Outdoor activity centre where disabled are challenged to 'do it all'

From relaxing wheelchair walks around the stunning Cumbrian lakes to adrenalin-rushing abseiling and zip wiring, Calvert Trust - Outdoor Activity Centre, Keswick has everything designed specifically for the disabled.

Set within the stunning Bassenthwaite Lake, overlooking the majestic Skiddaw mountain range the centre has over 3,500 people visiting each year and caters to people of all ages with sensory, learning or physical disabilities, including those with the most complex needs where other outdoor centres cannot supply.

'The carers take part in all activities and we’ve even had people in their 80s come and enjoy themselves'

Justin Farnham, sales and marketing manager for the centre told homecare.co.uk: “We take disability groups from any age and any disability including learning, physical and sensory.

“We have a combination of school groups, charity groups and adult individuals who may come with a care home, on their own or with a friend or family member or carer. The carers take part in all of the activities and we’ve even had people in their 80s come and enjoy themselves.”

There are many activities at the centre with all groups enjoying a variety of single and multiple instructor-led activities. Each activity group has a dedicated instructor with them for the duration of their stay, allowing staff to get to know every individual. Mr Farnham said: “We have everything you’d expect, horse riding, abseiling, zip wire, canoeing, accessible cycling and high ropes."

'I’ve got a gentleman who is 73 years old and had never been on holiday'

Calvert Trust was created for disabled guests to enjoy the benefits of outdoor activities in a safe and accessible, yet challenging environment. “We can do it all," says Mr Fanham. "Down by the jetty, if we have a wheelchair user, we have a hoist to get people in and out of canoes and we can put people in a hard-backed chair.

“We’ve got stables with hoists to get people on and off horses and if somebody can’t ride a horse because of their upper body strength, we have got traps where we can get a wheelchair onto that trap and they can trap drive. “The most popular activity is the zip wire and the horses are very popular. But what people really like is the wheelchair walks out into the wider Lake District. It seems like a simple activity, but people really enjoy it, especially if they don’t know the area and they haven’t seen mountains before.” All facilities and activities are adapted for power and manual wheelchair users.

Heritage Care in Lincolnshire is a charitable organisation which provides care for people with learning disabilities, as well as older people. Twelve members visited Calvert Trust for a weekend.

Heritage Care group leader, Lisa Nicholson said: "The staff are dedicated, experienced, patient and encouraging. It really is an outstanding place to visit.

“The most challenging activity were the high ropes. I think it’s because of getting over the fear of doing it; stopping and thinking about how they are going to get across.

"It’s about gaining confidence and working together as a group although they haven’t known each other before now.

"I’ve got a gentleman who is 73 years old and had never been on holiday, so to actually see him away from his home and doing the activities in the Lake District was great."

The centre is open all year except for four weeks over the Christmas period where they close down to do repairs and training. The centre is busy all year with the peak season being May to August. Mr Farnham said: “All of our rooms have wet rooms. We have a number of rooms where they have hospital beds and portable hoists and shower chairs that we can put into the rooms as well if they need them.

“Throughout the centre, we have ramps and lifts, raiseable beds and hoists. We have a hydrotherapy pool and that is also accessible as we have a poolside changing room with a trackable hoist."

All food is locally sourced produce from local suppliers. The day starts with a cooked breakfast before going out to their activities where they are supplied with a packed lunch. In the evenings the centre provides a three-course meal.

“We have over 40 staff and that’s a combination of instructors, domestics and we do all of the cooking on-site, so we have chefs on site as well.”

The centre can cater for additional carers if required

The centre also has Buddy Breaks for those who are independent in the majority of their day-to-day lives. The volunteers at the centre are there to support people with reminders and prompts and provide help assisting them to integrate socially with other members of the group if appropriate.

This includes waking people in time for breakfast, help gathering kit and clothing, reminding people what time activities start and where they are meeting their group, or provide physical support for people who are unsteady on their feet.

Mr Farnham said: “If somebody requires a night carer, we can do a rate where we will take the service user out and use additional carers if required.”

Other activities include accessible bikes which are specially adapted to the needs of their guests. They have conventional bikes as well as trikes, a double bike, a double hand bike and a bike with a wheelchair platform. Their bike fleet is based on the site of an old airfield where it is flat and has a 5km loop to cycle around.

Mr Farnham said: “We have a fleet of accessible bikes where we can get a chair in front of the bike and then the carer will peddle on the back of the bike.”

The centre also runs an activity called Ghyll scrambling which involves travelling up or down a mountain stream with plunging into clear pools, swimming against flowing water, climbing up the side of waterfalls and sliding down water shoots along the way.

If that was not exhilarating enough, the wheelchair assault course consists of narrow bridges, see-saws, tunnels and wobbly paths designed to test out even the best wheelchair user (or their carer) to the limit.

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