Adventure Centre for Education (ACE), provides outdoor educational activities to young people across South Ayrshire. ACE offers a wide programme of tailored outdoor activities. Creating opportunities for people of all ages, skills levels and backgrounds to participate in adventure sports, so broadening their visions and aspirations.
They work with on average 1500 individuals each year creating opportunities for people to try adventure sports through initiatives such as their apprenticeship scheme, trainee placements, work experience, volunteering and employment. Outdoor activities promote active learning and are a great way to help build self-confidence and self-esteem.
Funding from David Doig Foundation contributed to running costs involved in developing a programme of outdoor activity days for young people with behavioural issues, including anti-social behaviour and substance misuse. The programme helped to increase their confidence, communication skills, mental health, physical health and overall health and wellbeing to encourage positive change.
The young people had great fun taking part and enjoyed working as part of a team as well as learning new skills.
One young person who took part was Mark. Mark spent a lot of his time alone outdoors, playing on the grass and down by the shore. Mark had heard about Adventure Centre Education’s outdoor activities through the group’s Facebook page. Mark participated in a Gorge walking day plus a Coasteering day as well as a 2 night 3 day camp as he wanted to gain camping skills. With ACE these outdoor days were more structured and organised than what he was used to, using proper equipment for the activities and the instructors showing him what to do, for example learning to use flint stones on the camp. Mark said that after participating in these days he now knows more ways to enjoy himself outside. He gained camping experience and skills to use when camping such as how to light fires. He said he had fun.
