About BF Adventure

BF Adventure is a Cornwall-based charity providing trauma-informed outdoor alternative education and specialist support for children and young people who are struggling to access or engage with mainstream education. Through its Skills for Life programme, BF Adventure helps young people build confidence, resilience and practical life skills using the outdoors as a positive environment for learning and personal development.

Provision is delivered from two specialist outdoor learning sites in Cornwall:

Goodygrane Activity Centre, near Penryn (West Cornwall)
Nine Ashes, near Bodmin (Mid Cornwall)

Having two locations enables BF Adventure to support families from across the county while reducing travel for many young people.

Every placement is tailored to the individual. Programmes are co-produced around each young person’s strengths, interests and needs, with support available through one-to-one, paired or small-group sessions. Learning takes place through carefully planned outdoor experiences that encourage communication, problem-solving, emotional regulation, independence and positive relationships.

Activities may include climbing, paddlesports, bushcraft, archery, gardening, cooking, environmental projects, team challenges and woodland-based learning. Rather than focusing solely on academic achievement, the programme aims to help young people reconnect with learning, improve attendance, develop confidence and build the skills needed for future education, employment and everyday life.

BF Adventure’s approach combines outdoor education, youth work and trauma-informed practice. Each young person is supported by trusted adults who build consistent relationships and use approaches such as attunement, co-regulation and the PLACE principles (Playfulness, Love, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) to help children feel safe, understood and able to succeed.

Support is available for many children and young people experiencing barriers to education, including those with SEND, social, emotional and mental health needs, anxiety, adverse childhood experiences or other circumstances affecting engagement with school. Referrals can be made by schools, local authorities, professionals and, where appropriate, directly by parents, subject to funding and placement availability.