Local fiduciary and fund services group, Abacus plc, has shown their support for Ardwhallan Outdoor Education Centre (Ardwhallan OEC) by raising over £1,300 for the local children’s centre.
Abacus Trust and Company Administrator, Joanne Chapman, set herself the task of competing in a ‘Three Ridges Challenge’ in the UK to raise money for the Ardwhallan OCE. Her challenge involved trekking up three mountains and walking along three knife edge ridges in three countries over three days. The experience wasn’t without its challenges; weather conditions meant the team was unable to walk along the third ridge ‘Aonach Eagach’ in Scotland, but they did climb another impressive mountain.
With the help of staff at Abacus, Joanne smashed her target of £500 through a voluntary sponsoring scheme and together with a raffle held at a company social event, the total raised for Ardwhallan was £1,365.51.
Ardwhallan OEC, which is operated by the Department of Education and Children’s Youth Service as trustees of the Ardwhallan Jubilee Trust (a Manx registered charity), was established to provide recreational and educational activities for young people. The centre offers workshops and training in various outdoor pursuits which are designed to develop and inspire young people in the great outdoors. Based in West Baldwin, the centre has residential facilities for up to 20 people, and gives access to third sector groups such as Scouts and Cadets.
Emer Dowling, Director of Abacus Trust Company Limited said, ‘‘I am extremely pleased to present this cheque to the Ardwhallan Jubilee Trust. Each quarter we select a charity to benefit from our fund raising. Ardwhallan is a fantastic scheme to support. It aims to encourage young people to experience outdoor activities and to participate in exercises to improve team building, a truly valuable lifelong skill.
Abacus is extremely proud of Joanne and her achievement and we are pleased that the money raised is contributing to such a worthwhile cause’’.
Paul Melling, Head of Ardwhallan Outdoor Centre said, ‘’At Ardwhallan OCE, we want to inspire young people to get excited about what the outdoors can offer. It is because of centres like Ardwhallan that we are able to achieve our goals. The island offers a vast and varied landscape, meaning we are able to provide a wide range of outdoor pursuit’s right from the centre’s doorstep including hill walking, assault courses and archery along with many water based activities on the Injebreck reservoir and in the Irish Sea.
The funds raised will contribute towards off-island trips which we offer to our young people. Expeditions such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s expeditions, climbing trips and white water kayaking ventures are designed to develop and test their skills in different environments.
The support that local businesses like Abacus provide by raising monies for Ardwhallan is essential and directly helps to reduce the running costs of the centre so that the activities become more affordable for families. It opens up the centre to new young people’’.
Photo caption - (L – R) Emer Dowling, Director of Abacus Trust Company Limited, Paul Melling, Head of Ardwhallan Outdoor Centre and Joanne Chapman, Abacus Trust and Company Administrator.
