The Outdoor Skills Programme

A weekly outdoor programme where young people build confidence, develop practical skills, and spend meaningful time outdoors.

Sessions combine bushcraft, navigation, and first aid with challenges that encourage problem-solving, teamwork, and independence.

This is a structured programme where participants develop skills progressively over time within a consistent group.

Designed for Flexible Learning

This programme works well for young people who are home educated or have flexibility during the day.

It provides a consistent weekly opportunity to:

• build practical skills

• develop confidence

• spend time outdoors with others

What Happens

Each session follows a consistent structure, combining skill development with practical application.

Sessions are hands-on and varied, allowing participants to build confidence and capability over time.

A typical session may include:

• Learning a core skill (e.g. fire lighting, navigation, first aid)

• Applying it through a challenge or scenario

• Working as part of a team to solve problems

• Time around the fire to reflect and reset

Sessions are progressive, meaning skills are built week by week rather than repeated.

Example Activities Include

Example activities across the programme may include:

• Fire lighting and campfire management

• Shelter building and campcraft

• Navigation and map reading

• Mini Medics (first aid basics)

• Knife and tool use (age appropriate)

• Woodcraft and simple carving projects

• Rope work, knots, and practical rigging

• Natural materials and working with the environment

• Outdoor cooking and preparing simple food on the fire

• Awareness activities and observation skills

• Team challenges and problem-solving tasks

• Movement and games that build coordination and confidence

• Seasonal activities based on the woodland environment

• Understanding risk, safety, and decision-making outdoors

Sessions will vary and adapt to the group, conditions, and season, ensuring a wide range of experiences across the programme.

Groups

Participants are placed into age-appropriate groups:

• Adventurers (8–12)

• Pathfinders (12–16)

This allows sessions to be tailored to experience, confidence, and level of independence.