Archived decisions
1. For many years the County Council has supported and encouraged learning in, about and for the environment amongst young people both in and out of school time. The benefits of outdoor education as a means of developing key skills, building confidence and self esteem, providing motivation, dealing with challenging behaviour, addressing specific curriculum requirements and raising achievement are well rehearsed and understood within the County Council.
2. This support has manifested itself across two key areas with the outdoor education unit in the Education Department being responsible for guiding schools and youth groups to safe working and good risk management in the outdoors and the outdoor activities service in the Recreation and Heritage Department managing and maintaining four outdoor centres at Calshot, Tile Barn, Beaulieu and Wales.
3. Recent collaborative working between the two departments has taken place and, in the light of positive benefits arising from this collaboration, the Executive Member has expressed support for increased collaboration and the use of the term "Hampshire Outdoor Service" to encompass the processes and structures currently being put in place and designed to lead to greater development of outdoor learning opportunities in Hampshire. The adoption of "Hampshire Outdoor Service" as an umbrella identity will permit a clarity of provision for outdoor learning in Hampshire, a pathway for the rational identification of current and future needs and development and a closer fit between training requirements and provision.
4IR670703