The Outdoor Partnership will work with clubs, schools, individuals, and specialists to increase opportunities for people in North Wales to achieve their potential through outdoor activities, active participation, volunteering, training, and education.
Ailish Roberts is our North Wales Outdoor Activities Development Officer. She covers Flintshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey.
You can stay up to date with what is happening in North Wales, by following The Outdoor Partnership North Wales social media accounts:
Facebook: Swyddog North Wales
Instagram: The Outdoor Partnership North Wales
Eventbrite: The Outdoor Partnership North Wales Events
Or get in touch with Ailish directly on 07742 875852 or ailish.roberts@outdoorpartnership.co.uk
The Outdoor Partnership has been growing opportunities and participation across North Wales since 2005. Here’s a quick look at what we’ve achieved lately…
Eryri Ni delivers monthly nature‑connection sessions across Eryri, often two or three each month thanks to strong partnership working. Sessions this year have included Welsh storytelling with Leading in Nature, climbing activities during HONGIAN Festival, navigation training for Caru Eryri volunteers, community litter‑picks with Penrhyn House and partners, and wellbeing sessions for Cwmni Bro.
An additional budget this year enabled us to support Wales Nature Week with Natur Eryri. Together with Leading in Nature and Pen y Bryn, we delivered a full week of nature‑based activities across Eryri, helping more people connect with the landscape and each other.
Rooted in research on Welsh language and learner engagement, Eryri Ni helps people build a deeper relationship with place—its history, ecology and cultural significance. By encouraging care for the natural environment, the project highlights the reciprocal bond between people and landscape: when we look after Eryri, it supports our wellbeing, offering restoration, healing and a stronger sense of belonging.
Our AMSER programme continues to deliver young carers’ sessions across all six North Wales counties, with additional sessions for young adult carers funded through the Short Breaks programme.
We are proud to work in partnership with local young carers’ organisations, including NEWCIS, Action for Children, and WCD Credu.
Through Moondance funding, we continue to deliver outdoor wellbeing sessions with young people from Barnardo’s, GISDA, and STAND NW (a disability service), and CYFLE Support (mothers accessing support).
Activities include mine exploration, high ropes, climbing, kayaking and gorge walking, and paddleboarding.
The Women’s Adventure Club continues to run one or two sessions each month in partnership with Pen y Bryn. A varied programme of outdoor activities, ranging from mountain walking, wild swimming, paddleboarding, climbing, cave exploration and even a ski trip – providing opportunities for women to build confidence, improve wellbeing, and enjoy adventure together in a safe environment.
Please contact Ailish to be added to the Whatsapp Group!
Following the success of the programme, our partnership with SUPLASS continues with women’s SUP adventure sessions this summer with a further four-week programme, offering supportive outdoor activities designed to improve confidence, wellbeing, and connection. In the Winter we head indoor to Gwella leisure centre pools to keep working on developing our skills and having fun.
Please contact Ailish to be added to the Whatsapp Group!
Each year starting from Eater to Halloween, we run Forest School sessions across Eryri for young children in partnership with Parc Eryri and the National Trust. Sessions give children the opportunity to explore, learn, and play in nature.
Please check the APCE website for more info
The Gwreiddiau Môn project continues to support people experiencing challenges such as homelessness, substance misuse, and transition from the justice system, with separate groups for younger and older participants.
Current activities include regular wellbeing walks, which we hope will contribute towards Lowland Leader training for participants, alongside surfing sessions in Rhosneigr that combine Swim Safe training with opportunities to achieve the Tonnau Award. They have also done indoor and outdoor climbing and achieved their NICAS levels.
Our Adventure Learning Framework – a pilot being rolled out across 7 schools in North Wales. The Outdoor Partnership has worked with Gethin Mon Thomas to develop a strategic guidance framework to roll out as part of the curriculum, encoueaging leanring using the outdoors. We currently have 7 schools including special schools, primary and secondary:
- Ysgol Bethel
- Ysgol Eifion Wyn
- Ysgol Friars
- Ysgol Gogarth
- Ysgol Manod
- Ysgol Hafod Lon
- Ysgol Llanddoged
Trainee Scheme
Our trainee scheme is focused on upskilling local people and supporting them to build careers in the outdoor sector through accredited training and nationally recognised qualifications. The programme primarily focuses on Mountain Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI), a range of water sports qualifications, Mountain Bike Leadership, and Mine Leader training.
The scheme continues to progress well, with monthly Mountain Leader development days taking place throughout the year with Smyrff from Hike and Bike Snowdonia. These provide participants with regular opportunities to build their skills and experience, progressing towards Mountain Leader Training and ultimately Mountain Leader Assessment. The programme offers a clear pathway for trainees to gain the confidence, competence, and qualifications needed to work professionally within the outdoor industry.
Our partnership with Plas y Brenin is also going from strength to strength, with the second round of subsidised training courses currently underway, helping more aspiring leaders gain nationally recognised qualifications.
Visit our Trainee Scheme page to find out more: Trainee Scheme – The Outdoor Partnership
Please fill out this form Trainee Scheme Form and contact Ailish to be added to the WhatsApp Group!
- Dref Werdd – activities focused on community cohesion and creating positive outdoor experiences for young people.
- ADDYSG Gwynedd – Working alongside Addysg Gwynedd to put on sessions that support students who are at risk of NEET to reconnect and reengage through outdoor learning such as forest school sessions.
- HONGIAN Fest – TOP have supported Hongian Fest for the last 2 years and hope to continue to do so by putting on extra activities (climbing, wild swimming, yoga and paddleboarding) for the community.
Club Support
We offer General Affiliation (Free) and Affiliation with Coach Education support (Advanced Membership) which is £150 a year to support clubs to achieve their goals. This can be advice and support for funding applications, training and obtaining volunteering, members, signposting, social media and so on. We also run first Aid courses for club volunteers.
Applications for this year’s club support programme are now open, visit the Club Affiliation page to find out how to apply: Club Affiliation – The Outdoor Partnership
We also have two additional Outdoor Activities Development Officers, funded through the local authorities in Gwynedd and Conwy.
These were the original posts established in 2005 when The Outdoor Partnership first began. The officers work closely with Ailish, our Regional Officer, to help turn our strategic aims and objectives into real, practical impact across North Wales.
Roger Pierce is the Conwy Outdoor Activities Development Officer, based within the Ffit Conwy local authority leisure team, and covers all of Conwy.
If you’d like to know more about what is happening within Conwy, you can contact Roger directly on 07701 004816 or roger.pierce@conwy.gov.uk
Tomos Lloyd is the Gwynedd Outdoor Activities Development Officer based within the Byw’n Iach local authority leisure team, and covers all of Gwynedd.
Explore what’s happening in Gwynedd using the link below.
