“Cobnor Activities Centre was established in 1979 and continues to offer a range of courses to give young people in the local area the opportunity to experience challenging outdoor activities, both water and land based,” explains Mark Murray-Brown, Centre Manager. “But we are receiving an increasing number of enquiries from businesses and organisations in the South of England looking to offer their staff ‘something different’ in the way of team-building, with an ever-diminishing budget. We realise that we are perfectly positioned to meet this increase in demand and we are able to offer a tailor-made day in an idyllic setting. Cobnor can offer groups, ranging from 8 to 100 people, a team-building experience that is affordable and fun as well as achieving the desired purpose of getting teams to work more effectively together.”

Companies and organisations work with the instructors at Cobnor to plan their bespoke day around a variety of activities, which could include: sailing, canoeing, kayaking, climbing, mountain biking, archery, low ropes, orienteering and raft building. There is also optional on-site catering and a residential block. Cobnor is served by good road and rail links to London, Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex.

After attending a corporate activities day last year, Vanessa Aquilina, a teacher from Bosham Primary School, said: “We had a fantastic corporate day at Cobnor. What a wonderful programme you put together for us! It was extremely well organised, and the lunch on the beach was superb. What a great way to spend a day … and team build with your colleagues at the same time.”

Should you wish to find out more about our team-building activities or make a booking, please call us on: 01243 572791 or email: sail@cobnor.com.

Sport England’s Chairman, Richard Lewis, handed over the cheque to Centre Manager Mark Murray-Brown (pictured left) who is going to put the fund towards a new safety boat.

In an interview with the Chichester Observer Mark said: “The funding was much needed.

“We have a wide range of young people at the centre and we are upgrading the facilities for them. This includes showers and toilets.

“Hopefully the work will be completed by Easter. We haven’t got quite enough safety cover to do all the range of boat activities so we are getting a five-and-a-half metre RIB.”

Cobnor Activities Centre was just one of 71 sports groups in the South East to benefit from the £135m Places People Play National Lottery-funded legacy programme to make the Olympics part of our local communities this year.

Mr Murray-Brown said: “We are looking forward to the Olympics.

“There are some positive schemes which include a day in July where everyone is encouraged to go afloat.

“We have a programme to involve adults with sailing and we will be starting up a range of programmes from Easter for mountain biking, climbing, canoeing and sailing.”

Sport England’s chairman Richard Lewis said: “For hundreds of clubs and tens of thousands of people, 2012 will be the year their local sports facilities got better.

“We’ve had unprecedented demand for this fund, which has really hit the mark with sports clubs in the southeast. It shows we’re offering the sporting legacy that people want.”

We’re really looking forward to the improvements and the arrival of the new powerboat, which will give a boost to our safety boat fleet and make learning to sail at Cobnor an even better experience.

Chichester Creative Network presents Christmas Arts & Crafts at Cobnor on Saturday 10th December, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm and there will be Christmas Creativity and Festive Fun for all the Family, including:

• Local Arts & Crafts from: The Apuldram Centre Crafts, DillyWorm Crafts, Versartile, Buttons & Bows, Emma’s Interiors, Retro Rascal & more
• Chichester Harbour boat rides with the Cobnor Elves
• Acoustic Christmas tunes from the Cobnor Carollers
• Seasonal readings from a trio of local poets
• Readings & book signings from children’s author Penelope Bush (Alice in Time & Diary of a Lottery Winner’s Daughter)
• Hand, Foot & Shoulder Massages with Lesley Brown Clinical Aromatherapy
• Sizzling sausages, warming homemade soup, mulled wine & mince pies from the Cobnor Friends

This event is organised by Katy Lassetter on behalf of Chichester Creative Network to encourage and celebrate local creativity. The event will also to help raise money for the Cobnor Friends who will be selling homemade refreshments that will warm your cockles and dusting off their song sheets to entertain you with Christmas carols. We’ll also be holding a raffle and the kind people from www.etoyszone.co.uk and Lesley Brown Clinical Aromatherapy are donating prizes. We hope to see you all there, supporting the community.

What’s more we’re running a competition on Spirit FM all next week and giving away a place on one of our week-long Summer Camps worth £330!

The Camps run across two weeks in the Summer Holidays and are for 8 to 13 year olds who wish to experience time away under canvas with the opportunity to try a range of activities including: sailing, canoeing, archery, climbing, raft building and orienteering on the South Downs. More details and dates can be found in our 2012 programme which is available to download here.

The lucky winner will be presented with their prize at the Christmas Arts & Crafts Fair so this really is going to be quite an occasion!

Surely you won’t pass up the opportunity to have a special seasonal trip on the Cobnor Chairboat with Centre manager Mark dressed as Father Christmas and all of your favourite outdoor activities instructors dressed as elves, will you? See you on 10^th December and remember to bring some pennies, it’s for a great cause.

Please email this flyer to your friends and family here: Xmas Craft Fair Flyer- download

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!

Why not send them to Cobnor Activities Centre for some outdoor activities fun…

As our Summer Camps and Multi-Activity Weeks were a huge success once again this summer we thought we’d offer all of you outdoor activity fans something to get your teeth into this October Half Term. Not only are we introducing Daily Activities Week but we’re also offering a special Seal Watching Trip and Cream Tea. Are you hungry for it?

Daily Activities Week

We’re introducing a Daily Activities Week and this comprises different activities as taster sessions, from sailing to mountain biking, every weekday throughout Half Term. These new Daily Activities will run from Monday 24^th October until Friday 28^th October, 9.30-16.00. The programme is open to 10-16 year olds and each Activity Day is just £38 per person. You can book just one day or all five, the choice is yours.

The programme for the week is as follows:

Monday
AM: Climbing and Archery
PM: Mountain Biking

Tuesday

AM: Low Ropes and Raft Build
PM: Canoeing to Bosham

Wednesday

AM: Mountain biking and Archery
PM: Bosun Sailing

Thursday

AM: Climbing and Raft Building
PM: Sea Kayaking

Friday

AM: Orienteering and Archery
PM: Mountain Biking

Please not that appropriate safety equipment is provided for all activities but you will need to bring sensible footwear and clothing appropriate to conditions.

Seal Watching Trip

Age Range: 8 onwards

Times: Monday 24^th October, 13:00 to 16:00 (approximate return)

Come and join us for the afternoon starting with a delicious cream tea in the surroundings of Chichester Harbour at 13.00 before boarding the Cobnor Chairboat at 14:00 to set sail, in search of our Harbour Seals.  There are currently 23-25 seals living in the Solent and they regularly visit Chichester Harbour, with 18 being the most recorded at any one time. We will visit the areas where they are sighted most and hopefully enjoy some fantastic views of these wonderful creatures. The boat will return to Cobnor at around 16:00.

Please note that spray top and bottoms are available, if required and lifejackets will be provided.

To book a place during our Daily Activities Week or for on the Seal Watching Trip please call: 01243 572791 or email: Sail@Cobnor.com.

This creative writing event is taking place at Cobnor over the Bank Holiday weekend, from the evening of Friday August 26^th and all day Saturday and Sunday and it’s a writing retreat with outdoor activities for that little extra creative inspiration…

We are providing the accommodation and facilities for the Writers’ Retreat and as Cobnor is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty writers will not only have the opportunity to take in the stunning surroundings but they’ll also get the chance to get stuck in to some outdoor activities. A powerboat trip, a coastal walk and an informal kayaking lesson are all on the cards for those writers that want to get out from behind their desks and get some inspiration from the Great Outdoors.

The event will kick off with a Pimm’s reception, informal networking, inspirational talks from professional writers and a book signing on Friday evening, designed to give local writers, publishers and creatives the opportunity to meet likeminded people. A writing and publishing panel talk will take place, offering an enlightening discussion between award-winning local writers Gabrielle Kimm (His Last Duchess, Sphere, 2010 and The Courtesan’s Lover, Sphere, 2011) and Isabel Ashdown (Glasshopper, Myriad Editions, 2009 and Hurry Up and Wait, Myriad Editions, 2011) and their editors. There will also be a raffle in aid of charity with some great prizes, including a voucher for half a day sailing donated by Cobnor Activities Centre. While the number of guests on the Writers’ Retreat weekend is limited, so that they get the very best writing experience possible, Friday evening’s event is open to the public for just £15 a ticket and limited tickets are still available.

Aspiring writers will have plenty of opportunity to brush up on their penmanship throughout the weekend. As well as plenty of free time to get pen to paper, Gabrielle Kimm is giving a creative writing workshop and Isabel Ashdown is giving a workshop to help writers develop their characters. There will also be talks from local writers, such as Stewart Ferris (Unusual Character Names for Writers, e-book, 2010; How to Publish Your Own Book, Summersdale, 2008; How to be a Writer, Summersdale, 2005; How to Get Published, Summersdale 2005), on the agenda. Boat trips to local points of natural and historical interest, such as East Head and Bosham Church, are planned too.

An exhibition of art will take place throughout the weekend, including Lorrie Whittington’s Sea Dreams: Exhibition of Paintings and Illustrations. This is a stunning collection in hues of purple, blue and green. The artwork will be on display to inspire the creatives and it will also be on sale so that they can take their inspirations home.

Cobnor Activities Centre’s Bryn Jones is so excited about the prospect of this event that he started getting all creative yesterday. Bryn donned his beret, coined himself a “Famous Welsh Poet”, and came up with this verse that’s loosely related to the haiku:

Water breaks

The sound is heard

I see the beauty

We’ll let you judge this particular literary phenomenon! Don’t be put off though; this “Famous Welsh Poet” is not on the bill. To book tickets for the weekend or for the Friday evening, please contact Katy on: 01243 533421 or email: katy@chichestercopywriter.co.uk.

Summer Camps, Multi-Activity Camps and Residential Sailing Camps run throughout the Summer Holidays at Cobnor Activities Centre. Campers get to take part in all sorts of outdoor activities, including sailing, kayaking and climbing throughout their stay at the Centre. We’re always striving to create the best experiences for Summer Campers so we regularly run evening trips to local highlights (great British weather permitting), such as East Head, and last Monday was no exception.

We thought it would be a great idea for our roving reporter to go out and about with the children and their watch-leaders to see what they get up to on a typical evening trip and here’s what she saw…

At around 19.00 a fleet of boats, including the Cobnor Chairboat and various other powerboats, left Cobnor for a leisurely cruise through Chichester Harbour in the late sunshine. All the time, we kept our eyes out for seals as the tide was fairly low and the conditions perfect but luck was not with us this time.

The boats arrived around 30 minutes later at beautiful East Head and the children were dropped off on the beach, where they were able to disembark safely and gather their belongings. Watch leaders then rounded up their troops and headed eagerly for the sand dunes to prepare for the games ahead.  

A sea mist came over, which added an air of mystery to events and, of course, made it all the more enjoyable for a bunch of thrill-seeking eight to thirteen year olds. Games of hide and seek and manhunt ensued then it was time for group photographs before everyone tucked into cake and drinks while watching the sunset – not at all bad, really!

After dark, the fleet made its way back to Cobnor HQ through the mist and the children were even involved in helping with night navigation. They helped the skipper spot the coloured lights and buoys that guided the group back to base and there were certainly a few keen navigators that the Centre is sure to meet again soon.

On arrival, the group trudged back up the slipway and made their way to their tents. It was most definitely time for bed and, we’re guessing, a very good sleep; the campers were spent on the freshest sea air and filled to the brim with satisfaction from their mini adventure.

Want to be a happy camper at Cobnor? Find out more about upcoming available camps and courses here or get in contact to discuss your options if you’d prefer something more bespoke.

The major £1million building and refurbishment project, a fitting ode to the Centre’s founder Martin Beale, was officially opened by the Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex, Mrs Susan Pyper. Shortly after the grand unveiling, four children from Chidham Primary School stood up and pleased the crowds by reading out some of their poetry and memories, all inspired by their experiences at Cobnor Activities Centre.

We’ve typed the poems and memories below so that you can enjoy reading them on the blog but they can also be seen in all their original glory, complete with colour and illustrations, below:

Ode to Cobnor Activities Centre 1

As the sun blazed down on the rippling waters, we climbed aboard our first boat,

3,2,1, and away we went, zooming through the waves, pelting forwards,

A loud groan rumbled the engine of her, every moment was breathtaking.

As the wind lashed out at me, slapped me in the face, whipped me in the soul, that sudden rush of cold, of ice,

That sudden dream of warmth, of a crackling fire, of a steaming shower.

Not once did we stop smiling. By Anna

Ode to Cobnor Activities Centre 2

Cobnor is a place of leisure and fun,

A place where boring is never done.

With boats, kayaks, canoes and more,

You have to be real hardcore.

Assault courses and climbing walls keep you high from the floor,

But you’ll always want to come back for more.

The activity centre is the best of all with all their caring friends

But sadly that is where my poem ends. By Iona

Ode to Cobnor Activities Centre 3

I like sailing at Cobnor, it always makes me smile, because not only do we learn a lot but from one lesson I could race you, up to a mile.

I would definitively, definitely win because my instructor was Owen.

We went on a course you see, my two best friends and me.

Every week would be an enjoyable time to the top we would climb and climb

To be the best sailors, well one of them at least. By Lucy

Ode to Cobnor Activities Centre 4

I remember the first time I went to Cobnor. I went to take a shower but them realised the shower had no doors. I walked out and never had a shower. I also remember powerboating and I sat at the back and Harvey absolutely drenched me! The second time I went, after lunch we made tunnels in two groups of tables and chairs. Then we joined them together and the beams had a colour, ours was blue and theirs red. I kept bashing my head every time I went in. I’ve enjoyed every memory of my time at Cobnor (but these are my favourites)!

Happy days at Cobnor Activities Centre

You too can have happy memories of Cobnor! Sign up for one of our Multi-Activity Weeks, Summer Camps or RYA sailing courses. See our Scheduled Courses for information on what’s coming up, and then contact sail@cobnor.com to book your course, camp or session today.

The event, which begins in August, is the longest of its kind at 40,000 miles. The fleet, made up of 68ft racing yachts, will stop at 15 ports around the world before arriving back in the UK in July 2012.

This is the only global ocean race open to all, regardless of, nationality, background and sailing ability. It was established by the legendary Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who became the first man to sail solo and non-stop around the world in 1969.

This is Olly’s fifth year with the Clipper Race. He joined the training team after working at the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and with disadvantaged young people through the Cirdan Sailing Trust. Olly has been involved in training Clipper crew members for the past two years and decided it was about time he lead a crew through the world’s this epic adventure.

He is joining an elite team of international sailors, appointed as a result of a rigorous selection process and said of the news:

“I couldn’t believe it to begin with – it’s a massive opportunity so I was absolutely delighted.”

Olly was introduced to sailing by his father when he was a boy. You too could start sailing today with Cobnor Activities Centre and aim for achievements such as this. It’s not too late to get involved with sailing, power boating, kayaking or canoeing, whatever your age or ability.  

Starting from next week we have RYA sailing evening courses for beginners and improvers. We also have loads more courses, camps and sessions available, find out more here: http://www.cobnor.com/scheduled-courses/.

Photo courtesy of Onedition.

The Cobnor Activities Centre team thought that all you sailing enthusiasts might want to know about an exciting creative Boat Project that’s occurring close by at Thornham Marina…

The Boat Project is a 30ft seafaring vessel that’s being lovingly crafted from wooden items donated by locals. It will become a living archive of people’s stories and memories and a really fascinating piece of West Sussex history.

Since February 2011, artists Gregg Whelan and Gary Winters of Lone Twin (one of Europe’s leading performance companies) have accepted wooden offerings of all shapes, sizes and varieties from people all over the South East.

Lone Twin have set up base at Thornham Marina in Chichester Harbour and, with the help of designer Simon Rogers and a team of keen volunteers, they have been using the latest yacht building methods to turn these wooden objects into a seaworthy archive that will set sail on a maiden voyage in May 2012.

Despite not knowing exactly what the boat will look like, the organisers tell us that it will resemble a 30ft day sailer, of contemporary design with a sleek and elegant shape. The boat will provide the crew of sailors, some novice some experienced, taking the boat around the South Coast with an excellent sailing experience.

The Boat Project is part of Artists Taking the Lead, a series of 12 public art commissions across the UK to celebrate the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The Boat Project is the winning commission for the South East region and is funded by Arts Council England. Following its maiden voyage, the boat will be gifted back to the region as a permanent resource for the public.

There are various ways to you can get involved with The Boat Project: you can donate wood, become a boatyard volunteer, or become a member of the crew. From 15^th April – 2^nd May members of the public are welcome to bring donations to the build shed, Unit 2, Thornham Marina, on Fridays and Saturdays 13.00-19.00, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays 10.00-17.00. There are also some dedicated Donation Day events close to Cobnor Activities Centre:

•Portsmouth Donation Day Event: 22^nd May 2011, 10.00 – 16.30. Southsea Castle, Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, PO5 3PA.

•Havant Donation Day Event: 28^th May 2011, 10.00 – 17.00. The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, 56 East Street, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1BS.

• Chichester Donation Day Event: 4^th June 2011, 10.00 – 16.30. Marquee in Oakland’s Park at Chichester Festival Theatre, PO19 6AP.

Find out more about The Boat Project at: http://www.theboatproject.com/.