Stars celebrate the opening of children’s flagship activity centre Condover Hall

May 17, 2011 - PRLog -- A joyful riot of interesting activities and themed rooms were unveiled on Friday 13th May at Condover Hall, the Grade I listed 4-storey Elizabethan sandstone building in Shropshire which dates from 1586.  Over the past few months the elegant Condover Hall has been given a multi-million pound refurbishment by new owners JCA.  Beginning a new chapter in this impressive hall’s history, JCA opened the doors to schools, locals and celebrities at a star studded event where the halls were once again filled with the voices of happy children.

The revamp has transformed the site to provide up to 500 school children each week a unique country manor meets activity centre. A purpose built high ropes course and a climbing tower offers hands on experience outdoors, whilst inside the hall new and exciting themed rooms include the ‘Laser Room’, ‘the Caving Room’, ‘the Wizard Room’ and ‘Dance Studios’.  The bedrooms offer children a comfortable night sleep and meal times are a casual affair with locally sourced produce served in the vibrant new refectory. A flamboyantly themed tuck shop and the opportunity to explore this state-of- the- art residential and activity centre is a must for all primary school children.

The guest list included ambassador and Olympian sports personality Dame Kelly Holmes, adventurer and TV presenter Ben Fogle, ‘jungle’ star and political figure Lembit Öpik, the world’s tallest town crier, Shropshire’s Martin Wood, local schools and teachers as well as sounds from local band Dr Jazz.

Going head to head, adventurer and TV presenter Ben Fogle received a round of applause from onlookers when he beat ‘jungle’ star and political figure Lembit Öpik in a race up the outdoor climbing tower. Unperturbed, Lembit Öpik took a step back in time to medieval days where local primary school children lined up to throw sponges at him whilst he was placed in stocks in front of the hall.

Having been selected as winners of JCA’s Junior Directors and Reporters competition, 6 primary school pupils interviewed celebrities, had medals and prizes presented to them by Ben Fogle and Dame Kelly Holmes, and produced a celebrity podcast to be hosted on JCA’s website. Over the next year they will work alongside the JCA board of directors to develop plans to transform a hidden floor in the main house for phase two of the hall’s development.

Janie Burt, Managing Director, JCA, commented yesterday: “What a day to remember! Our Condover Hall launch was enjoyed by children and big children alike. Our intent has always been to give this historical site a meaningful purpose, to give children the opportunity to learn and have fun so that they leave with great memories and the confidence to continue trying new things in the future! All the usual hallmarks of JCA are included: high safety standards, quality courses, Adventuremark qualified staff, so it was great to see so many young happy smiling faces after the last few months of hard work”.
Dame Kelly Holmes, added: “Venues like Condover Hall are perfect for inspiring young people to try new sports and work together and compete as a team. Physical activity is so important to children’s education and in an age where education is increasingly focused on targets and academic achievement, we mustn’t lose sight of the vital benefits school trips can give young people, such as self-confidence and hands-on experience”.

Schools including Lymm High School in Cheshire, Paget High School in Staffordshire, and Shelly First School in Huddersfield, were also treated to a guided tour of the main hall and grounds where they caught a glimpse of the abseiling, archery, climbing, fencing facilities, swimming pool, dance studio and caving room.

JCA will offer courses at Condover Hall which focus on enjoyable outdoor learning for primary school children in year 4 (eight years old) and above covering many areas in the National Curriculum. The new Government supports that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom and have some hands on experiences. The new centre will offer a multitude of activities including climbing, abseiling, football, swimming, archery and fencing as well as some to name a few.

The centre will appeal to primary school groups within a 100 mile reach of Condover Hall. This will include the cities and towns of Liverpool, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry and Worcester.

Prices for a residential stay start from £39 per student per night, plus VAT. For further details call: 02392 222850 or visit www.jca-adventure.co.uk; or www.condoverhall.com

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Established in 1994, JCA is a leading schools and groups organiser with 13 UK centres located in impressive rural or coastal locations. JCA courses contribute to many areas of the National Curriculum especially Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education.