I received a message the other day and it made me smile from ear to ear!

Yes we do still get out on the water, not much in the winter though: too cold for the kids. We have clocked up plenty of hours since you taught us the basics. We have paddled north and south of Ireland, we paddled with Fungi the dolphin in Dingle bay the other year. We have taken our boats to France to paddle the Dordogne, the Ardeche and the Lot. To the lake district in England a couple of times. To Sweden to paddle Dalsland lakes. To Norway to paddle the fjords (with whales). Last year we were in Scotland paddling Lomond, Glen Affric and many others. Hopefully taking a ferry to Denmark this summer and spend some time paddling in Sweden again. We love to wild camp but you have to get away from here to get a bit of ‘wild’.

I guess you should feel a sense of pride that sharing your talents has brought many years of fun and satisfaction to our wee family. (wee in stature not wee in number: we have 4 kids now)

I will have to send you some photos of some of our trips. I will also send you some photos of our tree climbing.

Regards,

Ben

I had taken Ben and his wife Heather for some canoe lessons about 6 years ago – they wanted to learn some skills so they could take their kids canoeing.

I smiled about all the adventures they have enjoyed since and can think fondly of the places they have mentioned.  I have canoed on some of the rivers and lakes mentioned and others are still on my to do. 

I smiled even more when Ben mentioned the sense of pride I must feel knowing that I have brought many years of fun and satisfaction to Ben and his “wee family”.

Ben is right, I do feel proud and I am still smiling some 24 hours after reading this. 

I often talk about the positive impact I make on people through the activities I deliver.  I know this when I meet people on the street and they still remember my name and eagerly start recounting their adventures with me.  I know it when I receive emails like the one from Ben.  And I know it from how long it takes to say goodbye at the end of an adventure. especially when it is goodbye until the next time.

Yes, I love Adventure but I love seeing people challenging themselves, pushing the limits of their comfort zones, experiencing new activities, learning and having fun!  There is so much more to Adventure than meets the eye!

Hears to 2012 and many more positive experiences!

Stephen

Games that Teach is a practical workshop for teachers, youth workers, summer scheme leaders, outdoor pursuits instructors, community leaders and anyone else interested in the positive development of People.

What’s the Games that Teach Workshop all about?

You will participate in a range of activities and games that will reinforce:

• Problem solving
• Communication Skills
• Community Awareness
• Conflict Resolution
• Critical Thinking
• Responsibility
• Respect

What will I learn on the Games that Teach Workshop?

• How to modify games and activities so suit desired learning outcomes
• Linking games and activities through a progressive development process
• Games without resources
• Open space games versus closed space games

Participants will also receive:

• A resource pack which includes briefs for the games, activity plans and another 20 games
• Certificate of completion

Who will be leading the Games that Teach Workshop?

With over 15 years experience Stephen Brown has developed and delivered adventure based personal and social development courses with marginalised young people and community groups, team building events for small businesses and large businesses alike, activity days for families, groups of friends, schools and youth organisations.

For more details on Stephen and his work:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamBuildingAdventure
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/AdventureTeam
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theadventureteam
• Flickr: www.flickr.com/theadventureteam

When is the Games that Teach Workshop?

There are two Games for Fun Workshops in February:

• Course 1 – Wednesday 22nd and Wednesday 29th February 2012, 6.00pm – 9.00pm
• Course 2 – Saturday 25th February 2012, 10.00am – 4.00pm

How much does the Games that Teach Workshop cost:

£125 per person and bring a friend or colleague for £100

Community Groups, Schools and Voluntary Organisations are entitled to a 50% discount

All prices are subject to VAT and the total amount is payable at the time of booking

How do I book my place on the Games that Teach Workshop?

Just give us a call on 0845 5213145 or email info@theadventureteam.co.uk

You can also book Stephen to deliver this workshop for your organisation – just ask!

Other workshops include:

• Games for Developing Teams
• Chaos – The 30 minute energiser
• Reviewing skills for beginners
• Reviewing skills for business
• Plan it, do it, review it – refining the reviewing process

Where is the Games that Teach Workshop?

The Adventure Team, CEAL, 8 Meadowbank Road, Carrickfergus, BT38 8YF

What people say:

"Five star!! really enjoyed the activities bringing out our competitive nature and also that of team work and strategy planning! Brilliant facilitators and great way with the guys who deliver the training. Very well done i know its not the last you will see of me! You helped me build relationships within the NICE group and I know those relationships are now based on our level of trust and co-operation.. keep up the great work! Thanks to you all.”

"From the initial set up right through to the delivery Stephen and his Adventure Team provided a first class service. Stephen, via his calm, self assured and professional style of delivery created an atmosphere that enabled our groups to feel safe and challenged. All the activities provided were delivered in a professional, fun and creative manner. The group, whether participating in an icebreaker or games session right through to the more challenging outdoor activities were at all times in very safe and knowledgeable hands. Stephen and his team ensure that the young people are supported to feel safe both emotionally and physically.”

The Games for Fun Workshop is a practical opportunity for teachers, youth workers, summer scheme leaders, outdoor pursuits instructors, community leaders and anyone else interested in the positive development of Young People.

What’s the Games for Fun Workshop all about?

“A teacher put a dot of chalk on a blackboard and asked a classroom of 15 and 16 year olds to say what they saw.  They responded with the obvious – a chalk dot.  She pointed out to them that she asked the same question of a group of 5 and 6 year olds the day before and elicited responses such as a squashed bug, the top of a telephone pole, an owl’s eye and the like.”

• Did you know that 96% of 4 year olds believe that they can become anything they want to?
• Did you know that by the time these 4 year olds are 18 only 4% of them will hold this belief?
• Did you know that 100% of 5 year olds are driven by their imagination?
• Did you know that only 10% of 7 year olds are driven by their imagination?
• And does it scare you to know that only 2% of 20 year olds are driven by their imagination?

Young children love playing games, inventing “things”, building, drawing and creating. They are brilliant at solving problems. They are not afraid to take risks! And most of all, they having an amazing desire to succeed!

Yet as children grow older these natural skills diminish and with that so do their aspirations and dreams!

This workshop is designed to provide you with a whole new arsenal of games and energisers to help you succeed in your effort developing Young People.

You will look at the process of delivering games with purpose, games for “fun-full-stop”, high and low energy games, games for pairs and games for very large groups. You will take part in as many as 30 different games as part of this workshop.

What will I learn on the Games for Fun Workshop?

• Lots of new games and variations of more familiar games
• How to modify games to suit the needs of the group
• Games for 2 – 200 people
• Linking games through a progressive development process
• Games without resources
• Open space games versus closed space games

Participants will also receive:

• A resource pack which includes briefs for the games, activity plans and another 20 games
• Certificate of completion

Who will be leading the Games for Fun Workshop?

With over 15 years experience Stephen Brown has developed and delivered adventure based personal and social development courses with marginalised young people and community groups, team building events for small businesses and large businesses alike, activity days for families, groups of friends, schools and youth organisations.

• For more details on Stephen and his work:
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamBuildingAdventure
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/AdventureTeam
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theadventureteam
• Flickr: www.flickr.com/theadventureteam

When is the Games for Fun Workshop?

There are two Games for Fun Workshops in February:

• Course 1 – Wednesday 8th and Wednesday 15th February 2012, 6.00pm – 9.00pm
• Course 2 – Saturday 18th February 2012, 10.00am – 4.00pm

Where is the Games for Fun Workshop?

The Adventure Team, CEAL, 8 Meadowbank Road, Carrickfergus, BT38 8YF

How much does the Games for Fun Workshop cost:

£125 per person and bring a friend or colleague for £100

Community Groups, Schools and Voluntary Organisations are entitled to a 50% discount

All prices are subject to VAT and the total amount is payable at the time of booking

How do I book my place on the Games for Fun Workshop?

Just give us a call on 0845 5213145 or email info@theadventureteam.co.uk

You can also book Stephen to deliver this workshop for your organisation – just ask!

Other workshops include:

• Games for Developing Teams
• Chaos – The 30 minute energiser
• Reviewing skills for beginners
• Reviewing skills for business
• Plan it, do it, review it – refining the reviewing process

What people say:

"Five star!! really enjoyed the activities bringing out our competitive nature and also that of team work and strategy planning! Brilliant facilitators and great way with the guys who deliver the training. Very well done i know its not the last you will see of me! You helped me build relationships within the NICE group and I know those relationships are now based on our level of trust and co-operation.. keep up the great work! Thanks to you all.”

"From the initial set up right through to the delivery Stephen and his Adventure Team provided a first class service. Stephen, via his calm, self assured and professional style of delivery created an atmosphere that enabled our groups to feel safe and challenged. All the activities provided were delivered in a professional, fun and creative manner. The group, whether participating in an icebreaker or games session right through to the more challenging outdoor activities were at all times in very safe and knowledgeable hands. Stephen and his team ensure that the young people are supported to feel safe both emotionally and physically.”

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  We are all busy trying to figure out what stocking fillers we need to buy for nephews and nieces, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, mum and dad, friends and colleagues.

And we have loads of ideas for you!

For Kids:

• An adventure day for only £30 per person

• 1/2 days are only £20 per person

• NEW! 1 day at Adventure School in the Mournes, Belfast or Gortin only £25 per day

For Adults:

• Try coasteering only £45 per person

• Full day of adventure skills only £75 per person

• Intro activities only £35 per person

And if you can’t decide what to book you can also buy a voucher for any monetary amount

Each personalised voucher will be emailed to you with a description of the activity, what it involves, what they should expect and details on how to book.

To purchase your Gift Vouchers give us a call on 0845 521 3145or email info@theadventureteam.co.uk

WOW!

It looks like a lot of you like our new hoodies!  That’s good – we like them too!

We are going to give one very lucky (and soon to be, very trendy) person one of our hoodies for this months competition!

But, we aren’t just going to giveaway a hoodie, second and third place will win a Tee and everyone else who enters will get £5 off their very own hoodie!

Entry is simple, leave a comment below saying why you should win!  All entries will be entered in to a draw on Friday 11th November at 9.00am!

Don’t worry, if you don’t win a hoodie you can buy one for £30 plus £2.50 p&p! 

Our online shop is on it’s way but you can call us on 0845 521 3145 or email info@theadventureteam.co.uk and we will get it out to you. (Please allow 7 days for delivery – we are new to all this!) 

And remember, use your £5 voucher!

We recently had a VIP tour of Belfast Zoo – hear what David our office monkey thought of the experience!

I guess at least every person has that one “bucket list” thing to do before you die. Some people decide to do crazy things like bungee jumping, or rally driving, whilst others go visit places of significance such as the Pyramids, the Great Wall or Christ the redeemer. I am one of those people that like a combination of both seeing and experiencing. I can honestly, hand on heart, say that feeling I had experienced at the ape enclosure at Belfast Zoo, was one I have never came close to experiencing in my life.

It’s probably worth mentioning that The Adventure Team became Corporate Partners of Belfast Zoo over the summer and official sponsors of the chimpanzee enclosure. As a company, we have maintained a strong presence at the zoo and helped out with delivering activities and events for the Zoo. We were at the forefront of the EAZA campaign for Ape week helping Belfast Zoo with their fundraising efforts. So the Zoo kindly offered us behind the scenes access, which I am sure a lot of children…and adults ask about on a daily basis! Then there is Juls.

Juls is an employee of The Adventure Team. You will never meet another person so unaware to what’s going on around her when there is an animal in her presence! All of us were pretty much soaked and Juls is just grinning and asking a hundred questions about animals, like a curious child. My favourite being “Do animals actually date each other before they reproduce or do they just meet up and reproduce and go home?”

The Chimps

Having watched the latest Planet of the Apes movie, a few weeks before, I was a bit more hesitant about going behind the scenes with the chimps. However a lovely lady called Linda, who was the head keeper in the enclosure, covered everything from their diets, medication, behavioural habits and history. It was interesting to learn that chimps take similar medication to humans and suffer similar illnesses. I was pleasantly surprised how much effort the keepers have to go to, in order to keep them in their enclosure and I will cover this in my next blog. Random things like having to screw drain covers down as the chimps would attempt to unscrew them and escape. Or even being careful with keys and checking their enclosure as they have been known to attempt escape. The general vibe I got was that chimpanzees continuously plotted escape and were actually very smart.

It was advised not to access the area behind their cages as they were known to try and pull fingers off or throw faecal matter or spit with alarming accuracy in order to get a reaction. They were known to have the ability to kill rodents and birds in their enclosures and as many of us should know how hard it is to catch a bird with your bare hands! All of this made quite an uncomfortable thought and more so after that Planet of the Apes movie where they do escape! One thing that did intimidate me the most was their shrieking and how they could be cuddly and docile and then suddenly whip into frenzy at short notice.

Meeting Gugas

The next stop was THE moment. We got to see Gugas the silverback Gorilla who we soon learned had actually had a really traumatic upbringing. As a baby, he witnessed his whole family being slaughtered for bush meat by poachers. He was captured and sold to the circus and chained up with a little comfort blanket. When he came to the zoo he went through episodes of rocking himself when he got stressed and he came with a little urine soaked comfort blanket. It was at this moment you could see the keepers were visibly upset when talking about how hard it has been to get him to socialise to the level he was at now.

It was at this time, we were given the opportunity to go behind his enclosure and feed Gugas and be within inches of one of the worlds most powerful animals. My heart was in my mouth. It’s a different story being behind a few inches of reinforced glass and observing. This time I was within literally inches of him through a normal caged door. I cannot actually describe how silent it was and you could have actually heard a pin drop. It was a horribly delightful mix of fear, awe and butterflies and the more the fear grew on me and the more i realised how big he was…the thinner his cage door looked.

He stood there staring at us as he knew we were in for a visit. He knew visitors meant treats. We gave him a banana and it felt like watching slow motion. The hesitance of us giving him his treat really showed how intimidating this creature looked. To our surprise, he gently put his head forward and allowed us to put the banana into his mouth and in 2 bites he had it all gone and stood waiting for another. Skin and all, and he didn’t even bother checking for a sticker! I will be honest here; I think the silence scared me more than anything in that we were expecting something to happen but no. Gugas was so gentle as he followed us through other enclosures looking for a few more, even though it wasn’t long until his dinner! He was lucky enough to get a few more. But as we took our eye off the ball, and chatted, he cheekily pounded the cage door and I swear I think I died in that split second as the loud bang broke the silence! I admit that I totally “woosed” at that moment and was prepared to leg it while the simultaneous shrieking of the chimps downstairs made me feel really uncomfortable as I replayed scenes of “Planet of the Apes” when the chimps made a break for it.

Despite the fact Gugas did scare me; I was reassured about how gentle he actually was. My preconceived ideas that chimpanzees were fun and cuddly and gorillas were just big and scary clearly came from movies and TV shows. Hollywood created these misconceptions of the creatures when in reality the Gorillas were the gentle giants, and the chimpanzees were in fact playful opportunists that couldn’t be trusted!

I cannot thank Linda enough, she was truly an inspirational person and obviously put the animals first on every opportunity and you could see from their reactions when the animals themselves seen her, that they felt the same. The novelty clearly hasn’t worn off for Linda and she loves her job.

That eerie silence, adding a powerful and respected animal into the mix, throw in a drop of respect, add some awe, a generous dollop of fear with a tinge of excitement and expectation and there you have it. A “bucket list” feeling you get when you come face to face with a Gorilla….in his own house!!!

I feel so privileged to have had this experience via The Adventure Team and Belfast Zoo and I think I can now tick this off my list. It may be a daily experience for a keeper but is a once in a lifetime experience for the rest of us and I reckon if you would like to see something like this up close…then I’d highly recommend becoming a sponsor of Belfast Zoo.

A little insight to working as part of The Adventure Team from David Thompson.  David’s role is primarily as the Business Development Assistant, he gets involved will all aspects of the business though!  Read on to find out how David got on with his first residential.

I do specifically remember reading a Facebook status on the Adventure Team Facebook over the summer, which said, “Making an impact on the lives of 255 young people today. How cool is that?” I will admit that I found it quite cheesy at first. Being the business development assistant and office manager, I tended to be sending the emails, making the phone calls, and sorting the other ins and outs of an office, which meant that I could not fully appreciate the value of the status.

However if I have to tell a customer about the activities which we offer, then the best thing is to experience them first hand and then describe my experience to them. The one area I did struggle about was with young adult residentials.

The young adult residential I had taken was with Tyrone Donegal Partnership. I found it a bit daunting at first since I had only previously helped out with kids before and not people around my own age group. I watched Stephen at work and how he took control of the various personalities in the group. To be fair I probably wasn’t that much help on the day. But I did notice the amount of respect he earned from a group of young adults which is definitely a lot harder to gain than that of a group of young children.

With a few more Tyrone Donegal residentials forthcoming, it was my call of duty. I was nervous at the prospect but it was Stephen’s confidence that I could do the job and take control which inspired me as well as the fact he was just as nervous about leaving me unattended like a parent dropping their child off on the first day of school. However the second he left, I felt that I was in control. Adventure Team motto in my head, it was quite literally a case of “Hold your breath and jump!”

I tried a few energisers and then a few team games which got the groups really competitive. By the time Donal had arrived to help me, he ended up taking a back seat until I had finished my last game. Which was every bit as much as a compliment as him actually saying anything. They say you can decide within 7 seconds if you like somebody. So that was the only thing on my mind. If I had to win over the group, I had to do it instantly! However I wasn’t entirely sure if I had.

In the mid afternoon, I was taking archery and I noticed the group were dependent on me to help them load the bow, what way to stand, where to aim and when to let go. With that dependency on me, I was gaining their respect which in turn was giving me more confidence and enthusiasm to work with them.

By night time, Donal and I had taken a walk up the village and to the Bar to watch the football and chat about how the day went. A few of our students came over and personally thanked us for the great day they had. Then another few and another few and when we arrived back at the hostel after the match, I slowly started to appreciate what The Adventure Team status meant to the person who wrote it (Stephen or Tracy).

The next day it became much clearer, especially when taking the group to the lake for some raft building. It was great to see them working as a team and putting all differences aside to get their raft assembled, floated and raced and disassembled. That gave me a sense of achievement to see how far their attitudes changed towards one another after 2 days.

The time came for the group to go home and I had to say my goodbyes to them all. I genuinely felt a bit sad to see them go and then it was my turn to feel like the parent leaving the child for school! I felt I had fully earned their respect and impacted on how they treated one another, or needed one another and the importance of teamwork to achieve an overall objective. Hearing their appreciative thank you’s and handshakes and watching them hug each other as they left, took me back to that status that The Adventure Team had posted over the summer. “Making an impact on the lives of 255 young people today. How cool is that?”

Fancy winning two free driving lessons courtesy of NI:Drive for you or someone you know?

NI:Drive is a DOE Approved Local Driving School. Covering Lisburn and the close surrounding area. ADI no:1813

NI:Drive school of motoring aims to get you driving safely as soon as possible; and by doing, pass you’re driving test.  If you wish to learn in comfort and in a nice relaxed atmosphere then look no further than ‘NI:Drive

All that you need to do is like their Facebook page and answer the following question:

What type of car does NI:drive have?

Email your answer to  info@theadventureteam.co.uk with your name, address and date of birth!

Entries close on Friday 8th July at 12.00pm so we can announce the winner that afternoon!

It really couldn’t be any easier!

Adventure Team Challenge

Your Team is randomly split in to sub-groups that compete against each other for points in a series of energisers, team games, team tasks and archery. The points are used to purchase raft building equipment in the afternoon and the challenge will finish with a raft race.

Usual times: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Cost: £25 per person (rate applies to delivery in Gortin only)

X Challenge

Your Team is randomly split in to sub-groups that compete against each other in an adventure style race that will cover a mixture of terrains; therefore involving activities such as running, orienteering, raft building and archery. The sub-groups will face a number of Team Building activities along the way that will challenge them physically, mentally and practically.

Usual times: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Cost: £30 per person (rate applies to delivery in Gortin only)

Challenge Xtreme

Your Team is randomly split in to sub-groups that compete against each other in an adventure style race that will cover a mixture of terrains; therefore involving activities such as running, orienteering, coasteering and abseiling. The sub-groups will face a number of Team Building activities along the way that will challenge them physically, mentally and practically.

Usual times: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Venue: North Coast or the Mournes

Cost: £40 per person

If your Team is ready for a Challenge call us on 0845 521 3145 or email info@theadventureteam.co.uk

“Bring a Da” Coasteering on Father’s Day with the Adventure Team – and any da will do! Your neighbours da, your friends da, some random da you don’t even know – just bring a da!

The da goes free for every child’s place booked and for Father’s Day we have no age limit for children!  You could be 45 and bring your mate (as long as he is a da) and you only have to pay £30 for yourself and “yer da” goes free!!!  Make sense?

NO???  Then give us a call on 08455213145 and we will explain it – just know you and “yer da” are getting a cracker deal!

Oh! Here’s a wee bit about coasteering…

Coasteering is an exhilarating combined rock and water activity that can be delivered to every individual level which makes this activity suitable for those with no fear of heights or water as well as those who may not be quite so confident.

During your Coasteering trip you will learn rock climbing and scrambling techniques as well as how to jump from great heights safely.

Wearing sturdy footwear, wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets, participants travel along a section of coastline; sometimes swimming in the sea, sometimes scrambling on rocks and jumping from rocks into the sea.

Morning and afternoon sessions are available!

Are you up for some Coasteering (with yer da)? Give us a call on 028 8164 8390 or emailinfo@theadventureteam.co.uk