Blencathra Centre

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM THE BLENCATHRA CENTRE

We wish residents and visitors to Threlkeld a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the staff at the Blencathra Centre.

Tim Foster, Head of Centre (79601)

Tunsbergdalsbreen Project: Norway 2011

This is our 3^rd year of an exciting climate change project involving staff from the centre working with the Brathay Exploration Group, Newcastle University and the Norweigan Glacier Museum on the Jostedalsbreen ice cap in Norway. 

Centre Open Day

Thank you to those of you who attended the Open Day.   The weather was wet, the numbers were low but fun was had for those who were there!

Gold Awards

Over the last two months we have been accumulating gold awards:

The Blencathra Centre is hosting an open day on Sunday 11^th September from 1-4pm.

Everyone is welcome to come and try out some of our onsite activities including our new low ropes course, geocaching trail and bushcraft activities. 

SPECIAL OFFER ON SUMMER ART COURSES FOR BENEATH BLENCATHRA READERS

(Non-residential, includes all food and transport)

Blencathra on You Tube

As part of the Field Studies Council’s on going marketing efforts a film crew visited the Centre earlier in the year to film the experience of an A-level Geography group from Wolverhampton, their work is now available on www.youtube.com/user/FieldStudiesCouncil.

The Blencathra Centre hosted the Geographical Association Worldwise Challenge from the 13^th-15^th May 2011.

The skies during the weekend of 13^th-15^th May were predominantly grey, but this didn't stop 12 teams of three students from thoroughly enjoying the 2011 Worldwise Challenge competition, held at the FSC Blencathra Centre.

As you are aware most of our outdoor educational work is with schools – much of it GCSE and Advanced level geography.  April is usually dominated by University groups – in the last month this has included Leeds, Nottingham, Reading, Southampton, Sheffield and Durham Universities.

FSC Fold Out Charts

Did you know our Publications Unit this year have sold 144,153 publications to a worldwide audience and has also started iApps with nearly 6000 downloaded in 26 countries?  You might have seen our Butterflies fold-out chart that was featured in the Sunday Telegraph with an offer of a free copy to readers.

The Field Centre in the Olympic Park
As the Commonwealth Games finished last month you might be interested to hear that the Field Studies Council are currently working on the Olympic site in London. We currently run the ‘Viewtube’ which is a first floor classroom that has a panoramic view overlooking the Olympic and Paralympic Park and provides the backdrop for our dynamic range of teaching programmes for primary and secondary schools led by London Wildlife Trust and Field Studies Council.