What our clients say

“George was very knowledgeable about the surrounding area, providing great bits of information along the way keeping us all chatting. This was a brilliant opportunity for the Young People to experience the outdoors, when so much of their time is spent inside. The young people helped to navigate a map with help from George. The young people said they loved the experience, and would definitely want to go on another walk soon. A huge thank you to George, who they thought was really good company and made them feel comfortable on the walk, having lots of positive conversations along the way. He was sure to include everyone in the experience, and motivate those who were getting worn out to carry on.”

Rachel, Residential Project Worker. Roundabout

Open Gates Outdoors' Mission

Guided walks and outdoor adventures for all in Sheffield and the Peak District

Open Gates Outdoors provides guided walks and several other outdoor activities in urban and rural settings in and around Sheffield including the Peak District National Park. We provide these opportunities to individuals, company teams, and community groups. Why not go straight to our Services page to find out more about what Open Gates Outdoors can offer you...

Widening participation in the outdoors

Open Gates Outdoors works to widen the diversity of people who are able to benefit from the unique outdoor spaces in and around Sheffield. We provide guided walks and other outdoor activities in order to improve peoples' physical and mental health through exercise and gaining a greater sense of place. Our aim is to ensure that as many people as possible can access the tangible and well established benefits of spending time purposefully in the outdoors.

Community Interest Company

Open Gates Outdoors is a Social Enterprise which trades as a Community Interest Company. This means we are committed to investing in the local community of Sheffield. A contribution will be made from every payment received by Open Gates Outdoors from corporate or individual partners to enable Open Gates Outdoors to provide its services to its community partners free of charge, thereby widening participation in the outdoors. Corporate and individual financial support is the lifeblood of Open Gates Outdoors and is vital in enabling us to deliver our mission of widening participation in the outdoors.

Contact us to discuss how Open Gates Outdoors can...

work with you in the outdoors to improve your phycical wellbeing and fitness,

work with you to improve your sense of belonging by giving you a greater sense of place,

help you build your confidence as an independent walker so you can follow your own adventures,

work with your community group to allow its members to break down the barriers preventing them from enjoying the benefits of being in the outdoors,

work with your company to promote Sheffield as a place to work and to do business,

work with your company to contribute greater social value, or

work with your company to improve the morale and cohesion of your teams.

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What is a sense of place?

A sense of place is a relationship with and knowledge of our surroundings. It is well established that we improve our wellbeing if we have a strong sense of place (Feld and Basso, 1996). It is also well established that our wellbeing is improved by exercising in the outdoors. Open Gates Outdoors supports our partners to gain a greater sense of place through walks in the peak district and other outdoor adventures.

What Open Gates Outdoors offers its corporate partners

Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Value - Open Gates Outdoors will make a contribution from all payments received from your company to enable us to achieve our aim of widening participation in the outdoors

Open Gates Outdoors is committed to making a contribution from all payments made by corporate and individual partners towards the cost of it providing its services to community partners for free. Open Gates Outdoors' corporate partners will have the opportunity to select the community partner to sponsor, or we can work with our corporate partners to identify an appropriate community partner for them to sponsor.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Value - Opportunities for corporate partners to directly enhance their community

Not only can Open Gates Outdoors help our corporate partners achieve their Social Corporate Responsibilities or contribute Social Value by giving them the opportunity to sponsor the activities of community groups in the outdoors, we can do this by working with corporate partners to directly improve or maintain outdoor spaces in their community for example by litter picking, tree planting or maintenance of a local environment.

Promote Sheffield as a place to work and do business

Open Gates Outdoors can work with corporate partners to offer activities which promote Sheffield as a place to work or to do business to potential customers, contractors or employees visiting Sheffield.

Improve cohesion and morale of teams

Open Gates Outdoors works with our corporate partners to develop a programme of outdoor activities that develops skills, cohesion and morale in their leaders and teams while simultaneously enhancing each individual leader's and team member's wellbeing and sense of place. This is vital at a time when, as a legacy of the Covid 19 pandemic, teams are often continuing to meet virtually rather than in person. See on our Services page what these activities might involve.

What Open Gates Outdoors offers its community partners

We passionately believe it is a matter of social justice that everyone has the opportunity to acquire the cultural capital that comes with experiencing the outdoors. Open Gates Outdoors aims to achieve its principal aim of widening participation in the outdoors by making a contribution from all payments made by corporate and individual partners towards the cost of it providing its services to community partners for free. Being in the outdoors brings physical wellbeing through exercise and also mental wellbeing through gaining a greater sense of place. Community activities vary from challenging walks in the Peak District, less challenging walks in urban green spaces, to more safe and secure improvement of green spaces.

What Open Gates Outdoors offers its individual partners

Life Coaching

Its important to us that conversations with individual partners while in the outdoors are respectful, considerate, helpful and, where possible, impactful. Open Gates Outdoors can offer life coaching in the outdoors. We have completed training in Health Coaching accredited by the Personalised Care Institute (PCI) and are currently working towards a Level 5 certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) which we will complete in January 2024. Open Gates Outdoors has completed an Enhanced DBS check and holds an Enhanced DBS certificate.

Active Ageing

Open Gates Outdoors can provide structured programmes for individuals of all ages including those wanting to remain healthy into older age or become more active in retirement.

It is established that active aging brings significant health benefits including improved cognitive function, less risk of coronary heart disease diabetes and arthritis, improved bone health and better socialisation.

Confidence and skills to become independent walkers

We will use the expertise and experience gained through our previous and continuing training and qualifications with Mountain Training to enable you to become independent explorers of Sheffield's beautiful frame. We are committed to working with individuals to help them gain the confidence and skills to discover lesser known locations in and around Sheffield.

Accessibility

Open Gates Outdoors is determined that our services should be available to all regardless of circumstances or background and we will do our utmost to meet all individual needs and any special access requirements. Open Gates Outdoors identifies opportunities in and around Sheffield suitable for those with access requirements.

We are excited by the Peak District National Park’s recent initiative “Miles without Stiles” and will use this and other projects to help us allow those with accessibility issues to enjoy the outdoors.

An awakening not just a walk

Throughout all of our activities Open Gates Outdoors will support our partners in exploring the natural and the man made urban and rural environments in and around Sheffield. We will allow our partners to see the outdoors in the wider social and historical context.

We are committed to getting off the beaten track and reaching lesser known places. Open Gates Outdoors' activities are more than just a walk they are intended to be an awakening!