Open Gates Outdoors works with our third sector partners in the outdoors to allow your members to;
hold a sponsored walk,
enjoy guided walks in the Peak District or any mountainous region in the UK, focusing on social history, geology, and flora and fauna, and
benefit from fun team games and forest school activities that develop the skills of your members including co-operation, understanding and communication.
We passionately believe it is a matter of social justice that everyone has the opportunity to acquire the cultural capital and wellbeing that comes from being active in the outdoors and we will work with you to break down barriers that prevent this.
In 2024 Open Gates Outdoors collaborated with Darnall Well Being, Sheffield in its successful bid for a Green Social Prescribing Grant from South Yorkshire Community Foundation funding 8 walks in the Peak District and is currently delivering these walks for the benefit of the Darnall community.
In 2025 we have continued to develop our relationship with Darnall Well Being as well as building relationships with Voluntary Action Rotherham by leading walks for its mental health group and with Fir Vale Community Hub by leading walks for its long covid support and dementia groups.
Open Gates Outdoors is qualified to drive mini buses which significantly reduces costs of transporting groups to beautiful places.
Open Gates Outdoors aims to achieve its principal aim of widening participation in the outdoors by making a contribution from all payments received from corporate and individual partners towards the cost of it providing its services to third sector partners, where possible, for free.
Open Gates Outdoors is qualified by Mountain Training to lead walks in any of the mountainous areas of the UK and all walks are fully risk assessed and are covered by professional indemnity and third party liability insurance.
What our partners say...
I am so grateful to George for his support, kindness and encouragement on the 25-mile charity walk in the Long Mynd in Shropshire fundraising for Move Against Cancer. George provided invaluable support to me (recovering from cancer and still experiencing Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy) and to my husband who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. George did this without being condescending in any way. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Dr Debra Willoughby – charity walker and Ambassador for Move Against Cancer.
"George from Open Gates Outdoors leads the walks with his excellent people skills and knowledge of the Peak District. He gives interesting points about a range of things such as landmarks, plants and fungi which engage the walkers. He is very skilled at offering assistance, for example warning when dried leaves are covering over tree roots and stones to help ensure people know when to take extra care placing their footing. In this way people are encouraged to fully appreciate the wonders and benefits that nature has to offer. "
Senior Development Worker, Darnall Well Being
"An excellent walk in marvellous surroundings." Staff member Gary Grief
"A wonderful chance for team work and for stretching the clients' horizons, sharing a wonderful day in the Peaks together." Staff member Anne Grange
"I liked it. I might go again. I liked the views." - Client A Kha
"I enjoyed it." - client M How
"I loved it and would come again." - client F Ahm
Selected quotes from Burton Street Foundation, charity supporting adults with learning disabilities
"George is a great team leader and kept the young people engaged and interested throughout the walk. It was lovely to see people enjoy the views of the Peak District and being given this opportunity that they had not had before.”
Cynthia, Occupational Therapist, Roundabout.
Sponsored Walks
The team at Open Gates Outdoors can support your organisation in participating in a sponsored walk to raise funds to support your activities. Open Gates Outdoors has the experience and skilled and qualified practitioners to ensure the walk is accessible and challenging to all, safe, interesting and fun.
Guided walks in the Peak District.
Open Gates Outdoors qualified to lead walks in any mountainous areas of the UK.
We can support and guide your members to explore the so called "beautiful frame" of Sheffield, including the Peak District National Park. Sheffield is the only City in the UK to incorporate part of a National Park and this provides a unique resource. Walks can be in the rugged and remote terrain of the Dark Peak or the relatively gentle White Peak. While working with you we will aim to give your workers and volunteers the skills and confidence to allow them to lead your groups on walks independently.
Walks will be of a length and terrain best suited to you and we will work with you to ascertain this before embarking on your adventure.
In additional to guided walks in the Peak District we can lead your groups in exploring urban settings in Sheffield Explore urban areas in Sheffield such as Sheffield General Cemetery (including the catacombs and graves of the famous and infamous of Victorian Sheffield), or the several parks in Sheffield curated in the 1830's by nationally renowned landscape architect Robert Marnock (including High Hazels Park, Botanical Gardens, and Weston Park). These urban landscapes provide a rich source of understanding the unique heritage and culture of Sheffield.
Open Gates Outdoors can also support your groups in exploring Sheffield's edgelands such as Wincobank Hill (the site of a crucial iron age and roman fort located on the nationally significant "roman ridge"), Meersbrook and Gleadless woods (the site of the critical ancient boundaries between Mercia and Northumbria, then later Yorkshire and Derbyshire and whcih formed part of the boundary of the ancient region of Hallamshire) or Parkwood Springs (site of the now defunct Sheffield Ski Village which until the 1970s was a bustling vibrant residential community and has now been re-wilded but still contains tantalising traces of its former life).
Each of these walks will have a focus on improving mental and physical well being by encouraging particpation and reflection, team work and a greater sense of self and place.
What our partners say...
"George was very engaging with everyone on the walk. He really explained everything and made the walk interesting.”
Abbie, Occupational Therapist, Roundabout
"George was very hospitable when meeting both the mental health community connectors and the clients with enduring severe mental illness. We got on the 16-seater minibus which took us to Longshaw Estate, and we split off into two groups of differing abilities, allowing reasonable adjustments for the variety of people we were supporting. One client stated the walk was very informative and that they really enjoyed the walk, that they were sure everyone else did and that they very much look forward to the next one. Another client stated it was a great time, a ten out of ten and a third commented on flexibility of varying the paths to cater for a wide range of physical capabilities. A big thank you to George and his team who supported everyone, enabling people to feel included, inspired and motivated to continue physical exertion."
Mental Health Community Connector Service Manager, Voluntary Action Rotherham
Outdoor activities to improve the skills of your members
Open Gates Outdoors’ qualified and experienced practitioners will work with our third sector partners to develop and deliver a programme of outdoor activities that develops skills in their members.
We can provide:
Fun and impactful team games led by a practitioner and publisher with over 40 years experience working in many different countries with community groups, charities and businesses, and/or
activities based on forest school principles such as foraging, shelter building, or wild cooking led by a qualified Forest School practitioner
These activities will enhance soft skills of your members such as understanding, teamwork, communication, trust, and problem-solving skills.
