Betws-y-Coed outdoor centre faces closure by Wolverhampton council

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Towers Outdoor Education Centre in November 2015

A teacher has made a plea to save an outdoor education centre in Snowdonia under threat of closure.

Andrew Darnley has accompanied thousands of children to the Towers Outdoor Education Centre at Betws-y-Coed over the last 35 years.

He said the centre, visited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2015, was a "vital resource" for young people.

The centre is owned and operated by Wolverhampton council, which said it was facing "big financial challenges".

In a letter to councillors, Mr Darnley said some trips "brought to light previously unknown issues of care and safeguarding" which "may have otherwise been missed".

Mr Darnley said part of his job was to organise and accompany trips for Year 7 pupils to the "Towers".

"For many it was the first time they had been out of the city, for some it was the first time they had seen mountains, the sea, and, in one case I remember, a sheep," he said.

Andrew Darnley has accompanied thousands of pupils to the centre

In the letter, Mr Darnley added: "Although short term, it meant that some children got a week of nutritious meals, a comfortable bed and appropriate clothing.

"At a time when the issues around mental health and well-being are very much to the fore it seems strange that you are considering taking away a facility that points the way to the value of outdoor experiences and their benefits in relation to this."

'Absolutely gutted'

The centre has been closed since August after Wolverhampton council halted building work.

Some courses have still been run, but using accommodation away from the site.

Jim Whittaker, chair of The Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres, said they are "absolutely gutted" when they hear of an outdoor centre closing, but it was not "an unfamiliar story".

"Many outdoor education centres such as this one find themselves with very large, complex and expensive buildings and estates to maintain," he said.

"Whilst this absolutely adds to the quality of the experience for visitors and in itself is something to be preserved, it does present very real financial challenges for the organisations or authorities that own them."

Prince William took part in activities at the centre in 2015

A Facebook page - Save The Towers Outdoor Education Centre - has been launched.

Its future will be discussed at a Wolverhampton council meeting on Wednesday.

The cabinet has been recommended to approve the first of three options - the immediate closure of the centre.

Consultation found that only about 1,000 pupils and fewer than one in five of the city's schools used the centre last year, with distance and transport costs cited as reasons.

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However, Gareth Hawkins, assistant head teacher of Woodfield Primary School in Wolverhampton, claimed the centre was running at almost full capacity, with charities, social enterprises and pupil referral units also using it.

He said the centre had been "invaluable" for his school over the years.

"We took our last group in May and we're booked to go again in May-June this year, but that's in jeopardy now.

"We're just as anxious to find a resolution - for the best part of 10 years we've been taking children to the Towers.

"Some of them have never left Wolverhampton before."

Pupils take part in a cycling skills course at Talybont, Powys

Outdoor centres have faced uncertain times in recent years and a number have been forced to close.

Staylittle Outdoor Centre, near Llanidloes, was Powys council's only outdoor education centre but closed in April 2018 to save more than £130,000 a year.

A centre at Talybont in Powys also closed after Newport and Torfaen councils scrapped funding for the Gwent Outdoor Education Service Partnership, with Blaenau Gwent council saying it would follow suit.