Bendrigg Trust Specialist Outdoor Education Centre for SEN School Trips – Kendal Cumbria

Bendrigg Trust is an Outdoor Education Centre based in Kendal, Cumbria. We specialize in providing adventure activities for people of all abilities, including those with profound and physical disabilities and special educational needs.

Our all-inclusive break packages range from 2 – 7 nights and can be booked by Adults, Families, Schools, Colleges, Residential Homes, Charities, and other organisations. Residential packages include accommodation (a range of accommodations are available to suit different needs), food (which is provided throughout the duration of your stay), and a full programme of adventure activities, which are made fully accessible through the use of specialist equipment and the amazing knowledge and expertise of our staff.

We have 2 onsite accommodation buildings: Bendrigg Lodge (sleeps 40) & Acorn House (sleeps 24). Both are fully accessible for people with even the most complex of needs.

The activities we provide include:

Caving, Canoeing, Cycling, Climbing, Abseiling, Gorge Walking, Fell Walking, Night Hikes, Local Visits, A Tube Slide, A Zip Wire, An Indoor Cave, Archery, Crate Stacking, Arts and Crafts, Orienteering, A Sensory Room, A Sensory Swing, and Bushcraft.

As well as Residential Trips, other services we offer include:

Day Activities, Duke Of Edinburgh, Climbing Club, Sensory Room, and Sports Hall Hire. We also provide training and consultancy. Please contact us directly if you are interested in any of these services,

Specialist outdoor education centre
SEN residential education centre
SEND residential activity centre

Our visitors often comment that coming to Bendrigg is like visiting family. We genuinely care about our visitors and want them to have the most amazing experience. We work with you prior to your visit to understand what your aims for the trip are and will design a programme of activities to suit you. As a charity, we also work hard to fundraise throughout the year to help subsidise our cost to visitors. We also have a sponsorship fund where groups who would like to visit, but cannot afford to, can apply for additional sponsorship towards the cost of their stay.

This lovely feedback from one of our group leaders really shows what an amazing impact a trip to Bendrigg can have:

“As an educator I see education as a collaboration, not something that is purely delivered on site in school, but something that also requires the valuable input of trusted partners who share our ethos and philosophy that every child is unique and must be nurtured appropriately. To me, Bendrigg is our missing ingredient. The yeast that enables the loaf to rise, the sunshine that gives the flower the confidence to bloom and unfurl its petals to the World. Our children are still buzzing from their trip and the positive impact of the trip is apparent for all to see! I look forward to many more visits to Bendrigg in the future and would recommend them unreservedly to other schools and institutions who are looking to enhance the lives of their young people.” – Mike Whelan

Bendrigg Trust is one of a small number of specialist providers of outdoor activities for those with disabilities, and is a leader in our field. We believe in the benefits of adventure and learning to manage risk. Everyone’s wellbeing is paramount in everything we do. We have in place a full set of safe operating procedures and risk/benefit analyses for all the activities undertaken by visiting groups.

We are proud to have the following accreditations:

The AHOEC GOLD standard badge.

AALA – Adventure Activities Licensing Service.

LOtC – Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge Accreditation.

Adventuremark.

• Caving
• Canoeing
• Cycling
• Climbing
• Abseiling
• Gorge Walking
• Fell Walking
• Night Hikes
• Local Visits
• A Tube Slide
• A Zip Wire
• An Indoor Cave
• Archery
• Crate Stacking
• Arts and Crafts
• Orienteering
• A Sensory Room
• A Sensory Swing
• Bushcraft

We have 2 Onsite Accommodation Buildings:

Bendrigg Lodge (sleeps 40)

Acorn House (sleeps 24)

The maximum amount we can cater for across both buildings is 64 people.

Groups are free to take photographs during their stay. There are no copyright restrictions. In fact, we’d love for you to share your photographs with us.

Please see our Risk Management Summary for full details.

Pricing Structure:

We have a seasonal pricing structure as follows:

Low Season – January, February, November, December.

Mid-Season – March, April, September, October.

High Season – May, June July, August.

Minimum Charges:

Acorn House – Minimum charge of 16 people.

Bendrigg Lodge – Minimum charge for sole use of the lodge (29 people).

Minimum charge for sole use of whole site – 45 people.

Sponsorship

Depending on our own fundraising success and the level of need for your group, there may be the opportunity to apply for additional sponsorship towards the cost of your trip in Mid-Season (up to 15%) and in Low Season (up to 40%).

All our tutors who work directly with the groups are first aid trained and we have various first aid points around the site (including the main office, climbing wall, & archery shed), so it is not essential that the group bring a first aider.

If any of the participants have any specific medical needs which require specialist treatment, then it would be prudent to bring someone along on the course who is familiar with their requirements and treatment regime.

We have Wi-Fi available in both accommodation buildings and 1 staff member will stay on overnight duty throughout your stay.

Facilities are best viewed through our comprehensive guided tour here:

https://youtu.be/ifUdWW_glQw

Bendrigg Trust has been offering accessible activities for disabled people for over 40 years. We carry out specialist training and use adaptive equipment to ensure that everyone can safely take part in all the activities if they would like to. Our team are trained in the use of Makaton and are used to working with groups who have a range of abilities, from complex physical needs to people with severe learning disabilities and Autism.

Our site is fully accessible for wheelchairs and our accommodation offers a variety of accessible aids, such as profile beds, ceiling mounted tracking hoists, and shower beds and chairs. We go above DDA standards in some areas and not in others, but being accessible is what our charity is all about.

For more details, you can watch our guided tour and check out our accommodation floor plans on our facilities page here: https://www.bendrigg.org.uk/accessible-accommodation/. Alternatively, please call us and chat to our friendly team to ask any questions.

Our staff have a wealth of knowledge and experience with SEN, from Physio Therapists, to Occupational Therapists, and SEN Teachers, some of our staff have worked in the field for over 40 years.

Our office hours for bookings are Monday – Friday from 9am to 5pm.

However, we run our courses 7 days a week throughout the whole year, except for a 2-week closure period over Christmas and New Year.

We measure Our Impact as a charity through collecting feedback in various ways, including photographs, videos, and testimonials. The most up-to-date of which is often collated in an Annual Impact Report which is posted on our website along with a selection of testimonials:

https://www.bendrigg.org.uk/who-we-are/our-impact/

We do also offer other services, including Day Activities and different events throughout the year.

You can look on our website or contact us directly for more information.

For the latest news and events, check out our regularly updated Facebook Page.

Bendrigg Trust is located in Old Hutton, which is on the outskirts of Kendal, Cumbria. We are conveniently situated in-between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Park, meaning we can take our groups offsite to enjoy activities such as Canoeing and Caving. Our site is just a short drive from Junction 37 on the M6, but you wouldn’t know it when you get here. The site overlooks the stunning local countryside and is far enough away from hustle and bustle of city life for students to be able to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the great outdoors.

Our office is open for bookings Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Phone number: 01539723766

Email: bookings@bendrigg.org.uk