Bowles: The outdoor charity for young people
Every year thousands of people come to Bowles with their family, school or business to have fun, learn skills and make new friends.
The centre is based at Bowles Rocks near Eridge, one of the few places in the south east people can climb on real rock. In the sixties a group of mountaineering enthusiasts bought the site from a pig farmer and opened the Bowles Mountaineering Gymnasium.
In the years that followed, the centre developed. Ski slopes, a heated pool, ropes courses, dormitories and an archery range have been added and the centre gained charitable status in 1964 as The Bowles Rocks Trust – enabling all young people to enjoy the benefits of adventurous outdoor activities, regardless of disabilities or disadvantage.
Bowles receives no statutory funding. The Bowles Organisation generates funds by running courses for local people and businesses and hands any profits over to the charity.
Thousands of local schoolchildren come to Bowles every year as well. Their courses are run on a not-for-profit basis, making it possible for kids whose parents might not be able to afford a residential course like this to join in too.
Bowles’ courses for children and young people focus on their personal and social development as well as the skills and techniques they learn. This helps them feel more confident and boosts a sense of self-worth, they are also exposed to risk and important decision-making without being in danger.
For people living nearby, Bowles runs activity days during all school holidays. We run skiing and snowboarding courses for beginners throughout the winter as well as private lessons, coaching and practice sessions and a successful Race Club. Hundreds of kids every year also enjoy a birthday experience not to be forgotten.
So next time you are looking to try something new and exciting, or want to get your kids outside and active, book a lesson or course at Bowles and help us to have a positive impact on the lives of other young people in our area.
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