Established in 1985 Merseyside Youth Challenge Trust is an urban-based Outdoor Pursuits Education Centre in South Liverpool. The City Council provides premises for the Centre together with 35 acres of public parkland, easily accessible to schools and youth groups throughout Merseyside. Open to young groups from all backgrounds, the Centre works with approximately 4,000 young people each year. The minimum group size is 10 and the maximum group size is 40.

MYCT provides structured outdoor adventure training to children from all backgrounds designed to enhance personal potential, teamwork and trust. They are a hidden oasis in the heart of a major city, and they make a positive difference to young people's lives by giving young people the opportunity to experience these activities in their own backyard.

Projects aim to help young people increase or develop selfesteem, self confidence, sense of achievement, widening of horizons, recognition & control of risk, healthier life styles, tolerance for others, leadership skills and ability to work within a team. As an accredited provider of alternative education,* MYCT offers a tried and trusted formula of training with a proven track record in helping young people into mainstream society and employment.

MYCT links to National Curriculum

MYCT’s outdoor education program has obvious links to physical education, one of the subjects in the National Curriculum. Within the program there are many less obvious links to the National Curriculum, covering areas such as numeracy, literacy, geography, and physics. We pride ourselves on our ability to educate young people in skills that are not so easily taught within the classroom such as problem solving, teamwork as well as raising personal self esteem. Below is a list giving examples of some of the activities we run and the skills we aim these activities will develop.

Archery – personal achievement with a numeracy element in the scoring system

Orienteering – geography and literacy as well as the teamwork element

Stations – literacy and teamwork

Abseil – personal achievement and trust

Mindfield – memory and teamwork

Rescue Fido – teamwork and problem solving and physics

Ladder Balance – physics and teamwork

Aerial Runway – personal achievement

Crate climb – personal achievement and physics

Bucket Ball – physics and teamwork

Nightline – trust, teamwork and empathy

Rope Bridges – teamwork and problem solving

Activities begin with day sessions at Allerton Towers where participants are given a brief induction to MYCT together with an explanation of the purpose of the activities. Mentors and training staff will be introduced and the needs of each individual assessed by qualified Outdoor Instructors.

Key information

• Courses tailored to specific needs
• Half Day taster sessions – Full Day or 10wk courses
• Certificates may be awarded by arrangement
• All day booking £10 per person (min group 30)