The IOL vision is ‘Outdoor learning as a highly valued form of development, education and employment in UK society’.  The desire to help others derive more value from engaging with the many different forms of outdoor learning lies at the heart of my commitment to IOL.  I’m clear we all need to develop our thinking and practices if we are to achieve this.

The Institute’s National Conference  is a key point in the outdoor learning calendar when we have the opportunity to join up our thinking.  It is a time to be challenged by others, to learn from their experience and to encourage practices that have greater impact and are more valuable for those we work with.  I spent some time over the past year considering what we might need to make the 2016 annual Conference sufficiently challenging, learning opportunity filled and encouraging to IOL’s diverse member population.  The result is an event that draws on innovative practice, academic research and lessons from outside the UK.

I had the privilege this week of working with an NCS group for a day at the end of their first week of outdoor adventurous activity.  We were out on the hill and it was particularly wet!  The day was a fantastic reminder of why taking groups of people in the outdoors and facilitating their ownership of a challenging time together is such a worthwhile undertaking.  You've heard it all before so I won't go into that piece about helping groups have their own adventure.....though it is one of the most rewarding things I do.