pleasure of accompanying young people to both Whitiing Bay hostel then onto the incredible Arran Outdoor Centre for over 27 years. You have my full support saving this incredible resource that caters for hundreds of young people every year

I was very concerned to hear about the imminent closure proposal of Arran Outdoor Education Centre and have written a letter explaining the benefits in Education to the chief executive of NAC. I was head of PE in a special school and PE co-ordinator for Outdoor Education & Adventure Activities for North Yorkshire, I am now a retired teacher of 29 years.

I love the outdoor centre, I've been twice. One time in p7 and again in s3. It's a great opportunity for adventure and is a great experience for teamwork building! Many more people could enjoy this centre as much as me so please keep it open!

I really enjoyed the out door center and it really helped our leadership group to be a stronger team and others should be able to have the same opportunities that we had

As a student that went to the arran outdoor centre multiple times I found this really fun the food was amazing and the games /activities where really enjoyable and I would love to go back

As a student who has been to the centre twice I can say that it is a great experience for young people who like the outdoors

the outdoor centre is so fun and enjoyable for all and have the friendliest staff ever, i had a great 4 days at the centre and the food, the staff and the activities were absolutely amazing. i couldn’t recommend anywhere better to go.

As there is a push for outdoor education it seems inconceivable that a venue as valuable as this is being considered for closure. The experiences gained by children are invaluable. Sometimes the only time they may have these outdoor opportunities. Please Ayrshire Council reconsider.

Previously employed at AOEC, was sad to leave, I was part of the cull six years ago. For the children, we must not let them down.

I wholeheartedly agree with Jim’s words and sentiments and truly feel that the closure of Arran’s Outdoor Educational Center will be a huge detriment and leave such a void in many a child’s life of experiences and opportunities that they may never get the chance to try. I remember fondly a visit when I was a pupil at Irvine Royal Academy and later in life when I worked with North Ayrshire Council’s Active Schools team and had the privilage of spending a few days in Arran with Annick Primary School. The life lessons and experiences but most of all the memories that I had from these visits will stay with me forever and how I wish my own kids could get the chance & opportunity that this service offers. It will be a very sad time for many if it closes and such a great loss to many. Please do what you can to keep this place open to help provide the physical, mental, social and educational means that our society so desperately needs and can thrive on.

I am saddened to hear that the AOEC is on the chopping block again. As part of the pupil voice that relentlessly wrote to MP’s, Heads of Service and the press I hope that the power of todays pupil voices is easier to be heard through social media and is listened to by the Council. The amount of research into the benefits of outdoor play/outdoor learning and residential experiences should speak for itself. My experiences at Corrie Croft and the experiences it lead me towards are some of the best in my life. Going to Arran was so important to me that at 16 I knocked back an opportunity to go on a Caribbean cruise because it conflicted with my scheduled Arran trip. Our teacher from Garnock (George Kerr) and the instructors at the Croft up skilled us and helped build resilience, it was like a home from home as we went 4 times a year as part of our Outdoor Studies class. We built positive relationships that have continued into adulthood. I still as an adult feel that when I walk off the ferry and take a deep breath in that my soul just feels happier. My trips to Arran helped me overcome some of the most difficult times in life, built my self confidence and belief that this once petrified paddler could go on to confidently take part in trips to Norway, and many of the Western Isles and it’s various tide races including the Corryvrekan! I continue to enjoy paddling and hillwalking/camping and I’m the most organised person thanks to the first kit lessons I had at Corrie Croft and with my local canoe club. Those skills were character building and shaped me into the person I am today. If there is anything I can do to help stop this closure please let me know.

I think this is disgusting if they really are thinking about closing Arran Outdoor Centre down,my son is going here in May with the school and I also went here when I was in p7 37 years ago it was absolutely fantastic and is even better now than it was then,all they seem to do is get rid of all the services that are really needed in this day and age and these children are our future.

The benefits that children and young Adults gain from staying in an outdoor residential education centre are many . They learn how to cope being without their family/carers and how to b think for themselves more.They learn how to respect other people and their property as well as self respect. They learn how to cook.and take part in daily chores.They learn team building. They learn new Skills each day. They learn how to cope when things don’t go according To plan.and to persevere . They are encouraged to face their fears and go out of their comfort zones. They have the opportunity to swim.go canoeing have .fun orienteering. They learn to make new friends as well as being with their own friends. They learn all about the countryside and the environment which we live in.

The benefits that children and young Adults gain from staying in an outdoor residential education centre are many . They learn how to cope being without their family/carers and how to think for themselves more. They learn how to respect other people and their differences. They learn self respect. They learn team building and new Skills. They learn how to cope when things don’t go according to plan and persevere . They are encouraged to face their fears and go out of their comfort zones. They have the opportunity to swim canoe and have fun in orienteering experiences. They learn to make new friends as well as being with their own friends.

Hi I think it would be such a shame for the Arran outdoor pursuit centre to close. It's so important that kid are given the opportunity to do different things outside school to help with confidence, mental health and socialisation. I truly hope that the centre can be saved.

I fully support the campaign to keep Arran Outdoor Education facility open - i benefited from access roots predecessor Corrie Croft and can recall even today - 35 years later the experience in great detail. I’ve developed a life long love of the outdoors - which has greatly helped my health and well-being, and it was an instrumental part in this. Deep friendships were developed along with personal resilience and general life skills. With the modern technology driven society we now live in, investing in our children’s futures has never been more important. The Arran facility also leads to vital employment in the island - and offers a first class facility to offer people the opportunity to experience the outdoors and learn safely, and also learn to love Arran too. I urge you to reconsider the threat of closure and keep this going for decades to come.

Better future begins with a strong foundation
By providing outdoor education to the Young for their better wellbei

Both my teenagers attended here in P7.
First bid for freedom without parents. Building friendships. Memories but most importantly. Independence through team building and outdoor activities.
They have both returned independently due to fun they had during their first visit.

Please reconsider.. this is an amazing flagship resource. It’s use should be increased and maximised to allow children, young people and adults the opportunities to engage in outdoor education.
The benefits of this resource should be well known- exercise, trying new skills, self confidence and improved self esteem, teamwork. Also awareness and understanding of the environment and rural places.
Many children were offered the experience of going there between primary and secondary including my own- it was a special time for the pupils, often 1st time away from family and the perfect way to transition from primary to secondary.
I understand council is cash strapped but really can this not be made to work. Facilities are great, modern and inviting. It’s position next to the beach, the no take zone, could surely be expanded to offer not only schools but youth and community groups, universities and possibly private lessons, camps during holiday periods. ( I have walked past in the summer and all the canoes etc are all stacked away as it’s the school holidays.. total waste of resource during peak time on the island.
Lastly N Ayrshire has some if the worst health in Scotland and tops the tables for all the wrong reasons. We live in a beautiful area, many of the local people have never been to Arran but look at the island across the water. Let’s promote Arran and support our residents of the council area to visit, enjoy and participate in such a fabulous resource

I cannot believe that this centre has come anywhere near the list of proposed closures in NA. I endorse all the sentiments voiced by Mr Hughes. I would be interested to know the amount raised by groups out with NA who use, and pay for, the centre.

My daughter recently went on a day 5 trip with them and she's always talking about it and would LOVE to go again. I only found out about the closure recently, prior to my daughters outing and was shocked as it's not even been there long so a massive waste of money and resources!

Outdoor activities are absolutely essential for everyone and particularly for our young people. Any money spent on these activities is more than recompensed in better physical and mental health for everyone and skills and employment for everyone involved.

I’ve been very lucky enough to visit the centre on two occasions. This centre provides nothing but benefits to the local authority area and has loads to offer. It’s one of the best investments the council invests in. How or why they could even think of cutting this due to budget cuts is just crazy. This centre is amazing helps children develop skills whilst on school trips the centre has loads of potential for kids and adults. If the council actually sat down they could make the centre a viable business to also make money in between school trips. This is one of the only great things left in north ayrshire council there’s nothing left for kids as they either shut due to budgets or left to ruin. The councillors need to sit down and have a hard think and look at other areas they could cut budgets as to me the arran outdoor centre should be off the table and never been proposed to be closed in the first place.

The letter above says it all …. North Ayrshire and Arran council must not close this facility

Considering how North Ayrshire Council relied on community support to get the outdoor centre through planning, to close this fantastic facility would be an act of supreme betrayal. Shame on NAC trying to asset strip the facility from children of excellence outdoor education opportunity.

This place is the best experience any children I have taught have had! To a person, they all rate it as highlight of their primary school life! It teaches them so much about themselves for that five days they are there! Independence! Teamwork! Resilience! And how to make a bed!!😂 We are blessed in North Ayrshire to have this on our doorstep. The staff are always first class and great to work with to ensure all children get the best experience! Please do what you can and fill in the NAC budget survey. This place cannot be lost!

It is essential this facility stays open. Agree with everything you say about its benefit to the users of mainland North Ayrshire and also to the economy of Arran.