Parents: common questions and answers

First opened in 1935 the Centre has been offering accommodation to walking and outdoor groups for over 70 years.  The current owners/managers, who work on site full time, began offering a full range of outdoor activities shhortly after acquisition in 2000.

Our programmes
Depending upon the requirements of the Group Organisers, it is possible to  offer an evening programme  as well as the day. Evening activities may include competitions, problem solving, group tasks and sometimes, an end of stay  disco.   During the lighter months the large field to the front turns into an area of sporting activity. At night specialist residential staff ensure that they provide a back up to group organisers, teachers and pastoral carers as regards the safety and wellbeing of your children and are on call at all times.

Duration of stay and activity programmes
This depends on the arrangements made by the Group Organisers but they tend to be anything from one to ten days.

Safety
Safety of your child is our prime consideration. Glaramara is registered with the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, as licensed to provide specified activities under the following headings: Rock Climbing, abseiling, gorge scrambling, Tyrolean Gorge Crossing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Hill Walking, Caving, Mine Exploration and Raft Building. details can be confirmed by calling the Licensing Authority. Tel: 029 2075 5715.
Our activity programmes operate to high safety standards with excellent staff/student ratios (no more than 1:10) and a high quality teaching programme. We adhere to and, in many cases exceed the safety standards laid down by the major governing bodies of the appropriate sport. All our other activities are taught by appropriately qualified staff.

Furthermore, we have and regularly review risk assessments at the Centre on fire safety, first aid, kitchen hygiene and security in accordance with Health & Safety Executive requirements. Children will never be off site unsupervised. The buildings are locked at night (but they can easily exit if they had to escape fire). As well as the group leaders and teachers supervising your child, Glaramara staff members are resident on site 24 hours per day.

What about the weather?
Activities are adopted accordingly to cope with weather conditions. Each morning and just before starting any activity an assessment is made about the weather. In these cases great alternatives will be found. Safety is never compromised.

Equipment and Clothing
We provide all the specialist equipment required all of which is modern and maintained to a high level by our professional technical staff. Your child needs to bring personal effects for other parts of the trip – including casual but robust clothes, shoes (outdoor and indoor). All bedding is provided together with room towels.   We suggest that your child may, however, want to bring spare towels.

Staff
Unlike many outdoor activity operators, Glaramara runs for 12 months of the year and the majority of our instructors are permanent and full time. We have an ongoing staff training programme. Details of all relevant instructional qualifications are available on request. All instructors are qualified in the activities they instruct. All have a current first aid qualification. All instructors have current CRB checks.

Are children made to do the activities?
Certainly not. Glaramara is about success and positive outcomes. The programmes are all designed to have a variety of activities so that in a stay of a few days participants will find, hopefully, all activities fun, some easy and some more challenging. No one will be made to do an activity they do not want to but equally we will encourage participants to have a go. Glaramara is a great place for a child to learn more about his or herself and to achieve more than he or she thought they could.

What about transport to activities?
Some of the activities are on site. For those off site , either a local tranport provider is used or, more normally, one of our minibuses. These are vehicles subject to regular rigorous driving and transport assessments and as such are checked very regularly. All drivers have an appropriate license. Of course working seat belts are provided for each seat.

Accommodation
Children are accommodated in a mixture of single twin and bunked rooms. All rooms have washbasins with hot and cold water. Ample toilets and showers are available on each corridor. We try to meet all reasonable requests for friends of the same sex to share rooms.

Food and mealtimes
The Centre has two full time chefs and we have developed a reputation for quality, healthy food and large portions!  We always have vegetarian options and can cater for dietary requirements/dealing with food allergies but you need to ensure that Group Organisers need to let us know in advance.

Will there be other groups at the Centre at the same time?
This may be the case, depending upon the terms agreed by the Group Organisers.  However, any such group will also be from a school.  We are always very careful with our client mix and there are two completely separate accommodation units that are individually secure.

Making contact with your child
There is no mobile telephone coverage currently in large parts of the Borrowdale valley.   Therefore, contact can be made, where necessary, through the Glaramara Centre itself by email and telephone.   There is, however, a payphone at the Centre for use by guests. We are hoping to set up a controlled internet facility for guests shortly.

Parents
We are very aware that when your child is away from home you need to have total confidence in the providers ability to assist the Group Organisers and Teachers to care for and look after your child. We are pleased to answer any questions which you may have and which the Group Organisers and Teachers have been unable to answer and discuss any issues with which you are concerned or arrange a visit, prior to booking.

Shop
Part of the attraction of the Glaramara Centre is its quiet location.  This means that every day provisions are not immediately to hand.  However, we operate a small shop which sells snacks and refreshments as well as other useful every day items.

Environmental Policy
The Glaramara Centre operates under such a policy and is making stringent efforts to reduce its waste, adopt recycling measures and use more sustainable energy.   We try to make every effort in educating young people (and adults) in its benefits during their stay at Glaramara. http://www.glaramara.co.uk/environmental-news/

Prices
There are no hidden extras in our fees. Prices include a full programme of activities, all specialist equipment and meals/accommodation as agreed with the Group Organisers. However, your child should bring some pocket money to purchase items from our shop, to use the payphones etc…