Mitcheldean Wilderness Centre will hold an open day on Saturday, September 19th, from 11am until 3pm, to celebrate the Centre’s grand re-opening, which has taken about a year in the making. The open day will take the form of a family fun day with a barbecue.

The Centre is situated at the top of Plump Hill in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire. It was run by Gloucestershire County Council for many years, until it was closed in 2011, as part of a £45 million package of budget cuts by the local authority.

It was purchased by the current owners, Daniel and Sophie Sturdy, last September, and has since undergone major refurbishment. The Centre is now looking forward to sharing it with the community once again. 

Since the sale the building has undergone a transformation; the walls have been painted, there is new flooring, new furniture, and some all round TLC has been applied.

Volunteers have, in exchange for bed and board, been gardening the grounds, and renovating the main building. The wardens, who live on site, have been organising the re-opening. They are related to the owners; they moved from Cambridge to take on the responsibility.

On site, the centre aims to provide a range of activities for those aged three years old and upwards. There will be bush craft, climbing, field archery, camping, tunnelling, night walks, foraging and outdoor cookery. There is also a replica of a Saxon house, which can be used to aid history lessons.

Off site activities are also offered for older customers, such as canoeing and rock climbing.

The Wilderness Centre is expected to mostly be used as an educational centre for school children, on day trips and residential stays to learn about the environment, nature and the woods.

However, community groups will also be catered for, and a wide range of packages will be available for potential users.

To find out more, go along to the open day, and have a look around, or visit the Facebook page:www.facebook.com/wildernesscentre