Rock UK (a Christian charity with outdoor adventure centres in Northamptonshire, Kent, Wales and Scotland) is over 100 years old!

Rock UK (formerly the Belgrave Trust) started in 1922 when some visionary Sunday school teachers decided to take children, who had never been out of London, to the coast to enjoy the countryside and get some fresh sea air. They purchased a house in Littlehampton which became the home of the charity for many years and saw a large number of children visit. As more facilities became necessary a piece of land, suitable for camping, was purchased at Climping to accommodate young men and boys.

During World War II, the house had to cease its activities although it did accommodate a few servicemen in need of rest and recuperation. Climping Camp had to close completely as it was deemed too close to the coast! As soon as the war was over, holidays resumed and numbers rose rapidly.

In 1977, the decision was made to obtain a new larger Centre and so the original house was sold and the first of the Rock UK centres, as we know them today, was established. This was Carroty Wood in Tonbridge, Kent. In 1978 the charity was renamed Barnabas Trust after the biblical character whose name means son of encouragement.

Over the next twenty-five years, the charity acquired three further centres Halls Green in Kent, Whithaugh Park in the Scottish Borders and the Frontier Centre in Irthlingborough. Meanwhile, after 80 years of hosting camps, Climping Camp was closed.

In 2009, the charity rebranded to Rock UK Adventure Centres. A further Centre was opened the following year in Wales the Summit Centre. Shortly after, an improved and redeveloped Instructor Training Programme was launched which has now welcomed over 200 trainees. The charity encourages the use of its facilities by all children and created a bursary fund in 2013 to give all children the opportunity of experiencing the activities at the centres. The organisation caters for the physical, mental and spiritual needs of the children that come through our centres.

Rock UK is now a nationwide organisation and consists of four centres, offering opportunities for the young and young at heart to come and experience exhilarating adventures outdoors including aerial adventures, abseiling, climbing and much more. Following the pandemic, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of applications for our Bursary Fund due to the financial crisis.

Your support is vital for us to continue giving us the opportunity of developing young minds further. Thank you for helping us. For more information about Rock UK please go to www.rockuk.org