Accessibility at Ferny Crofts
At Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to challenge themselves and undertake adventurous outdoor activities.
We are constantly making changes to try and improve the accessibility across our site and activities. Although we have not yet managed to achieve this, it is something that we are focused on and aim to keep improving.
We have put together this page for groups who are looking to make a booking at Ferny Crofts, to try and provide as much information as possible, regarding the accessibility across the site, including the limitations that we face.
If you believe that you shall need additional support during your stay with us, it is important that you let us know prior to booking. Please email us via fernycrofts@fernycrofts.org.uk in advance, so we can make any available adjustments to accommodate you and your group. This may include additional equipment or different levels of supervision.
Staff Training
We aim to provide our onsite staff with additional training that enhances their knowledge about how they may be able to adapt the ways in which they communicate and interact with a participant who has additional needs, be it mental or physical.
Our permanent activities team have all attended a Neurodiversity Course which has provided them with further understanding of neurodiversity and how it can impact individuals. This helps our team make reasonable adjustments that enhance inclusivity and communication with individuals on sessions and around site.
Our permanent onsite team have all attended a Mental Health First Aid Course, which has provided them with further knowledge and developed their skills, to be able to spot the signs of a young person who may be experiencing poor mental health.
A selection of our permanent instructor staff are trained on using our specialist climbing/hoist equipment on several of our off ground activities such as Zip Wire, Crate Stack and Climbing. This enables participants, who may be unable to access these activities via the standard procedures, to experience some of our exciting onsite activities.
We have formed great partnerships with several of our local SEN Schools, who visit us on a regular basis throughout the year. our instructors are able to provide a variety of sessions, to suit their specific requirements and objectives that they have in place for their young people. Many of these sessions are run for 2-6 pupils at a time which means they are able to experience a more relaxed session and take their time completing an activity. This often results in an increase within their confidence, as they are able to achieve things that they may never have before.
Campsite and Tented Village
Campsite
Access to Campsite - We are very fortunate to be located within the New Forest National Park. However, this does come with its limitations in terms of accessibility. From the main road, we are located at the end of a long gravel driveway which can be extremely bumpy and uneven for vehicles and people coming into site. Our entire site is made up of uneven ground ranging from our field and woodland sites, to our gravel pathways which lead to the majority of our activities.
Tented Village
Access to Tented Village - Located within one of our woodland campsites. The ground is very uneven and can become very sodden when we have experienced a fair amount of rainfall.
Each of the bell tents has a small wooden decked porchway which is raised from the ground. The majority of the site is surrounded by fence and it is a short walk to the main amenities block.
Facilities and Buildings
The Mountbatten Lodge
Access to Building - The building is located next to the carpark, so is accessible by vehicle. There are two entranceways into the building. One single doorway on the carpark side, measures 74cm The second is a double doorway which measures 147cm and leads out onto a patio area which can be accessed via the carpark. Both doorways have small lips at the bottom of the door frame. A sloped pathway leads onto the campsite.
Amenities - There is one wet room which includes a shower, toilet and lowered sink with handrails. However, you would not currently get a wheelchair in this space. Work is in the planning to make this fully accessible.
Bedrooms - The majority of bedrooms consist of bunkbeds. Two of the bedrooms contain single beds with one being more spacious than the other, making it more suitable for wheelchair users.
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The Croft Centre
Access to Building - The building is located next to reception and vehicles can pull up outside the building to unload. The main entranceway is located at the end of a short concrete path that is a little uneven. This is a double doorway which measures 167cm. There is a concrete ramp leading to an emergency exit at the side of the building, as well as an emergency exit between the Croft Centre and Sky High Conservatory which has a sloped path leading out to a gravel pathway. All of the external doors have lips at the base of the frames.
Amenities - There is one accessible wet room which includes a shower, toilet and lowered sink with handrails.
Bedrooms - All the bedrooms consist of bunkbeds. Three of the larger rooms have a good amount of floor space between the beds.
Sky High Conservatory
Access to Building - If this space is hired separately from the Croft Centre, there are two double doors leading into the building. Both have concrete steps measuring 15cm high, and then another step measuring 15cm high.
If you hire the Conservatory alongside the Croft Centre, you can access this space through double doors leading from the Croft Centre main hall.
Amenities - If this space is hired separately, there are no toilet facilities within the building. The toilets would you would have access to would be within the main amenities block.
The Inca Suite
Access to Building - This building is located next to reception and vehicles can pull up outside the building to unload. The doorway is raised from the ground by 12cm and measures 77cm wide. Within the building there is a step up into the lounge area from the kitchen which measures 19cm. This accommodation can not be accessed by wheelchairs
Amenities - There is one large wet room which includes a shower, toilet and standard sink.
Bedrooms - There is a 2 bed room which consists of two single beds. These are quite high and measure 70cm from the floor to top of mattress. The 4 bed room consists of two bunk beds.
Amenities Block
Access to building - This building is located in the centre of the site and is surrounded by a mixture of grassed field, concrete pathway and gravel trackway which can be uneven in areas. The doorways to both the male and female sections have a small step into them measuring 4cm high. The flooring inside these areas is level. We have three individual toilets on the side of the building. These have a step up into them, measuring 16cm high.
Amenities - There is one accessible wet room which consists of a shower, with surrounding handrails, shower curtain and a fold down seat, a toilet, a lowered sink and hand dryer. There is also a baby changing table which will support 30kg weight
Activites
All our activities have varying degrees of physical and mental challenges to them. All our instructors hold first aid qualifications but are not always qualified to assess the capacity of participants who may require additional support in order to partake in the activities. It remains the responsibility of your group leaders to undertake an assessment of the risks involved prior to and during participation.
If you think that either yourself or someone within your group will need additional support during activities with us, it is important that you inform us prior to making a booking. This will ensure that we can make any relevant/possible adjustments for you and your group which will result in a more enjoyable experience overall. This may include additional equipment or different levels of supervision during a session.
Safety Briefings
At the start of all our instructed sessions our instructors will provide a briefing on how to undertake that specific activity safely. All participants will be required to listen to this briefing and will be asked that they understand the consequences of not following the strict safety rules prior the session starting. Instructors will be present throughout the duration of the session and participants will have to follow their instructions. If our instructors feel that anyone is not following the safety instructions, or putting either their own or others safety at risk, they will stop the session. If participants continue to exhibit these behaviours the session will end.
Sensory
This includes visual and hearing impairment. We do not currently have any visual aids for our pre-activity safety briefs or within the activities themselves. You may like to bring your own translators/signers or hearing companions; we do not have translators. Depending on the severity of a participants visual impairment, we may require additional instructors to support the session, in order to keep you and your group safe. The level of support will be assessed on a case by case basis, once our team have all the relevant information.
Physical Disability
Accessibility is limited due to our location within the heart of the New Forest National Park. The majority of our activities are located at the end of uneven gravel pathways, within the woods. Many of our activities are surrounded by stones which means standard wheelchair accessibility can be extremely limited. If you are able to travel across uneven land, than you shall be able to visit the majority of our site. Accessibility can be altered depending on weather, as parts of our site can become very muddy. Depending upon the level of mobility, some individuals may require additional help to get across our site.
As a site we do not have a wide range of specialist equipment available to use on our activities, so we are limited on how much we can adapt our activities. However, our team will work closely with you, ahead of your arrival, to discuss ways in which we can adapt our sessions.
Neurodiversity, behavioural and learning needs
Some groups may require additional support from our instructor team in order to keep everyone on session safe. If an individual is unable to remain attentive during activity safety briefings, they may be unable to partake in the activity. Additionally, if an individual constantly disrupts a session with their behaviour and the instructors feel that it could be risking the safety of either the individual themselves or others on session with them, they will stop the activity.
Climbing, Abseiling & Zip Wire
We have two Climbing Towers on site, both of which are located at the end of gravel pathways which can be quite uneven. These can also become slightly muddy in areas, after heavy rainfall. The towers themselves are directly surrounded by stones which a standard wheelchair will be unable to move across. However, the distance from the activity area entrance and each tower is very short, so with additional help wheelchairs can access the area. Both areas have some benched seating.
High and low Ropes
Our High Rope and Low Rope areas are located at the end of gravel pathways within a wooded area, so all terrain leading up to the activities is quite uneven.
The activities are surrounded by stones which a standard wheelchair will be unable to move across. An all terrain off road wheelchair will be able to move across this area.
Low Ropes would not be suitable for anyone who is unable to support their own weight.
Both areas have limited benched seating.
Target Sports
Rifle Shooting - Access to this is at the end of a gravel pathway. This area can become muddy after heavy rainfall. The building is raised from the ground. There is currently a curved concrete pathway leading up to the door which has a raised step on the doorframe. The door measures.... Wheelchair users can gain access to the building but will need additional help, as wheelchairs shall need to be tipped back to lift the front wheels over the entranceway.
Archery - Both our ranges are located at the end of a gravel pathway and a small section of woodland terrain. Main access to our second range is made via our High Rope area. Alterative access (to avoid stoned area) can be arranged if required.
Crossbows - Main access to our range is made via our High Rope area. Alterative access (to avoid stoned area) can be arranged if required.
Tomahawk Throwing - Our range is located at the edge of our woodland, which is located beside our grassed camping field which can be slippery after heavy rainfall and usage.
Water Sports
Both Raft Building and Paddle Games take place on our onsite pond. This is located within our woodland area, via a gravel pathway or across woodland terrain. This location can become quite muddy and slippery after heavy rainfall, so additional support may be required to safely access the area.
To access to water, we have a sloped bank where groups will take their completed Rafts and Kayaks to. To exit the water participants can either leave via the sloped bank, via fixed steps or on the bank.
On Ground Activities
Backwoods Cooking, Shelter Building, Team Building and Tunnelling - all activities are located within our woodland areas on site, either via gravel pathway or across our main field. Therefore, the terrain can be uneven underfoot and get slippery in areas after heavy rainfall.
There is only one bench at Tunnelling but no permanent seating available at any of the other three activities.
Self-Led Activities
We have a variety of self-led activities on site. As with all our instructed activities these are located in areas that can only be reached via gravel pathways and uneven terrain.
These activities are led by your own adult leaders, so none of our instructors shall be present during these sessions. Therefore, it is each groups responsibility to carry out their own Risk Assessments for these activities. Our own Risk Assessments can be used as a guideline to complete these and can be found HERE.
If you have any questions about any specific needs you or your group's participants may have, please contact us via fernycrofts@fernycrofts.org.uk or call us on 023 8084 5092.