Stories

The air is damp; stalactites obscure your view; far off, there is the sound of an underground waterfall. And this is your task: you must choose a route, give advice and encouragement, and lead a small group through a subterranean maze. It will be hard; you will need both physical and mental strength, but when you have reached your goal, you will have achieved much. You will have gained skill and experience; you will have learnt how to give support, how to use your judgement and how to face challenges positively.....

Whilst working at Woodlands, one of Oxfordshire's out-of-county Outdoor Education Centres, it has been my pleasure to see many young people develop new skills. The learning experience’s backdrop varies: challenges are not only faced underground, but also on the crags and mountains, on the rivers or by the sea. The young people have varied in age, from eight to eighteen; they have come from city and village schools.

Since opening in the mid 1960s, Oxfordshire’s Outdoor Centres have benefited tens of thousands of young people. The excellent quality of the courses they provide is recognized nationally. Students are exposed to learning experiences which are enjoyable and rewarding; they are set appropriate challenges, by teachers and instructors, who are, typically, university graduates, experienced in school environments, with teaching certificates and national governing body qualifications in the relevant sporting disciplines.

Dave Thorne was a teacher at Woodlands Outdoor Education Centre. A loving husband, father of two, friend and well-respected member of staff, he was an inspirational coach and teacher for over 20 years. Young teachers joining the team at the centre always benefited enormously from his advice. He had a great understanding of the local area, was experienced in providing for the needs of Oxfordshire’s young people and was able to suggest venues and to advise about the best ways in which to tackle the needs of individual students. He set an excellent example, facing many personal challenges, including coping with a massive knee operation and 16 months of rehabilitation, returning to work to carry on delivering high quality outdoor education, as well as climbing Mount Kenya with family and friends the following summer.

Dave’s death in January 2007 on the River Lune in the Lake District came as a massive blow; it was felt not only by his family, but also by the community in his home village of Talybont-on-Usk and by his contacts in Oxfordshire. The coroner’s verdict that Dave died because of an accident in the purest sense of the word confirmed what we already knew: Dave would have done everything he could to remain safe. A modest man, Dave achieved so much and at his funeral in the Brecon Beacons, mourners packed the secluded church, many more standing outside to hear the service and pay their respects. Notes of condolence, from former staff members, pupils and local people, all confirming Dave’s important contribution to Outdoor Education, flooded into the Woodlands centre.

The Dave Thorne Bursary is being established as a memorial to Dave’s work. The aim is to build up a fund to assists pupils financially so that they can benefit from an outdoor education course.  Oxfordshire County Council is a strong supporter of the outdoor learning service and has three out of-county centres - Woodlands, Yenworthy and Kilvrough - and two in-county centres - Hill End Environmental Centre and Farmoor Sailing Centre. There has been a general increased interest in healthy living and in personal social education and demand for courses at these centres is high. They operate all year round, with teachers working over weekends to meet these demands. Despite this it is thought that there are a significant number of children and young people in Oxfordshire who are unable to meet the full cost of a visit to a centre. The hope is that the Dave Thorne Bursary will further help these young people, so that they might enjoy the opportunity to experience adventure and fulfil their potential.

Dave Barber runs the London Marathon

Thanks to the help of Lesley Williams of the Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning Trust and Dave’s widow, Sue Thorne, the initial set up phase of the Bursary has been very successful. There have been generous donations from Dave’s family, people from across South Wales and Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire businesses have also been getting involved, working to benefit local young people and children. F1 Williams have given away 2 VIP tickets to a Silverstone track day and Cotswold Outdoor World have also pledged items and  we hope to be able to auction these. The target sum of £10,000 seems to be within reach, and more information can be found on the website (click the link on the top right hand side of this page).

--------UPDATE 6/8/08---------

Dave Barber's aim was to raise £10,000. £17,000 later he celebrates with children at the Hill End centre here in Oxfordshire...

One group of Blind Oxfordshire children who benefit from the resources at the Woodlands Outdoor Centre recorded some of their experiences.

And in a final presentation they showed how much they had enjoyed the experience.