AOEC Supporters

Arran Youth Foundations

Every other council in Scotland would bite your hand off for a centre of AOEC's quality. Where other centres across Scotland are old wooden or tin huts, we have a centre that is the envy of many; huge, well-resourced, modern, clean, beautiful. As for the location - the stuff of postcards.
Over many years, Arran Youth Foundations has enjoyed a fantastic partnership with the wonderful staff at AOEC. We have taken kids to them for sessions and for residentials; they have come to us to provide superb opportunities at our youth centre.
Through all of it, young people have had the opportunity to have fun, learn, experience new opportunities, know more about themselves, develop a love of the outdoors, hone skills they never knew they had. They have made friends, strengthened relationships with their youth workers, enjoyed a break away from their normal lives.
Our visits to the centre have helped foster a love of outdoor education activities in kids who have gone on to work in this sector, so great was their feeling of inspiration. Others have simply had fun; and told us in evaluations that they were some of the best days they've ever had.
We could fill a book with highlights of our time at the centre. We have listed just some of our favourites below.
* On a visit to use the excellent climbing wall, all of the kids were taking turns of scaling the wall, except one girl. She was sat at the side and was clearly too scared. Her youth workers tried to encourage her to try it, as did her friends and the centre's staff. She was adamant she didn't want to do it and wasn't going to do it. Eventually, watching her friends have success and fun, she warmed to the idea of trying it. She got harnessed up, put a helmet on, and gave it a shot. By the time she was at the top, she was grinning from ear to ear, screaming with excitement, clearly so proud of herself for managing it. You could practically feel the new-found confidence radiating off her. It was a privilege to witness.
* We used it as the venue for our first ever annual mental health and wellbeing retreat in 2021. As Covid restrictions still applied, we were able to use the venue during the day, but couldn't have meals provided or accommodation, as the cooking and cleaning staff were seconded. We camped in tents across at the jetty. What an experience that turned out to be - it happened to be 3 of the hottest days of the year. The sunshine made the scenery around us even more spectacular than normal. During the day and at night we could see and hear so much wildlife - birds, bees, cats, swans, seals, bats, etc. We woke up in the mornings to outdoor yoga, enjoyed night-time campfires on the beach looking at the stars, and the kids would spend their days in the centre learning from the various workshops we had arranged. It was a magical 3 days.
* We hosted a three day drugs and alcohol education retreat at the centre in 2023. With educator George Charlton, we ran workshops teaching the kids how to stay safe, about the effects and dangers of different drugs, and how to save their friend's life in an emergency situation. To help the kids relax and have fun, the centre staff took us out for activities including gorge-walking; the kids had an amazing time swimming and splashing through the River Sannox.
* We arranged for the instructors to bring the climbing wall down to the youth centre for our weekly P7 Club. One young person who has autism and can be shy got so much from the experience. She is normally not sporty at all. She had never tried climbing before - it was clear very soon that she was absolutely loving it. The wall was there for 3 hours and kids came and went for shots - she stayed climbing over and over and over again for most of the session! She is so keen for more climbing opportunities; she has tried something new and discovered a real love for it, thanks to AOEC.
We could go on and on. Over the last 15 years of working together, the centre and its brilliant staff have provided AYF and our young people with so many life-changing moments. Please, the local community of Arran are begging NAC; do not close the centre. What will be lost will be far more damaging than any money saved in the short-term. Take the centre off the list of possible closures and cuts. Protect it. Make a long-term plan to safeguard its future. Invest in our kids. Do not take this away from them - please.

The Arran Pioneer Project CIC

The Arran Pioneer Project has worked closely with the Arran Outdoor Education Centre since 2022 to establish a community garden and "food forest" in the field adjacent to the centre. Together, we've engaged visiting student groups in hands-on regeneration activities, from planting fruit trees to bramble clearing and bracken bashing. The site provides invaluable opportunities for young people along with all members of the community to learn about biodiversity, sustainable food systems, and environmental stewardship.
This garden exemplifies the vital role the Centre plays in environmental education. Our long-term vision is to develop it into a demonstration site where students can experience permaculture principles and agroforestry in action. The Centre's potential closure would be a significant loss for environmental education in Scotland. We strongly support keeping this important facility open for future generations.

Arran Eco Savvy

We are very aware of the fantastic experience and education that the Outdoor Centre gives to the young people of Ayrshire and Arran and outdoor education educates young people about nature, biodiversity and the environment. The Arran Outdoor Education Centre also supports many jobs that, importantly and unlike so many jobs on Arran, are not reliant on tourism. The Centre is embedded within the community through the relationships it has with community organisations such as ours and its continued running is crucial to the ongoing operation of many community and environmental projects.

Specifically, the education centre supports Eco Savvy with our Zero Waste Cafe initiative. The Zero Waste Cafe is part of the North Ayrshire Fairer Food network and acts as the island’s ‘larder’ offering in 6 regular and 4 other ad hoc locations around the island. We currently support 175-250 island residents per month with the project.

North Ayrshire Council put in a purpose-built storage unit within the grounds of the Outdoor Centre and provided an industrial freezer for us to use. They also give us access to their commercial kitchen to prepare soup and meals for the cafe and other community initiatives which we support. We are very grateful for this support and the help from all the team at the Outdoor Centre that we have received.

We are extremely concerned about the possibility of the Outdoor Centre closing. Not only would it be a great loss to the young people of Ayrshire and Arran who benefit from a stay there, it would also put the service that we and other community organisations provide to the Arran community in jeopardy.

Scottish Advisory Panel for Outdoor Education (SAPOE)

SAPOE recognises that inclusive residential and adventure experiences are an essential part of progressive outdoor learning – we firmly believe that everyone should have the chance to experience more challenging adventures in Scotland’s incredible wild places.
We believe young people must be immersed in these places as part of a progressive outdoor learning pathway. Only through sensitive, structured experiences can our young people truly appreciate and understand the value of Scotland’s natural assets and build associated learning, interests and passions to last a lifetime.
This requires Scotland to develop and maintain a network of high-quality, accessible residential outdoor centres which facilitate learning through their connections to the classroom and ability to deliver safe, quality adventurous experiences in Scotland’s wild places.
Arran OEC is very much part of this invaluable network and SAPOE endorses the contribution it makes to young people from Ayrshire and beyond through its programmes and adventurous experiences. We support a long term approach to securing the centre facilities and the benefits of maintaining an experienced workforce and establishing positive ongoing relationships with visiting staff, schools and groups. The wider benefit of this is affordable, quality outdoor adventurous experiences for Ayrshire's young people

Community of Arran Seabed Trust

The Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) has a close and long-standing relationship with Arran Outdoor Education Centre (AOEC) that predates the current centre, going back to the start of residential outdoor education opportunities for mainland schools on Arran. Indeed, it was these early instructors who were key to introducing SCUBA diving on Arran, teaching and inspiring our co-founders who ultimately went on to become recognised trailblazers in community action and marine protection. The breadth and reach of residential education on Arran has no bounds when it comes to educating and influencing future generations.

The current working relationship between AOEC and COAST provides the Centre with an active partnership with a local marine conservation charity, offering the opportunity for students to explore Scotland’s vibrant marine life whilst directly contributing to real-world conservation education and efforts. This is a unique partnership that aims to inspire North Ayrshire’s school children towards a better future.

COAST is heavily reliant on this partnership with Arran Outdoor Education Centre due to the limited marine infrastructure on the Isle of Arran. The facilities provided by AOEC to COAST through North Ayrshire Council’s partnership support of our Research Vessel, RV COAST Explorer, are vital to our ongoing and future operations. Without these, we could not operate the way we do, resulting in significant implications on marine research in Arran’s seas.

Arran Gardens

An island gardening business now in its 11th year of trading. Prior to setting up the business our history with the NTS allowed us to witness the stream of children helping with the rangers, learning about orienteering, and riding through the grounds - including our child! Being a gardening-based business we recognise how important it is to connect with the outdoors from a young age. An opportunity fabulously boosted with the Pioneer Project collaboration putting the Centre in a prime position to develop the interest for future horticulturalists.

Arran Gardens and Totty Tubs

An island gardening business now in its 11th year of trading. Prior to setting up the business our history with the NTS allowed us to witness the stream of children helping with the rangers, learning about orienteering, and riding through the grounds - including our child! Being a gardening-based business we recognise how important it is to connect with the outdoors from a young age. An opportunity fabulously boosted with the Pioneer Project collaboration putting the Centre in a prime position to develop the interest for future horticulturalists.

Healthy Outdoors Team

Although the Healthy Outdoors Team (HOT) hasn't worked directly with or at the Centre, we see the benefits of their work on a weekly basis. Part of the HOT remit is to clear invasive species in the Country Park at Brodick Castle. Year after year HOT have seen the children clearing vast areas or Rhodendron ponticum and conifers, helping both the ranger team at Brodick Castle meet their targets and the youngsters gain their John Muir awards. HOT are also responsible for the tree nursery at the ranger centre, growing trees from seed, which the children from the Centre have since been planting into Glen Rosa as part of the ranger team's rewilding project.

Arran Kayak Club

The Club has a long association with the Centre as a venue for First Aid courses and in-house training for VHF radio courses. Evening events are held at the Centre, and the Club use the slip for evening sessions and day trips. Staff from the Centre are key members of the Club.

Dive Arran Ltd

Dive Arran has for some time had significant ties to AOEC both providing services to the centre and using its facilities to enable students to learn safely in coastal waters. Our team are wholly opposed to any plans to close the centre and its facilities. AOEC has provided circular economy income to our operation by means of our provision of First Aid training to their instructors; something which is essential for a small island based start-up like ours. We also use their slipway outside of their educational usage for safe diving within the NTZ for both instructional and scientific based work. The loss of which would have a significant impact on our ability to operate when conditions are challenging especially in none favourable weather periods.

As the only island based PADI Dive Resort offering the opportunity for locals and visitors to discover the protected underwater habitat around the Isle of Arran we rely heavily on community focused support from organisations such as AOEC to make our local operation viable. The removal of this facility and it’s services would negatively impact on the education of future divers who can play a positive impact on our marine conservation efforts.

Arran Active Ltd

At Arran Active, we are extremely disappointed that North Ayrshire Council is again looking into closing the Arran Outdoor Education Centre. For almost 20 years, we have been supplying the centre with significant amounts of their equipment and clothing, keeping money on the island and allowing us to increase our staffing, develop our knowledge and actually to expand into new areas: for example, without the impetus of orders from the centre for paddleboards, etc. from the outdoor centre, we would not have been able to create a watersports department, which, during the summer season, employs at least one full-time person. Losing the income from the outdoor centre would certainly make us reconsider our stock offering and staffing levels.