South Scotland MSP Craig Hoy recently visited Broomlee Outdoor Education Centre to show his support for colleague Liz Smith’s bill to provide access to outdoor residential education for all Scottish secondary school pupils.
Mr Hoy toured the Broomlee centre near West Linton in support of the proposed legislation, which would entitle every pupil in Scotland to five days of residential outdoor education once during their school career.
Broomlee, operated by Scottish Outdoor Education Centres, has delivered outdoor learning experiences to young people for many years. During the visit, Mr Hoy met with centre manager Richard Gerrish and Jamie Miller, CEO of SOEC, to discuss the vital role outdoor education plays in building resilience, confidence and wellbeing among young people.
Speaking after the visit, Craig said: “It was great to meet with Richard, Jamie and the pupils of Armadale Primary School at Broomlee to learn more about the centre and to see first-hand how outdoor education benefits pupils in so many ways.
“The 30-acre site provides a huge space for young people to explore and learn in a challenging and inspiring environment. While visiting, we saw the nightline and the low ropes course, and we were shown the crate stack, which looked especially tough, but will no doubt be rewarding to young people.”
Tutors at the centre report seeing noticeable developments in young people’s behaviour, confidence, and even eating habits after completing a residential course - thanks to trying new activities, meeting new people, and stepping out of their comfort zones.
He added: “I’m proud to support Liz Smith’s bill because it has the potential to change lives - particularly for pupils across the South Scotland region. The return on investment in residential education is significant. It’s now up to MSPs across the chamber, and of course the Scottish Government, to get behind this groundbreaking legislation and get it over the line so every young person in Scotland has this opportunity.”
