ScoutsCymru welcomed Sam Rowlands MS to Cornel Scout Centre, its residential centre in Conwy, as part of our support of the Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill.
The Bill, which is currently progressing through the Senedd, would give all young people in Wales the opportunity to experience a week-long residential outdoor education trip during their school years, as well as mandating the funding for this to happen.
Volunteers at Cornel showed Sam the facilities at the centre, and explained more about how outdoor educational activities benefit the young people who visit.
David Perry, Chair of Cornel Scout Centre, said: “We gave Sam a tour of our entire site and his view was the same as ours – that young people benefit greatly by getting out of the classroom, away from screens and mobiles and into the great outdoors.”
Groups can participate in a number of activities at and from Cornel. As well as walking, climbing and mountaineering, they can take part in water activities, biking, caving, visiting places of interest including the local seaside resorts, as well as visiting commercial activity providers such as Zipworld and Go Below.
Perry added that Rowlands was interested to speak to the Service Team, all of whom are volunteers, to find out more about their duties, which include routine maintenance and improvements around the site. He also learned more about how Explorer Scouts (who are aged between 14 and 18) help to deliver the essential maintenance and improvements that keep the centre running and compliant with all requirements, learning many practical skills in the process.
He added: “We were able to share examples of young people with challenging backgrounds who had volunteered at Cornel and who had gone on to make careers in the kind of activities that they had participated in with us – and who in many cases continue to return time after time to support the Service Team and share their skills.”
Cornel has been a ScoutsCymru residential centre and campsite since the mid 1970s, and is one of two centres owned by ScoutsCymru, the other being Yr Hafod in the Ogwen Valley, also in Eryri.
As well as welcoming all sections from the Scouting family, including Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Network and adult volunteers, Cornel also regularly hosts groups from schools, colleges, universities, companies and businesses, other unformed organisations including Girl Guiding, Search and Rescue Dogs Association, the Police, RAF Mountain Rescue, Duke of Edinburgh Award groups, commercial activity providers and so on, with groups coming from all areas of the UK, as well as Ireland and Europe.
Rowlands said: “It was great to spend time with ScoutsCymru at the Cornel Centre, alongside Llyn Crafnant. Scouts is such an important part of the upbringing of many young people and is a great introduction to the outdoors for so many. My Residential Outdoor Education Bill would build on this work and make these experiences easier for even more people.”
Kerrie Gemmill, ScoutsCymru director, added: “We are extremely lucky to have two sites that offer accommodation and a range of activities in Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Every year, hundreds of people stay at our centres, learning new skills and enjoying the excitement, fun and adventure of outdoor activities. We believe that all young people should have this opportunity, no matter who they are or where they are from, and that is why we are supporting the Residential Outdoor Education Bill and back the call for outdoor education to be available to everyone, not just those that can afford it.”
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