Our Activities | Bendrigg Trust

Activities

A taste of adventure

Come and get a taste of adventure. The activities we provide are dependent on the aims for your course and the duration of your stay. For some people, their aim is to get away from the stresses of everyday life and have lots of fun. For others it is about overcoming fears, to build self-confidence. And for some it’s about being away from home and building their independence. One thing all of these aims have in common?! They can be achieved through a Bendrigg residential.

My son loved being included, encouraged and praised by staff.

Our key activities

We have a fully inclusive indoor wall with graded climbs to suit all abilities and experience levels, including a wheelchair ramp climb and pulley climbs to provide assistance when needed.

Climbing

Onsite activity

We provide both full days out or half day canoe sessions, using rafted canoes to provide stability for those who need it, with various seating options to ensure comfort for all. A sensory immersion into beautiful natural surroundings.

Canoeing

Offsite activity

We have a number of different caving venues which we take our groups to, from a wheelchair accessible show cave, to caves with big caverns or narrow passageways, waterfalls and optional challenges. A real sensory experience for all!

Caving

Offsite activity

All our activities

A harnessed activity which allows you to feel the wind in your hair. The zip wire can be varied and controlled, depending on your adventure threshold, and can even be done in tandem!

Zip wire

Onsite activity

Explore our indoor cave system, set behind our climbing wall. It has a variety of tunnels, slides and features for you to crawl through, access from the comfort of your wheelchair, or slide on a trolley. This is a great introduction to caving before doing the "real thing".

Indoor cave

Onsite activity

We have an indoor and an outside free-hanging 5m abseil . You are attached to a safety rope which is controlled by our lovely tutors, who will keep you safe at all times, but you are also attached to another rope which you get to control, so you can decide how fast you descend the rope to the floor.

Abseil

Onsite activity

This is an enclosed circular tube slide set on our sloping site which takes you on a wiggly journey from the top of our site, down to the bottom level of our grounds. It can be fast but is great fun! We can hoist you out of your chair at the top and back into your chair at the bottom and you can even go down the slide with a friend!

Tube slide

Onsite activity

We have a variety of art workshop sessions, for example working with clay to make a bowl or picture of your favourite activity; to felting workshops to make a wall hanging or picture. These are tutor led sessions but we can also provide equipment and materials for you to run your own session.

Arts and crafts

Onsite activity

We have a variety of different orienteering courses, both inside and outside, to suit a wide range of abilities. From treasure-hunt style activities where a physical symbol is collected, to the more traditional orienteering courses.

Orienteering

Onsite activity

We have two woodland campfire sites in our grounds and also two yurts for those more inclement nights. Or you can gather round the fire on our top lawn and enjoy the lovely views of the rolling Howgill fells. Toast a marshmallow and enjoy a hot chocolate, sing some songs or listen to stories. This is a great way to come together and discuss your achievements from the course.

Campfire

Onsite activity

This is set in our sports hall. You will be seated in one of our sitting harnesses and attached to a rope in the middle of the hall. We can control the speed at which you swing and how high you go, depending on your adrenalin threshold. You can fly amongst the rafters or keep your feet in contact with the floor - it's up to you.

Sensory swing

Onsite activity

Arts and crafts

Onsite activity

Campfire

Onsite activity

Orienteering

Onsite activity

Sensory swing

Onsite activity

We have two archery sites- an outdoor archery field with two targets with a variety of aids to enable everyone to take part in this activity. We can also run this activity in our sports hall, where we use arrows with suckers on the end which you can fire at our amazing mural on the wall...Can you hit our scarecrow or shoot the pants off the washing line?

Archery

Onsite activity

In these varied sessions you can learn a variety of skills from fire making, natural art, bread/pizza making, journey sticks and more. A versatile session, tailored to suit your ability.

Bushcraft

Onsite activity

Our fleet of bikes, which span a range of sizes, include your standard two wheel bikes, to fully adapted bikes with a platform to wheel your wheelchair onto, or be hoisted into a seat with a 5 point harness with someone sat behind to pedal and steer, hand bikes, recumbant trikes and more which you can then cycle around our grounds.

Cycling

Onsite activity

This is a large and versatile space where we run a raft of different activities, from your conventional sporting activities, ball games, table tennis, boccia and curling to team building games and activities, parachute games or even an end of course disco!

Sports hall

Onsite activity

Archery

Onsite activity

Cycling

Onsite activity

In these varied sessions you can learn a variety of skills from fire making, natural art, bread/pizza making, journey sticks and more. A versatile session, tailored to suit your ability.

Bushcraft

Onsite activity

Sports hall

Onsite activity

This is a great way to round off your course. We can run it in our sports hall, in our dining room or in the Lounge in Acorn House. Be DJ or dance the evening away to the DJ'ing skills of your peers, with colourful lighting effects to enhance your experience.

Disco

Onsite activity

Reach the lofty heights of our sports hall in this adrenalin fuelled activity. Wearing a full body harness or sitting harness, you and a partner will get the chance to build as tall a tower as possible, with the help of your team mates, until it topples to the ground and you fly gracefully to the floor

Crate stack

Onsite activity

A progression from our indoor wall, this is a chance to take the skills learnt onsite, into an outdoor setting, at a variety of crags and quarries.

Offsite climbing

Offsite activity

A progression from our indoor and outside free-hanging abseil, this is a chance to take the skills learnt in our on-site facilities into an outside setting at a variety of quarries. We use a range of specialist equipment to ensure that everyone who would like to take part in this activity can do so safely.

Quarry abseil / zap

Offsite activity

Disco

Onsite activity

A progression from our indoor wall, this is a chance to take the skills learnt onsite, into an outdoor setting, at a variety of crags and quarries.

Offsite climbing

Offsite activity

Crate stack

Onsite activity

Quarry abseil / zap

Offsite activity

Enjoy our restful sensory space with light displays, bubble tubes, interactive boards and more, with the option to watch films or play music, to enhance your experience or just to enjoy a peaceful serenity.

Sensory room

Offsite activity

This adventure allows you to navigate through a river gorge and enjoy the refreshing waters along the way. Guided by a team of experienced instructors, this thrilling activity is suitable for various abilities.

Gorge walking / ghyll scrambling

Offsite activity

Our tutors can lead you on an adventure into the beautiful hills and fells of Cumbria or the rolling moors of the Yorkshire Dales. You can feel on top of the world as you summit one of Cumbria's fells and you can do this from the comfort of your wheelchair or as an exciting scramble to the top - There is a mountain for everyone to summit!

Fell walking

Offsite activity

If it is more of a cultured experience you're seeking then we have a number of local walks / visits which we can take you to, from the Hoffman Kilns in Settle to the delights of Kirkby Lonsdale and it's renowned traditional sweet shop (if you have some spending money for a little treat) or maybe a walk at the Foulshaw Moss nature reserve to observe the local wildlife.

Local visits

Offsite activity

Sensory room

Offsite activity

Fell walking

Offsite activity

Gorge walking / ghyll scrambling

Sensory room

Offsite activity

Local visits

Offsite activity

How do our activities work

We offer a variety of accessible activities either onsite at our centre in Old Hutton, Kendal, Cumbria or offsite in the nearby National Parks. Our extensive onsite facilities offer the opportunity for outdoor and indoor adventures with activities such as zip wiring, indoor caving, progressive climbing, abseiling, tube sliding, arts and crafts, orienteering, archery and bushcraft. We can also take groups offsite in our accessible minibuses to experience activities such as canoeing, caving, climbing, gorge walking and fell walking.

Our friendly team are on hand every step of the way to guide you through the bookings process, give you the warmest of welcomes & make sure that you have a fabulous time!

Location and facilities

We are perfectly located between the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks, with access to stunning lakes, rivers, crags, fells and caves. We regularly take groups offsite in our accessible minibuses to experience activities such as: canoeing, caving, climbing, gorge walking, fell walking, night hikes and local visits.

Our extensive onsite facilities offer the opportunity for outdoor and indoor adventures with activities such as: zip wire, indoor cave, progressive climbing wall, abseil, tube slide, arts and crafts, orienteering, sensory room, sensory swing, archery and bushcraft.

You can see an example programme of activities in our ‘Action Pack’ available to download above.

See it in action!

You might be told on a regular basis what you can’t do when you have a disability, but we’re here to tell (and show) you what you can do. Guided by our experienced staff, people of all abilities and ages, are able to set their own challenges in a safe and encouraging environment.

This short video follows the amazing young people from the Scottish Burned Children’s Club, who came to Bendrigg for their residential. The main aim of their trip was to help young people whose mental health has been affected after a scald or burn injury.