Arran Outdoor Education Centre facing closure

Adults often reflect that their adrenalin-packed experiences in the lochs, hills and forests of Arran was one of the highlights of their school years and helped “steer them out of trouble”.

However, this could all be about to end if council plans for a “world-class” facility are realised.

Arran Outdoor Education Centre, which offers residential activity breaks and outdoor learning experiences, has been offered up as a potential cost-saving measure by North Ayrshire Council as the SNP-run local authority battles a £34million budget deficit.

The Ayrshire people perceive it as part of their entitlement

The £4.5million centre opened on the shores of Lamlash Bay 15 years ago and offers activities including sailing, kayaking, climbing and orienteering.

Around 1,200 young people attend every year, mainly primary seven pupils living in the most deprived SIMD 1 and 2 areas of North Ayrshire.

A five-day residential course costs around £200 for pupils from North Ayrshire and £400 for pupils from outwith that area, considerably less than commercial rates, say the centre's supporters.

READ MORE: Plans to build affordable homes on Arran get under way

The council says the facility is running at a £400,000 deficit, however staff, who have taken pay cuts in recent years to ensure its survival, maintain it recovers its costs.

“It’s dreadful,” said Nigel Marshall, former principal of the centre.

“So many people are outraged.

“It’s literally being done on a whim. There are lots of things that don’t make any money and that centre actually recovers costs.

“It’s just that they [the council] don’t have the capabilities of managing it,” he added.

Outdoor education has been available in Arran since the 1930s.

In the mid-Sixties a group of ex-military men teamed up with the council and a school in Ardrossan to buy a ruined croft with the aim of turning it into an outdoor residential centre.

Every school in the region got involved in the project to build Corrie Croft, on the north-east coast of the island.

“I went there as a child myself in the Sixties, “ said Mr Marshall, who later joined as staff in 1978. “It was very basic, children cooked the meals with the staff. When they weren’t maintaining the road they were out on the hills or out on the water.

READ MORE: £100million deal could spark jobs boom on Scotland's island communities

“It was a wonderful experience," he said. "For me, it opened my eyes to the magic of  Arran and the adventure you can have there.

“The Ayrshire people have ownership of that - they perceive it as part of their entitlement that their children will go to Arran and that is regardless of their financial status in life.

“There are many people who could never ever afford to go to an outdoor centre.”

He added: “Parents know when their children go to this that they are safe.”

Corrie Croft was at one point threatened with closure but a campaign was fought and won to retain a service on the island.

“I couldn’t keep up with demand,” said Mr Marshall. “North Ayrshire took over and realised they needed to get a new home for it.”

He claimed the current education leader “does not really get the outdoors” and the centre was being "slowly killed by the death of a thousand cuts”.

Research suggests outdoor learning boosts confidence, social skills, communication, motivation, physical skills, knowledge and understanding.

It has also been found to boost children’s self-esteem, self-confidence, ability to work cooperatively and positive attitude to learning.

A demonstration against the closure of the centre is planned for February 11 in Lamlash, before the council meeting on March 1 when its fate will be decided.

READ MORE: Arran's ferry service is in crisis and islanders are in despair. What's to be done?

The Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) said it was “deeply concerned” about the proposals.

Andrew Binnie, a volunteer with the group, said: “The world-class AOEC and staff really deliver for local children on Arran, across Ayrshire and wider Scotland by getting young people safely out on the water and into our hills and forests, dramatically expanding their horizons. 

“It is hard to overestimate the positive impact this challenging and varied experience has on young people. 

“Adults often reflect that it was one of the highlights of their school years steering them into positive activities and out of trouble.

“Outdoor Centres require funding but they also bring in revenue from non-council funds, a fact that seems lost on the council’s accountants. 

“We are all living in difficult financial times but losing one of Scotland’s foremost outdoor centres, built up through years of local community effort in partnership with North Ayrshire Council would be a real blow, particularly for young people. “

He said the closure of the centre would “call into doubt” the operation of a new explorer boat which is due to be formally launched at the centre this spring and called on the Scottish Government to intervene.

Kenneth Gibson, SNP MSP for Cunninghame North, said: “Difficult choices regarding funding are a constant theme in these challenging times.

"However, my understanding is that the money which the centre brings in accounts for 60% of costs being presented to councillors and yet this income has not been included."

Jean and Ade  Harmer moved to Arran six months ago from the Lake District and say their  11-year-old daughter Lily had a “transformative” experience at the centre.

In a thank-you card for staff at the centre she writes: “Thank you for having me, I have loved every minute of it.

“You have brought me out of my comfort zone which I have never done before.

“You have also inspired me to do more tricky things and not worry. Being there helped me find friends and myself.”

Jim Hughes, a recently retired primary school teacher said he attended the outdoor centre every year from 1996-2022 with pupils from areas of high deprivation.

He said: "The impact on all of these pupils shows in their attitude, self esteem, confidence, resilience, teamwork, ambition, determination, work ethic, achievement, success, mental health, independence and social and emotional behaviour.

"This is not about saving money, this is about children and building their capacity to contribute to the sign that greets you on every main road boundary across NAC-A better life?

"The proposed closure of this resource, which is the envy of every other authority across, not just Scotland, but the whole of the UK-because of its unique location, is completely and utterly short-sighted."

A spokesman for North Ayrshire Council said: "It’s important to stress that no decisions have yet been taken on budget savings for next year.

“We have recently undertaken consultation across North Ayrshire which informed us of our residents’ priorities ahead of the Budget being set.

“However, across Scotland and the United Kingdom, everyone is feeling pressure from the Cost-of-Living Crisis and the Council is not immune from that.

"For the financial year 2023/24, we currently anticipate a funding gap of £10.2million, while our financial outlook also indicates the Council has an anticipated budget gap of £34m over the next three years.

“Rising inflation and energy costs have created additional pressures on our already challenging financial position.

“Unfortunately, that means that a wide range of difficult options are likely to be considered in order for us to deliver a balanced budget."