Christmas is just around the corner and the Cobnor team, like you, plan ahead for the coming year so that we know what’s what. Now, you’ll find our new Course Programme online so whether you’re looking to brush up on your sailing skills or your New Year’s resolution will be to get outdoors more, take a look at our new brochure and see what tickles your fancy. Here are some of the highlights from the 2012 Course Programme to whet your appetite:

Holiday Activities

Throughout the Summer Holidays Cobnor Activities Centre offers a range of camps and activity weeks: Summer Camps, Expedition Camps, Residential Sailing Weeks and Multi-Activity Weeks. These fully supervised programmes are designed to help further the outdoor education and outdoor activity skills of children aged 8-16 years.

Children will not only get to enjoy their favourite activities, from canoeing and sailing to archery and mountain biking, but will also benefit from the expertise of our qualified instructors. They will have the opportunity to try new things and meet new people, away from home in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Our Expedition Camps, for 14-16 year olds, also include spending nights away from the Centre’s base and taking part in activities further afield. This encourages independence as well as focussed learning about the outdoors.

We are also offering Multi-Activity day programmes over the Easter Holidays and October Half Term.

Sailing

We offer a variety of sailing courses for you and your children, from the Youth Sailing Scheme to the Adult Sailing Scheme. Whether you are beginners or improvers, our qualified and experienced instructors will certainly maximise your confidence on the water and improve your sailing skills.

As a RYA recognised sailing centre, with a full fleet including Laser Picos, RS Fevas and Bosun Dinghies, we’ll make sure you gain experience in varying wind and sea conditions, as well as knowledge of the boats and your surroundings.

Paddlesports

Paddlesports offered at Cobnor Activities Centre include canoeing and kayaking. Our paddlesport fleet includes something for everyone, regardless of ability or level: open canoes, kayaks, sit-on kayaks and sea kayaks.

We now run informal sessions on a series of evenings and weekends with the option to complete your way through the Paddle Power or National Paddlesport Scheme.

Powerboating

Would you like to get behind the wheel of a powerboat and learn a new skill? Cobnor offers RYA Powerboat Level 2 for those aged 14 years onwards, a course which provides the skills and background knowledge essential for any competent powerboat driver.

We also offer the RYA Safety Boat Course, which introduces the techniques used in powerboats escorting racing fleets of dinghies and windsurfers, providing safety and rescue cover for training fleets and assisting in race management for those aged 16 and over.

VHF and First Aid

Cobnor Activities Centre offers RYA First Aid Certificates and RYA VHF Short Range Certificates, meaning you can gain working knowledge of first aid for people using small craft, support skippers and learn the procedures for operation of VHF short-range radio.

Saturday Sessions

New to Cobnor for 2012 are Saturday Sessions. These include our popular Informal Kayaking on a Saturday morning and an additional bi-weekly Informal Sailing session, designed to give you the opportunity to progress your skills, without the pressure and structure of a certificated course.

Why don’t you come along to try a new activity? Come once, or come along every week, to really brush up on your skills. As well as the Informal Sessions we are running a Saturday Afternoon Club for under 16s, which will run for 6 weeks and include multi-activities such as: sailing, kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, climbing, archery and raft building.

Instructor Courses

Cobnor Activities Centre has all you need to become an RYA sailing instructor, a BCU paddlesport coach or a British Schools Cycling Association Mountain Bike Leader. A career in the outdoors is not only a lot of fun but it’s also extremely challenging and rewarding.

You should be competent in the discipline you are training for before you sign up for a course and once there you will be provided with practical experience as well as in-depth theory to allow you to succeed as an activity instructor at Cobnor and beyond.

Bespoke Bookings

Our bespoke bookings are designed to meet your exact outdoor activity requirements. We can offer bookings to school groups, community groups, corporate groups, birthday party groups, Hen and Stag groups and many others too. It really is up to you!

We can put together a package comprising any of the following activities:

• Sailing

• Kayaking

• Canoeing

• Climbing

• Mountain Biking

• Archery

• Low Ropes

• Problem Solving and Initiative Games

• Raft Building

Whether you want fun-packed team building or group chill-out time, contact us with your requirements or let us know the gist and we’ll put together the perfect activities schedule. You can stay in our newly refurbished accommodation over night or join us for the day, you can choose to self-cater or we’ll provide food for you; the beauty is in the flexibility!

Residential Facilities

Our residential facilities are ideal as a base as we are easily accessible from many areas along the South Coast, including Chichester and Portsmouth.

There are three residential options for you to choose from: Log Cabins, The Jubilee Building and Camping. Any of our residential facilities can be combined with a Bespoke Booking or rented as standalone accommodation.

We also have excellent educational and meeting room facilities, including two classrooms with full IT access and support.

Cobnor Chairboat

The Cobnor Chairboat is specially designed for wheelchair users and others with limited mobility so that getting out and about on the water is accessible to all, but it has much more than this to offer…

Our Chairboat offers a comfortable ride, no matter what your age or ability. It is ideal for those interested in nature and photography. It would even make the perfect vessel for a special occasion, such as showing off the bride and groom on their big day.

The boat is wide and stable as well as being closer to the water than traditional tour boats, allowing passengers to make the most of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

You can download the full 2012 Course Programme here. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Twenty three pupils visited Cobnor Monday to Wednesday. On their first day they did some problem solving, Pico sailing and canoeing. Day two involved a day sail around Chichester Harbour, where the children gained more of an opportunity to focus on their sailing skills.

On the third day 23 more pupils arrived and joined their school mates. All the children enjoyed a fun-packed day of mountain biking skills, climbing, archery and low ropes. At the end of Wednesday the first group of pupils returned home and the second group to arrive stayed at Cobnor for the rest of the week, receiving the same outdoor education as the group that attended Monday and Tuesday.

It seems that the children from Swiss Gardens Primary had a wonderful time at Cobnor Activities Centre this year and they sent us lots of lovely letters to show their appreciation. Here is a small selection for you to see:

Dear Amy, Mike, Paul, Andy, Adam, Ollie, Bryn, Brian, Nick, Jackie, Roy, Beverly and Toby,

Thank you for giving me a fantastic time. It was hilarious when we were on the low ropes and the mountain biking. It was fun at Cobnor; I’ll come again with my family.

Yours Sincerely,

Robbie William Hatcher

Dear Cobnor Instructors,

I’m from Swiss Gardens Primary School and I loved my three enjoyable days at Cobnor. At first I was a bit worried of capsizing and some of the sailing but once I jumped in the water it was actually the best bit. I just wanted to say thank you to Amy, Mike, Paul, Andy, Ollie, Nick and Toby.

Love Claudia

Dear Paul,

Thanks you for our spiffing three days. Thanks for guiding us on the big sail. We sailed through some fierce waves and we almost went vertical! The way back was a little bit calmer at least; we got back quicker. Cobnor has helped me improve my maturity and it’s helped me have fun!

Love from Will xxx

Dear Mike,

Thank you for doing the big sail with me, and thank you for doing some big waves on the normal sail. And thank you for everything else like the low ropes and every other thing. Thank you very much Mike.

Yours Sincerely,

Reece Way-Hooker

Dear Cobnor Instructors,

Thank you very much for making our trip worthwhile.  After the first night we got up at 5.00 am in the morning in my room, we were so excited. If we stuck all of you together you would be a superhero! Saving the world from boredom! I think Cobnor man would look like this (See image below).

Thanks again,

Rosie xxx

P.S. please thank Jackie for the food, it was yum.

Dear Cobnor instructors,

Thank you for showing us how to do things like archery, mountain biking, low ropes, the spider web, human knot, sailing and much more. Thanks for feeding us Jackie.

I would also like to give a special thanks to Nick because our coach was late so he entertained us and played games with us for a whole hour.

Love from Molly

Dear Instructors,

Thank you for inviting us to Cobnor and Jackie I really love the food and I love cottage pie that was lovely. I love doing sailing and you teaching us how to do sailing.

Thank you for the lovely room. The bed was comfy. Thank you for all the activities and I want to stay there forever.

My favourite bit was sailing and rock climbing, low ropes, archery and canoeing.

Yours sincerely

Seran

Dear Andy,

You may not remember me. I was only there for the day. Wednesday was amazing. I’m writing to you because you helped me get to the top of the rock climbing wall. I’ve never got to the top of a rock climbing wall before. I can’t put it in to words how I felt when I looked down from the top.

THANK YOU

From Charlotte

The Goodwood Area Schools (GAS) initiative is part of the able pupil programme. The West Sussex schools involved in the initiative are Singleton, West Dean, North Mundham, Boxgrove, Lavant, Tangmere, and The March (Westhampnett). Four pupils from years 3 and 4 (collectively) and four pupils from 5 and 6 are chosen by the schools to take part.

Seeing as the participating schools are quite small, a range of activities is offered to children with similar interests every now and again, such as art or maths. The children that visited Cobnor Activities Centre this week all shared an interest in water-based outdoor activities and enjoyed activities such as sailing and raft building.

However, the initiative is not just about having fun, it’s designed to allow pupils from different schools to socialise and integrate with each other. This helps them adjust as they progress from primary school to secondary school; they get to know names and faces from other local schools, making the transition a lot less daunting.

Cobnor’s Bryn Jones asked the children what they thought of their GAS experience at Cobnor Activities Centre. The general consensus was that sailing is brilliant, especially when capsizing is involved – children certainly love to get wet! He also had a chat with some of the teachers and Christine Smith from Lavant Primary School said:

“The kids had a great time, as part of our programme we can match children from different schools with similar interests. It’s great, from a Head’s point of view, to bring the group down here and not worry about anything. I know that the activities are run very professionally and it means we can relax in the sun. I couldn’t bring a group anywhere I’d be worried, as a Head you leave nothing to chance!”

Click here to find out more about the courses, sessions and camps coming up at Cobnor Activities Centre.

Seeing as Katy Lassetter of Chichester Copywriter was so inspired to write her first novel by Cobnor’s coastal and countryside landscapes she decided that Cobnor would be the ideal place to hold the Writers’ Retreat. The peace and quiet, the new log cabins, the excellent classroom and full IT facilities all offered by Cobnor Activities Centre, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, provide the complete package to inspire any creative.

The Writers’ Retreat weekend will kick off with an event on the Friday evening including: networking, writing and publishing talks, book signings and art an exhibition of coastal art. Tickets are £15 each for the Friday evening and include a glass of Pimm’s; any local creatives are welcome to come along and enjoy a bit of culture by the water. On the Saturday and Sunday there will be a range of workshops and talks with professional writers based in the Chichester area, including Isabel Ashdown, Gabrielle Kimm and Melanie Penycate. There will also be plenty of free writing time to help guests brush up on their penmanship and get those chapters finished. Weekend places start from £200 and include accommodation, food, workshops, activities and more.

What’s more, this is a writers’ retreat with a difference so wordsmiths will have the opportunity to experience Cobnor Activities Centre’s other facilities and equipment when they take a powerboat trip to either historical Bosham or naturally beautiful East Head; both locations will make excellent creative writing inspirations! There will also be the chance for them to try their delicate writers’ hands at kayaking and even indulge in an aromatherapy massage or a rekei treatment, provided by Cobnor’s own Quintin Macmorland, to help boost their creativity.

Does a Writers’ Retreat at Cobnor sound right up your street?

Contact Katy@ChichesterCopywriter.co.uk or call: 01243 533421 to book a place on the weekend or to purchase a ticket for the Friday evening. Find the full schedule for the weekend here.

Cobnor Activities Centre was required to meet six criteria to be accredited with the quality badge, including: meeting standards for the information on offer, pupil safety and being prepared to work with teachers to ensure they provide schools with the valuable educational event they are after.

This government run scheme is the gold standard for activities centres, such as Cobnor, around the UK that hope to attract school parties and those specialist companies keen to illustrate that they can provide a safe and educational tour for pupils. When an outdoor education centre has an LOtC badge schools are able to select and use the services of the ‘badge provider’ with confidence and, crucially, without risk assessments and other checks.

Cobnor Activities Centre strives to make outdoor education accessible to all as it is valuable to academic development and by having an LOtC quality badge, we are making learning outside a more hassle-free option for teachers and youth workers. Find out more about the outdoor education courses we offer here.

Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualifications are known and respected the world over and designed for all ages and abilities. Cobnor Activities Centre is an RYA recognised centre, specialising in both RYA sailing and RYA powerboat courses including:  RYA Dinghy Instructors and pre-entry assessment, RYA Youth Sailing Scheme Level 1- 4, RYA Powerboat Instructors and pre-entry assessment and Level 2 and RYA Safety Boat RYA. Read more about Cobnor as an RYA recognised centre.

Cobnor Activities Centre is also a British Canoe Union (BCU) centre, meaning that it’s affiliated with the lead body for canoeing and kayaking in the UK.  With Cobnor’s chief instructor Andy Hall you can brush up on your paddle sport skills or gain new qualifications through our list of BCU approved courses, including: BCU 1 Star and 2 Star, BCU 3 Star Sea Kayak and BCU 3 Star White Water Kayak, UKCC BCU Level 1 Coach Training & Assessment and UKCC BCU Level 2 Coach Training & Assessment.  Read more about Cobnor as a BCU centre.

British Cycling (formerly the British Cycling Federation) is the national governing body for cycle sport in the UK. The organisation is known for encouraging and developing children’s cycling talents and Cobnor Activities Centre offers British Schools Cycling Association – Mountain Bike/Off Road Leaders’ Course, in affiliation with British Cycling over a range of dates.  Read more about Cobnor as a British Cycling centre.

Please see our Scheduled Courses for availability on any of our courses and contact us to make a booking or find out more.

Last Friday Cobnor Activities Centre held a launch event to present its new residential and educational facilities to teachers and youth leaders from local organisations.

The major £1million building and refurbishment project has not only seen two fully refurbished residential buildings and a brand new state- of-the-art building but also a large classroom, equipped with the latest data communications.

This relaunch was our opportunity to show representatives from youth groups who have used Cobnor Activities Centre’s outdoor education resources before what we now have on offer and also show new customers what we’re all about.

Staff gave tours of the new residential facilities with increased sleeping space, two rooms designated to course leaders and improved shower and toilet facilities. Guests were also shown our 2 classrooms offering full IT facilities and support, a big screen for presentations and WIFI access to broadband.  

The Adur Activities Centre, Shoreham, were impressed that we have made “very good improvements all round.” In fact, the general consensus was that Cobnor Activities Centre is looking great and that teachers and youth leaders are very much looking forward to making use of the new facilities when visiting us for sailing, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, archery and climbing with their youth groups in the future.

Climping School’s thoughts on the new-look Cobnor Activities Centre were:

“It all looks very good. It’s great to have everything in one place so that the teachers can stay with the kids and the kitchenette being close by is very handy too.

“The new classroom facilities are great as well. I love the idea that space is available for hire out of season for revision etc.”

We also received praise from a former member of staff, Dan Jaspers, who now works for the International Sailing Federation:

“It was great to see how far Cobnor Activities Centre has come and the vision of so many people realised. West Sussex now has an excellent resource for training young people in outdoor education activities.”

The major building and refurbishment project, costing almost £1million, has not only seen two fully refurbished residential buildings and a brand new state- of-the-art building but also a large classroom, equipped with the latest data communications.

These new educational facilities make Cobnor Activities Centre even better as a base for outdoor education. They offer increased sleeping space, with two rooms designated to course leaders, as well as improved shower and toilet facilities. The facilities also have enhanced educational and meeting rooms as well as a quiet space for revision, courses and workshops. This makes them ideal for teachers and students, all year round.

What’s new at Cobnor Activities Centre?

• Large meeting spaces
• 2 Classrooms with full IT facilities and support
• Big screen for presentations and films
• WIFI access to broadband
• Separate facilities for teachers on request
• Quiet space to use as revision location out of season – October-April
• Tea/Coffee facilities on request

All those teachers and youth workers who received an invitation to our launch event are welcome to come along, have a glass of wine and take a wander around our new facilities where our staff will be on hand to answer any questions. We hope to see you there!

For more information or to book our educational facilities please call: 01243 572791 or email: sail@cobnor.com.

Spring has most definitely sprung down at Cobnor with the birth of beautiful black lambs on the local farm and splashes of yellow daffodils all over the boat park. Soon the weather will be getting warm enough for us to get all of our water-based activities in full swing yet again, because let’s face it sailing lessons, kayaking, canoeing and power boating are all that little bit more fun when the sun is shining and the water’s not nipping at your bits and bobs!

Are you ready to spring into action with Cobnor Activities Centre’s new season? Our evening courses kick off in just 3 weeks time with RYA Youth Sailing Scheme – Stages 1, 2 and 3. There are still a few places remaining if you fancy learning to sail or brushing up on your existing sailing skills. Check booking information online and then contact us to book your place today.

Our RYA Youth Sailing Scheme courses will continue throughout the spring and summer and then, as the weather gets even warmer, our Expedition Camps, Summer Camps, Residential Sailing Weeks and Multi-Activity Weeks begin. Find out more details about the courses here.

Want to join the fun, meet new people and learn new outdoor activity skills? Book your place on a Cobnor Activities Centre session, course or camp today.

Here’s some more Cobnor lambs:

It’s been decided that the South Downs will gain National Park status, which is great news seeing as it’s such a beautiful place to visit and a wonderful natural location for outdoor education. Cobnor is ideally located down on the South Coast, near Chichester, to take advantage of the South Downs and all it offers.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust Youth Council has organised a special event to mark the occasion of the South Downs becoming a National Park with a youth walk. They’re calling on all young people aged 10-18 years to join a five mile walk along the South Downs Way, where they’ll have the chance to discover a range of fascinating landscapes and wildlife and get involved in some outdoor education en route.

As we’ve a lot of 10-18 year olds from the local area visiting Cobnor Activities Centre to attend everything from Summer Camps to sailing lessons we thought you might be interested in joining in with the South Downs National Park celebrations. There are three walks to choose from:

• Western Sussex (near Amberley)
• Central Sussex (near Brighton)
• Eastern Sussex (Seven Sisters Country Park)

All walkers should register online by Sunday 27th June 2010. Under 16s should be accompanied by an adult or book onto a guided walk.

Find out more about orienteering, mountain biking and the other land-based offered by Cobnor Activities Centre here.