New partnership to boost people once at risk of homelessness

Mount Cook Adventure Centre has embarked on a new partnership with Derventio Housing Trust to help residents once at risk of homelessness.

The not-for-profit outdoor activity centre, which is based at Matlock, has teamed up with the homelessness organisation to help adult residents enjoy greater wellbeing by getting out into the fresh air.

Mount Cook has been working with Derventio Housing Trust for a few years, with residents – many of whom are in recovery from drug and alcohol use – coming to the centre to enjoy outdoor pursuits such as archery, sitting round a campfire and climbing.

The housing trust provides more than 700 bed spaces of accommodation throughout the UK for people who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness.

It is currently providing housing for more than 200 people in Derby and Derbyshire, and hundreds more in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Nottinghamshire.

The trust runs numerous support schemes, including Growing Lives in Ilkeston, which offers residents the opportunity to take part in a range of activities designed to boost confidence, including craft, woodworking, gardening and countryside walks.

It is through Growing Lives that residents have been able to enjoy Mount Cook, and which has inspired the new partnership between the organisations.

Madeline Horton, sales and marketing manager at Mount Cook Adventure Centre, said: “Our mission at Mount Cook is to provide access to the outdoors for groups of people, especially those who might not otherwise get the opportunity to participate in the adventures we offer here.

“We’d like to use our partnership to help Derventio raise funds so that more adults can benefit from its services.

“The feedback from residents who have been to our centre in the past is that the biggest impact it had was the sense of community it gave them.

“They came away feeling they had enjoyed a holiday, that they had gathered round a table together and shared experiences.”

Jackie Carpenter, assistant director of strategy at Derventio Housing Trust, said: “We are very excited to be starting this new partnership with Mount Cook Adventure Centre.

“Residents who have enjoyed staying there have loved their experience and we know what brilliant work the centre does with many different groups.

“We are looking forward to working together and hope we can use our partnership to raise funds and awareness so that more residents can enjoy outdoor experiences when they otherwise might not.”

A joint Marketing Derby networking event is being planned at Mount Cook on 22 November, where Bondholders will be invited to swap their suits for something more comfortable so they can fly through the air on a zip wire and embark on the centre’s challenging ‘via ferrata’ rock traverse.

More information about the event will be sent out soon.