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About Longridge About Longridge // Team // Longridge charity // Keep Longridge afloat // Facilities // Longridge Activities About Longridge A premier, year round, water sports and activity centre for young people of all backgrounds and abilities, providing training and leadership for all. Our users include scouts, guides, schools, youth groups, individuals, organisations and corporate clients. Established in 1957, Longridge is a successful charity providing affordable, world-class training opportunities in a wide range of challenging, water and land recreational activities. With a very good safety record, Longridge is recognised amongst activity centers as being a leading training centre for young people and their leaders. We are an approved BCU (British Canoe Union) centre and RYA (Royal Yacht Association) training centre. Each year we run a large number of courses ranging from basic beginner skills right through to advanced coaching and instruction. We are our own operating authority for the Duke of Edinburgh Award and able to provide training opportunities for all levels and sections of the award. Longridge is primarily aimed at young people, however when young people are not using the site, we open it up to families and adult users. The Fire Service and Women’s Olympic Rowing Team both train at the site. In addition we encourage businesses to use the site for team development days. Team Activity Director: Mark Campbell is RYA Senior and Advanced Dinghy Instructor with many years of experience including dinghy, yachts, windsurfers, climbing, RYA Power Boat Instructor and an Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Mark has been a professional Chief Instructor /Sailing Manager for a number of companies for many years. Mark is responsible for leading our seasonal instructor team and the administration of the Centre’s activities. Senior Instructor: Andy Patterson is a RYA Senior Instructor and a Level 3 Kayak Coach, he deputizes for Mark and shares his responsibility for ensuring that everybody that visits her has a magical experience. Community Sports Coach. Simon Thornton is a RYA Senior Instructor and a Level 3 Kayak Coach, he works at Longridge and in the community, particularly with Bucks schools and water sports clubs. Commercial Director: Amanda Foister is responsible for every part of Longridge that is not activities and for making sure you receive impeccable service at every point of contact with Longridge – if you don’t she wants to hear about it and put it right. Commercial Manager: Helen Carvell deputises for Amanda and ensures that our facilities are as beautiful as they can be. Commercial Coordinator: This position is shared between Katrina Desborough in the summer and Phil Rush in the winter. Between them they control our front office, manage bookings, enquiries and help organize all of our events. Phil is also a qualified kayaking instructor and one of our most experienced instructors, therefore in the summer he is instructing. Financial Manager: Jeanne Watkins holds a tight rein on Longridge’s finances. Financial Controller: Margaret Shelley takes responsibility for making sure all of our finances are shipshape and in order – it is she who will be after you if your invoice isn’t paid on time! Catering Coordinator. Mel Barton leads a small team of part-time and volunteer support to create beautiful coffees, snacks and meals from our river-side Café. This team is complemented by highly qualified volunteers who support the operation at all points, from maintenance to catering to instructing and working in the office. Fundraising Longridge Charity Originally established in 1957 by the Scout Association as a campsite, the site was sold to an independent charity in 2005 to build on the scouting ethos and provide an affordable water activity centre for all young people. Longridge is now a very credible facility that gives enormous pleasure to thousands of children, with around 27,000 young people visiting every year, a figure we aim to increase to 40,000 by 2009. Young people from schools & colleges as well as volunteer youth groups visit the site from a variety of backgrounds and from all over the UK. We also work with public funded & charity youth programmes for young people that have a variety of life challenges to overcome. It's not just as visitors and users that young people benefit from Longridge. We encourage 16-20 year olds to participate at every level at the centre, working as seasonal volunteers or as part of our volunteer crews. We also have an active group of young trustees, who inform and assist with the development of our plans for the site. Your investment will help save and protect this very unique and valuable resource. Donors can be anonymous or they can purchase naming rights to certain building's, facilities or activities. Our new facilities will enable us to provide enhanced management training and team-building packages, sponsorship could bring synergy of use from sponsors. Companies that have a Community Social Responsibility program aimed at building the community both locally and across Southern England or assisting youth development programmes can satisfy this need by sponsoring Longridge. Keep Longridge Afloat Call Amanda Foister on 01628 483252 or e-mail amanda@friendsoflongridge.co.uk to discuss how we can support your donation to secure Longridge's future and retain an important facility that provides support and opportunities for a large number of young people. Further information and an on-line donation facility are available at www.friendsoflongridge.co.uk Facilities Longridge is open 350 days a year. You can visit Longridge for half day, full day, evening, weekend or week. Water activities are available from April through to October (depending on water conditions). Disc Golf is available from October to April all other activities are available year round. Camping The most popular way to stay on site is to take advantage of one of our 21 campsites, all of which are on riverside meadows, some sites being adjacent to the river. Camping on our island is particularly exciting, as it is only accessible by boat! Each campsite has a fireplace and wood is usually available on site. Water taps are placed throughout the campsite. Marquee 20 x 40 marquee is available for hire on site. Indoor Accommodation We have indoor bunk house accommodation available all year round in the Wethered Hut. Able to sleep 30, the bunk house is also equipped with its own catering area; alternatively meals can be booked in from our café. Other Accommodation If you are looking for less adventurous accommodation, we have preferential arrangements with a range of local hotels from B&B to 5 star. Catering We have full catering on site in The Ridge Cafe and can provide a range of meals and snacks. If staying on site you are able to pre-book meals, so save doing all your own catering. We also have a number of traditional BBQs which are available to campers and visitors. There are also gas BBQs available for hire. Transport Longridge is easily accessible from both the M4 and M40 motorway and by train from Maidenhead and Marlow. If required we can arrange transport by coach or we have an arrangement with Ultimate Limousine to really transport you in style! Local Amenities Marlow has local supermarkets, larger ones are a short drive away and all deliver on-line orders to the site. There are sports centres in Marlow, High Wycombe, Maidenhead and Slough, all with swimming pools. Other local attractions are cycle tracks, bowling, ice skating and of course Windsor and Legoland are only a short drive or train journey away. We are also perfectly placed for day trips to London and Oxford. Longridge Activities Water Activities Kayaking, Open Canoeing & Rowing Longridge is a renowned paddlesports and rowing centre, with national kayak and rowing teams training from the centre. We have a large range of kayaks and open canoes as well as rowing Gigs and Coypus we can't promise to make everyone that visits a national champion but we will certainly aim to install a lifelong affinity with water sports. Sailing From our dedicated sailing jetty, our fully qualified instructors provide instruction to all ages and abilities. We have a fleet of sailing boats that includes Toppers, Picos and Wayfarers. Bell & Dragon Boats Bell boats are suitable for groups of 10, whilst our dragon boat can accommodate 20 paddlers. We can provide experienced helm and all the instruction necessary. This is a wonderful team building activity and also a great group competitive sport. Raft Building Not sure if the fun is in building the raft or watching as it falls apart! Almost guaranteed to get wet but wonderful satisfaction for teams if their raft makes the journey. Power Boating We have a number of powered boats safety boats obviously but in addition two launches that can provide training or just a civilised river trip to enjoy the plethora of wildlife that lives on and around the river. Weir Trips These exciting trips are either a 75 minute to Marlow Weir paddle through Marlow lock and shoot the weir. Or for those of at least BCU 1 star standard we have a 2.5 hour weir trip to shoot either Hurley or Temple weirs. Land Activities Climbing Our qualified instructors are on-hand to guide climbers up our climbing tower, which has four fascias and will be altered and adapted to suit climbers of most abilities. Orienteering Set up on site so leaders can supervise and help their group round the course. Compasses and question sheets are supplied for up to 6 teams. A large demonstration compass and instructions will help teach the group to set a bearing, measure their pacing and read bearings. Assault Course Set up to challenge youngsters in a safe and fun way. There is no charge and no booking required but young people must be supervised on this activity. Team Challenge Zones Very popular with all age groups, there are three zones, each having activities varying from Ice Breaking exercises to challenging problem solving exercises. Designed to be fun and stimulating they also help to bring out trust, consideration, leadership skills, co-operation and many other life skills. Each exercise has a pre-written brief. Disc Golf available Oct - March An activity that is great fun, accessible to all ages and abilities is our 9 hole disc golf course. The concept is the same as golf except that you play with disks (Frisbees). You tee off and throw your disk around the 9 hole course. Instead of having holes there is a specially designed basket for you to get your disk into. Instead of sand bunkers and venturing into the rough grass, there are trees, bushes, buildings and obstacles to avoid. It is a game of skill and tactics, much the same as golf, whilst trying to keep on par. Field Activities We have equipment for a range of field activities which includes football, rounders, parachute games, giant darts and cork guns. Fishing Fishing with your own equipment is allowed on site at certain times. A Fishing Licence is required for people aged 12 and over. Available from Post Offices or Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk High Ropes Challenge Course Lottery Funding has enabled us to build a High Ropes Challenge Course, with a range of challenges including climbing, abseiling, Jacobs Ladder, Leap of Faith and more. Adventure Playground Lottery funding also provided an adventure playground for under 8s, which is a free activity and available to all site users. Charity Shoppers is a not for profit organisation raising money for charities through online shopping. Please help Longridge by shopping via our site with all your usual stores, such as Tescos, Ebay and WH Smiths. Longridge, Quarry Wood Road, Marlow, Bucks SL7 1RE . Phone Number : 01628 483252 Fax : 01628 483252 Registered Charity No. 1121239 Website by GD30 Creative