Hermitage River Projects contributed a grant to support the programme at the centre in Shadwell, located just a mile downstream from Hermitage.
The Centre’s work with young people started with a summer programme in 1976. Today it remains important to continue to provide much needed activities for young people in the school summer holidays. In 2017, a daily week-day programme took place from Monday 31st July to Saturday 2nd September which included the activities programme at Shadwell Basin and an eight day residential expedition to Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland.
The final programme offered the following activities: canoeing, kayaking, sailing, climbing, high ropes and mountain biking.
Sailing and kayaking trips were scheduled on Thursdays on the River Thames, which enabled the young people to transfer the skills learnt on the Basin to this more dynamic adventurous environment which allowed them to gain more experience and challenge them further. The new slipway enabled easy, safe access that accommodated the increased amount of sessions on the Thames.
In 2018 a similar programme is taking place, again helped with an HRP contribution.