National Outdoor Adventure week aims to increase participation in challenging outdoor activities and to raise awareness of the benefits of outdoor education.

Youngsters from Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent took part in a wide range of activities including rock climbing, canoeing, gorge-walking and orienteering

Ian Kennett, Monmouthshire County Council’s Head of Outdoor Education Centres, said:

“For most people the activities themselves are testing enough.  For these youngsters they have the added challenge of managing their diabetes at the same time.

“This type of course has been running at the Gwent Outdoor Centres for the last 12 years and we developed it in partnership with staff at the Royal Gwent Hospital to enable young people to become more independent and to understand how to manage their diabetes during physical exercise.”

Craig Armiger, site co-ordinator at the Gilwern Outdoor Education Centre said:

“This time last year was the weekend that Tewkesbury flooded, but this weekend the only flooding was into boots during the gorge scramble! The young people, aged between eight and 12, coped really well with all the challenges they had to face.

“The doctors, nurses and dieticians who organised the experience for the young people seemed to get just as much out of the weekend as the children.  They will go away with an improved relationship with their patients having gone through the same challenges over the weekend.”