For over 45 years, children from across the UK have headed to the family-run Rhos-Y-Gwaliau Outdoor Education Centre in Snowdonia, north Wales on school trips. They’ve gone gorge walking and abseiling. They’ve explored mines.
Rhos-Y-Gwaliau has been seen as a haven of outdoor learning for children who otherwise might not have access to the countryside – not to mention the awe and wonder of the Welsh peaks. That is, until the pandemic hit.
For the first time in over a year, schools may once again (from May 17) organise overnight educational visits. But the damage is done. The Save Outdoor Education Campaign estimates that 2 million children nationwide have missed out on trips since residential centres were forced to close.