Embers Bushcraft Residential Trips Hampshire

Embers Bushcraft, at its core, was set up to offer all client groups the opportunity to gain outdoor living experiences that teach and deliver foundational skills in Bushcraft and Forest School. As a medium of delivery, we have proven again and again that our programs and experiences engage all ages and demographics, from young to old, from schools to corporate teams and across a broad spectrum of school settings inclusive of state schools, independent schools, PRUs, charities and local authorities.

All of our outdoor living programs and residentials especially, offer spacious bell tent accommodation, full catering options and full activity programs that enable all participants to spend that valuable time to build relationships with peers and staff.

Underpinning this medium of delivery, and the company’s main ethos and value, is to ensure we utilise these skills to develop the social and emotional development of the individual by putting them into an environment that is challenging, dynamic and educational. This provides a platform of personal discovery for all participants and an opportunity to challenge themselves in a safe but challenging environment. We offer all schools and organisations the opportunity to have autonomy over their needs and requirements and through consultation we ensure they receive a bespoke and tailored experience for their specific client group. We endeavour to meet their required outcomes and budgets especially, as we understand this can sometimes become a barrier to participation for many organisations and schools.

Embers Bushcraft offer a variety of schemes of work that can support positive peer to peer relationships and positive  teacher/worker engagement as we endeavour to wrap this into our programs. We also offer opportunities that support leadership development, confidence, trust building and resilience, along with behavioral management. As a provider that has a proven track record of returning customers, we are confident that our bespoke programs provide schools and organisations with unique, tailor made experiences for the group. These experiences, whilst primarily residential, can be expanded to suit the needs of the client and participants. Therefore we can also provide tailor made  SLAs (Service Level Agreements) that can incorporate:

• Residential camps
• Activity days
• After school provision
• Outdoor Learning and Curriculum development
• Alternative learning opportunities
• Leadership development

What makes our experiences unique is our ability to develop broad schemes of work across a wide demographic ensuring all participants, regardless of age or dynamic, are fully engaged. Additionally,  our programs have the added value of providing educational opportunities along with social and emotional development.  All programs are generally designed to tap into the potential of every single participant including staff. Planned activities require individuals to dig deep to access their untapped potential.  Another core value is to ensure our teams work alongside our clients as one team. We believe this is fundamental in creating valuable shared experiences for everyone, ensuring a fluid, positive and personal experience for our clients.

Embers staff all hold a wide range of relevant skills and experience, training and qualifications that enable them to teach at a variety of levels. Inclusive of NCFE levels 2,3 and 4 in Bushcraft and Forest School. All our activity partners hold relevant accreditations that are relevant to their industry ensuring all organisations and service users are accessing high quality experiences.

Whilst Embers Bushcraft delivers Bushcraft and Forest School Activities, we also work with a selection of other local activity providers. This enables us to offer services that enhance our programs and ensure a broader package of activities. With a combination of in-house activities and external providers we can support a variety of needs, aims and objectives for schools such as OAA as it is part of the PE curriculum within schools.

Embers Bushcraft can build specific programs and residential experiences that operate 7 day a week and work within the parameters of any organisational need that may be dictated by staffing, finance and the need to reduce school absence that can inevitably have an impact on educational outcomes. Activities that we can provide are:

Bushcraft and Forest School teaching

All Bushcraft/Forest School teaching offers an opportunity to learn a variety of skills outdoors and whilst fun and engaging, they are ultimately educational in every context ensuring all participants actively engage in the subject matter and come away with a deeper understanding of our environment and the possibilities. All subjects can be taught to a lesser or greater degree depending on the client group’s need and ability.

• Primitive fire making
• Tool use and greenwood carving
• Camp craft
• Foraging
• Shelter Building
• Outdoor cooking and back country cooking skills
• Bow making
• Tracking and trailing
• Wild game preparation

Alternative Activities

These activities are designed to work on the social and emotional element of the individual and are designed to build trust, confidence and resilience. We know that by working on the communication skills of the individual, we are able to build upon and develop dormant potential that everyone has and through using engaging and challenging activities that invite the participant to challenge themselves in a variety of tasks.

• Trust work
• Inhibition games
• Observation games
• Confidence tasks
• Team Challenges
• Night games and challenges

Additional Activities

These activities can be incorporated into programs to suit your requirements and client group interests and will be dependent on location.

• Archery
• Air Rifles
• Axe Throwing
• Laser tag
• Kayaking
• High Ropes
• Crate stacking
• Orienteering
• Pioneering
• Sports

Group sizes can range from 1-1 working up to 200 depending on location and the desired program.

We have no copyright on our provision and media. We encourage clients to gather their own media throughout their experience with us as we feel it is important that  they can promote, share and provide visual memories for the staff and service users. Additionally,  Embers Bushcraft will only use media with the clients full permission for our own promotionial and advertising purposes

All costs are dependent on:

• The level of services and activities required
• Staffing ratios needed
• Numbers attending

The desired program should be discussed with Embers directly so we can offer the best value for money. We always offer free spaces for staff members and would expect residential and activity days to be staffed appropriately and in line with each school’s procedures and safeguarding measures.

Please contact us regarding kit list.

Embers Bushcraft staff all hold a relevant outdoor first aid qualification and will support clients. Additionally, we will provide first aid kits and equipment where needed. Pastoral care will always be with the client and it is expected that they provide a designated first aid practitioner who can provide an appropriate level of first aid which will be supported by Embers Bushcraft.

Embers Bushcraft is an outdoor living provider. We utilise the outdoors in its simplest form. All residential camps provide accommodation,  marquees and group shelter spaces, under cover dining areas, kitchen facilities for the purpose of on site catering, toilets and showers. We pride ourselves in an environmentally friendly approach and ensure all ablutions support this ethos.

Embers can accommodate individuals with disabilities and will endeavor to ensure all reasonable adjustments are made to ensure our activities are inclusive. We request prior knowledge of the service user needs so that we can work in partnership with the client to ensure individual needs are met, wherever possible.

Embers Bushcraft operate all year round and  24/7 apart from the Xmas and New Year period where we close for the 2 weeks.

Testimonials can be found on our website and we actively encourage new clients to liaise with other existing clients where appropriate and discuss our services and quality of provision directly with other clients.

We understand that finance and affordability will potentially become a barrier to participation and that transport can be a significant financial restriction. This can reduce the levels of inclusion restricting valuable life experiences and opportunities for service users. We will work with our clients to find solutions.

One of those solutions is to ‘bring bushcraft to you’. This enables us to deliver a variety of activities and outdoor living experiences on your own site. This means we can deliver experiences on your own grounds including residential camps and activity days. This will  inevitably increase inclusion and reduce additional costs that may prevent schools and organisations from accessing valuable educational, social and emotional opportunities.

We also encourage the need for leadership development, which can  promote and develop participants’ leadership qualities and we offer a ‘circular’ programme within secondary  schools especially.

• Year 7: To provide residential camps that support peer to peer relationships and build upon confidences and positive relationships that support their journey through secondary education.
• Year 8: Aim to offer opportunities for participants to support year 7 camps as young leaders and develop leadership qualities.
• Year 9: Leadership residential camp and programmes that require an application process and interviews and can provide a platform for young leaders to develop their skills further.
• Year 10: This can provide inhouse or external Duke of Edinburgh training and expeditions.
• Year 11: Through a clear selection process this can provide opportunities for school leavers to act as peer mentors and volunteers on year 7 camps

We offer 2 sites within hampshire which are exclusive use to your group

Our site in Brockenhurst is situated in the heart of the New Forest National Park and an area of natural beauty on the South Coast, with easy transport links to the Jurassic Coast and the historical cities of Winchester, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Our other site in East Meon is based directly on the South Downs Way, one of the UKs most diverse national trails with strong links to Iron Age Heritage and popular for Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions. With easy access to the historical naval city of Portsmouth and Historical Winchester, the site offers the opportunity for groups to utilise the residential site as a base. This allows groups to incorporate day trips and educational visits into their program. The site can also be used for Duke of Edinburgh training and expeditions, complementing areas of the national curriculum.

All of our residentials are camping experiences ranging from spacious 5m bell tents through to natural or man-made shelter building experiences.

Contact: Ian gosling

embersbushcraft@gmail.com or Info@embersbushcraft.co.uk

Mobile: 07802 841494 Tel: 01730 778069