See also: From the Director's desk   Events   New Developments

Download our latest newsletter here

Special Offer – 20% Off at Chellington Residential Centre

The Chellington Residential Centre is a fantastic venue for school trips, staff conferences, team building events and conferences. And this Spring we're offering an extra 20% off our off-peak prices for bookings of 3 days or more up until Easter. So your group could stay for as little as £11.20 per person per night. Contact us for availability.

New Season New Boatbase on the Waterways

On 25th February we celebrated the Grand Opening of the New Boat Base which hugely improved disabled access and enhanced the experience for all our hirers. We were delighted to have the now Mayor, then Deputy Mayor of Dacorum BC, Cllr Roger Taylor to open the new facility. A fantastic day. We are now fundraising for the next stage of a visitor centre and educational area and hope to have that in place by the autumn of 2010.

We are now taking bookings for the boats in 2010. Book early to ensure your group can enjoy the waterway getaway this year.

Circles of Support make Friendship a Dream Come True

Shockingly, people with learning disabilities suffer disproportionate levels of exclusion. They struggle to get around, to find work and for 3 out of every 4 the idea of having a friend is just a dream. So in March we are launching our Circles of Support - a peer to peer scheme which aims to link 100 young volunteers with 25 disabled young people in friendship and to support their access to community activities.

To get involved find out more...

“What Kind of Chicken is Pork?”
“Do you get Halal Dinosaur?”

Our London and Urban Schools Programme

Just a couple of the questions from kids who don't get to see much of the countryside.

In our London and Urban Schools Programme children from inner cities enjoy the inspiring Bedfordshire countryside at Chellington. They visit the country park, local farm and village shop. They take night-time walks, produce works of art and so much more. Not least they'll experience “light bulb” moments, like the girl who wants to become a policewoman when she grows up, and realises that perhaps this is possible if she doesn't get any more police cautions!

After a week at Chellington teachers go home tired but with a new understanding of the children they teach and what their future could be. Children learn that the countryside is dark, that there are small shops and beauty exists as far as the eye can see, but most importantly they can form closer relationships with their peers. You can find out more about our London and Urban Schools Programme here.

Volunteers Just Love Their Work

It's great fun volunteering at ROP and we're humbled that our volunteers nominated our Waterways Manager Anne Hunt for the Lees Award 2009 acknowledging the wonderful support they receive. The Lees Award is given by the Volunteer Centre Dacorum for excellence in volunteer management.

Find out more about what volunteering can mean to you...