Tickets are still available, and can be purchased from the following outlets;

Calvert Trust Exmoor: exmoor@calvert-trust.org.uk 01598 763221

Soundpad, Barnstaple

Solo Music, Barnstaple

Sonic Sound, Ilfracombe

Printworkx, South Molton

Bratton Fleming Stores, Bratton Fleming

This is the full line up of bands;

Despite Water (photo: Danny Higgins Photography)

The Average Blues Band (photo: Rob Lott)

Chris Millington (photo: Rob Lott)

Sound Foundation

This Devastated Fan (Photo: Sue Shapland)

Stop Stop (Photo: Sue Shapland)

Blue Traffic (Photo: Blue Traffic)

Since the 1st of February Michael has been on a sponsored slim, with people sponsoring him for every pound he loses, and all of the money going towards Calvert Trust Exmoor bursary funds, which are used to help people who need financial assistance to have a break at Calvert Trust Exmoor.

Before (1st February 2012):

After:

At today's final weigh in Michael had lost 26 pounds, and joked that it might have been 2 stone if he hadn't been to a friend's birthday dinner over the weekend!

Sponsorship is still coming in so we don't yet know exactly how much has been raised, but it is already over £1,000, and Michael is hoping to hit the £1,400 mark.

Tim Harris, CEO of Calvert Trust Exmoor (pictured with Michael in the 'before' photo) said "we are absolutely delighted that Michael has been so successful with this sponsored slim, and we look forward to welcoming more disabled visitors to the centre as a result of his efforts."

If you would like to sponsor Michael it's not too late, please contact Calvert Trust Exmoor on 01598 763221 for more details.

Calvert Trust Kielder are hosted a fun packed MS Adventure weekend 27 - 30 April 2012. 

Guests expressed how wonderful it was to get out on to Kielder Water in the canoes but also that it was lovely to have the freedom to use the hydrotherapy pool or to chill out with an aromatherapy massage.

In the evening guests enjoyed teaming up during a quiz and were thrilled to handle some of the beautiful birds of prey from Kielder Birds of Prey Centre.

Thank you to all our guests who made the MS Adventure Weekend a fantastic experience. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

The Equipment fund is used to purchase specialist equipment to allow our disabled guests to take part in all the fantastic activities we offer, everything from helmets, harnesses and ropes to adaptive bikes and sailing boats. All of our activity equipment is purchased through charitable donations, so this generous donation will make a big difference to a large number of our visitors.

Pictured below is Alan Woolley, President of Exmoor Rotary Club, presenting the cheque for £1850 to Tim Harris, Chief Executive of Calvert Trust Exmoor, in front of Calvert Trust Exmoor's main entrance.

Tim Harris, CEO of Calvert Trust Exmoor said “Its marvellous to have the local rotary clubs supporting Calvert Trust Exmoor in our work, and we really value their support.”

For more information or to book a place on the course, please contact the centre on 017687 72255.

Calvert Trust Kielder were delighted to receive a letter from local MP Guy Opperman congratulating them on winning the Tynedale Business Tourism Award.  He said “I was delighted to hear the recent news about you winning the Tourism Award at the Tynedale Business Awards.  I cannot tell you how proud it makes me to have such dedicated people in my constituency”.

Guy visited the centre today before going on to Kielder Village to open the new petrol station.  He was very impressed with the work of Calvert Trust Kielder and the development plans to build a new visitor centre and a further 5 self catering lodges bringing the total to 15.

We are holding an open day on 4th April 2012 from 10 till 4 at The Lake District Calvert Trust stables.

The stables are a Mike Kidd Horse Power Ltd, Centre of Excellence and are working in partnership with Myerscough College to offer DEQ Apprenticeship Career Training on a Day Release basis to equine organisations throughout Northern Cumbria.

Interested parties are invited to come along on the day to discuss ways of signing up.  Also, if you are an existing member of staff wanting to work towards equine career qualifications either part or fully Government funded.

For more information please click here to see more details.

We can supply you with a fantastic location, a great job and an opportunity to work with committed team as part of one of the region's leading charities.

Would you like to be a key member of the Calvert Trust Team? If so, read on....

If you are a positive & pro-active person who is able to take ownership of their responsibilities & their wider commitment to support the needs of the Centre as a whole, please go to our "Work with us" page by clicking here

We look forward to recieving your application.... Good Luck!!

The outreach project has been working in partnership with the college to develop an exciting new programme which enables the students to develop personal skills and achieve their personal learning objectives through the challenge of outdoor activities.

Throughout the academic year we have been undertake activities including; canoeing, sailing, climbing, caving and hill walking. All these experiences have been captured by the students with the aim of producing a short feature film at the end of the academic year.

Keep up to date with this and other projects on Twitter: @CalvertOutreach

Hexham based company EGGER have chosen to continue to support Calvert Trust Kielder as their charity of the year for a further two years.

The Egger Charity Committee first nominated Kielder back in 2010 and over the past two years have donated over £10,000.

EGGER is one of the leading manufacturers of wood based panels in Europe with 17 sites across Europe, 6,500 employees globally and a turnover of approx EUR 1.8 billion.

EGGER has two manufacturing sites in the UK, one in Hexham, Northumberland and the second in Barony, East Ayrshire, with 628 employees across both sites and subsidiaries.

The Hexham site has undergone significant investment, since 2007, in excess of EUR 154 million to make it one of the most technologically advanced facilities in Europe.

The company’s core product is chipboard.  However, this is further upgraded into decorative boards to supply to the furniture manufacturing and shopfitting industries and ‘tongue and groove’ panels which are used as flooring in new build properties and renovations.

As a family business, EGGER has a strong track record of charitable giving and active involvement in the communities it operates. EGGER UK runs an employee-led charity committee to ensure monies raised by employees and the significant annual donation gifted by the Egger family and company HQ in Austria benefit the local organisations that need it most.

After asking employees to nominate the North East and Tynedale charities they would like to see supported, EGGER are delighted to announce their continued support for Calvert Trust Kielder and newly selected Tynedale Hospice at Home.

Bob Livesey, Managing Director, EGGER UK said:

"The EGGER UK Charity Committee and company are pleased to confirm our support for these two charities.

Over the last two years we have worked closely with Calvert Trust Kielder and have seen at first hand the superb work that they do.  They have challenging plans for the future to extend their activities in Kielder even further. 

Our new local charity of choice Tynedale Hospice at Home carries out, with very little resource, fantastic support for families and individuals within our region and we are looking forward to supporting them in this.”

Hazel Munro, Corporate & Events Fundraiser, Calvert Trust Kielder said:

"We are absoulutely delighted to have been chosen again to receive support from EGGER.  We have really enjoyed working with them over the last two years and we are looking forward to developing our relationship further with EGGER employees."

The all time record is beleived to be 21 crates, do you think you can beat it? why not come along for a break at Calvert Trust Exmoor and give it a go!

Once again historic Langley Castle, near Hexham, in Northumberland was the venue for the 2011 Tynedale Business Awards Dinner.

Local businesses are nominated by members of the public, who cast their votes in nine categories and Calvert Trust Kielder was delighted to once again receive The Tourism Award, which was presented by Peter Forsyth and Julie Carr from Waitrose, to Hazel Munro, Corporate & Events Fundraiser, Gemma Brown and Jayne Dolbear from our Activities Team. 

Peter Cockerill, CEO Calvert Trust Kielder said:

"This award is a great achievement; thank you to everyone who voted for us to win again.  It is the best accolade we could hope to receive and a generous recognition of the service we provide to over 5,000 visitors annually."

Following a drinks reception and delicious meal, last years Calvert Ball compere Steve Walls, hosted the presentations and entertained the guests with stand up comedy and singing.

The iconic award now has pride of place in our ever expanding trophy cabinet at the centre.

If you would like us to post you a printed copy please email your address to exmoor@calvert-trust.org.uk or call us on 01598 7633221. Alternatively you can download the Spring 2012 edition.

This edition includes the latest news on our Vista room building project, details of our latest awards, a review of 2011, and an exciting photo competition.

It also includes details of our fantastic new SafeSpace bed, donated by Variety, the Children's Charity. http://www.variety.org.uk/

in addition to this there is a fantastic cartoon, kindly donated by the brilliant Hannah Ensor. You can see more of Hannah's great work on her website http://www.stickmancommunications.co.uk/

If you missed the previous edition you can also download the Winter 2011 edition.

The year has kicked off with a couple of our guest’s favourite theme weeks.

Blokey Week gives our guests the chance to leave the women behind and spend time with the lads relaxing in the great outdoors.

As part of the week’s programme guests plan a woodwork project that will benefit the centre.  During the laser clay pigeon shooting session the group formulated a plan to assist wheelchair users and people who find it difficult to hold and aim the guns.  They came up with an idea to create static targets which the clays could be mounted onto and then placed around the field; this would give the guests a better chance of hitting a target.

Later on in the week the guests set to work designing and building the static targets.  The group were also tasked with building A-frames for the Gigs.  The frames sit inside the Gig and are fitted with a waterproof cover to stop rain from pouring into the boat, keeping our guests nice and dry whilst out on Kielder Water.

The week also included beer tasting, kindly provided by High House Farm Brewery, and Wylam Brewery, bowling, a curry night, and a trip to see Whitley Bay Warriors vs Trafford Metro in an Ice Hockey match where one of our instructors had a near miss with a flying puck!

The highlight of the week was the Boat Race where guests had to design and build a Putt Putt boat and engine using straws, a coke can and a tea light and race them in the pool.

Pamper Week gave our guests the opportunity to relax and unwind.  Upon arrival they were welcomed with a goody bag kindly donated by Body Shop.  During the week they were able to enjoy extra lie-ins, take long bubble baths, and have make-overs and aromatherapy treatments.  Some of our guests also had a Reiki session, kindly provided by volunteer Sam Lawrence.

Some of the week’s highlights included baking scones and biscuits, pamper afternoon’s with face packs, nail and hair treatments, a pyjama party with a movie and popcorn, lively Karaoke, Wii games and sessions in the hydrotherapy pool and Snoozelum (sensory room).

Guests also had time to spend a couple of days out and about at the Metro Centre and Gretna Green shopping for goodies such as handbags and clothes, and treats at the Cadbury Shop and Thornton’s Café which proved to be a huge hit.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated products and time and made both of these weeks’ such great experiences for our guests.

We can supply you with a fantastic location, a great job and an opportunity to work with committed team as part of one of the region's leading charities.

Can you supply the talent, experience and initiative? If so, read on....

If you are a dynamic, organised and enthusiastic person who could join our fundraising team please go to our "Work with us" page by clicking here

We look forward to recieving your application.... Good Luck!!

Ambitious plans for a £10 million development at Calvert Trust Kielder have been submitted for planning permission.

The proposals, being considered by Northumberland County Council, are for extensive additions and alterations to centre. 

They include a visitor hub with state-of-the-art climbing wall, caving system, bouldering wall, a café and offices, a sports hall, a woodchip biomass district heating system and landscaping, outdoor activities, including a high ropes walk way and the necessary infrastructure works.

It also includes plans for five new fully accessible self-catering cabins to add to the 10 cabins already available on the site which is close to Kielder Water, northern Europe’s largest man-made reservoir.

Once planning approval in principle has been given, the Trust will forge ahead to raise the necessary funding to undertake the development in staged phases.

Peter Cockerill, Calvert Trust Kielder, CEO said:

“Calvert Trust Kielder has been providing challenging outdoor activities for people of all abilities for more than 25 years and these exciting new plans will lay the foundations for growth over the next 25 years.”

The development will benefit people with a wide range and degree of disability with some of the facilities open to day visitors. It will also attract families with a disabled parent or child along with their able-bodied friends; charitable organisations working with people with disabilities; adults with care needs seeking a break on their own; special needs schools and mainstream schools, many of whom have disabled pupils.

Peter Cockerill added:

“This development is another step on the road to fully realising our vision – ‘disability no limits’.

Calvert Trust Kielder gives people with disabilities the chance to realise their full potential and to break down the barriers that prevent this.

The project will enable thousands more to benefit from our work and greatly enhance the quality of the unique service we offer.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our many friends and benefactors from the North East and throughout the country, for their help and support in the past and to ask for their further support to make this project a reality.”

Elisabeth Rowark, director of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust said:

“The plans look amazing - a new visitor hub will be a welcome addition to the existing facilities across Kielder Water & Forest Park. Over the past few years, new additions such as mountain bike trails and the Lakeside Way have contributed to making the Park a world class visitor destination.

As a key member of the Development Trust, Calvert Trust Kielder’s plans will be a key component of that growing offer and I am delighted to see more and more businesses in the area creating sustainable year-round attractions.”  

Architects, Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall (JDDK) Ltd and landscape architect Glen Kemp, have produced the plans which form part of the overall development of Kielder Water & Forest Park.

The two categories are:

"Outstanding achievements in providing activity holidays that are accessible for all to enjoy, supported by a real sense of enabling people to achieve goals that they or their family and carers did not think possible."

Receiving the Access for All Award; Tim Harris ,CEO Calvert Trust Exmoor, with Teresa Driscoll, left, sponsor Phillip Edgerton (First Great Western), second left, and Simon Calder, far right.

 "an outstanding venue in all aspects, specialising in giving people with a disability, their family and friends, the active holiday of a lifetime."

Receiving the Activity, Sport and Experience of the Year Gold Award; Tim Harris, CEO Calvert Trust Exmoor, with Teresa Driscoll, left, sponsor Annette Cole (Country Sports South West), second from left, and Simon Calder, far right.

(Follow this link for more info about our Visit Devon Award):http://www.calvert-trust.org.uk/about-us/latest-news/post/85-calvert-trust-exmoor-win-visit-devon-tourism-award/

It is with sadness that Calvert Trust Exmoor have to announce that due to a sudden illness, Gemma, our piebald part-bred welsh horse, was put down over the weekend of 4th /5th February 2012.

Gemma had been with us for over 10 years, and has touched thousands of lives in that time, allowing many people the opportunity to do things they never thought they would do.

Gemma will be sadly missed by many people, both staff and guests, and will always be remembered.