Oakwood Youth Challenge

Who we are

Oakwood Youth Challenge is a Christian charity, comprising of Oakwood Outdoors, a residential activity centre, and Oakwood Climbing Centre. Our aim is to provide an environment where individuals can be challenged physically, socially & spiritually.

Our primary focus is local youth aged between 8-18 and we have strong links with local schools, church youth groups and borough councils. 

Oakwood was first established in 2002, when the founders started to build new facilities on land that was formerly a pig farm, with one of the key aims being to use these to advance the Christian faith. The first phase saw the development of residential units – initially to house 60 young people, since extended to accommodate up to 100. Over the years, the facilities have been enhanced with the site now providing a full catering kitchen, dining hall, lounge and a large meeting hall. More recently, safari tents have been added with shower blocks and a covered meeting area where the group can gather.

The outdoor activities offered to groups include high ropes (with a leap of faith), low ropes, archery, and mountain boarding.  These programmes provide opportunities for personal growth, fostering resilience, confidence and perseverance, as young people push beyond their comfort zones to overcome the challenges that they face.

Facilities on site were further enhanced by the addition in 2017 of a Climbing Centre, which was further extended in 2022. The centre is now used each year by over 20,000 climbers of all abilities and provides sessions tailored to the needs of a variety of groups, including those with additional needs.