Find out about our story then come and be part of it.....
About Us
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ON YOUR DOORSTEP.
Who are Venture Out?
Venture Out is passionate about the outdoors: our mission is to introduce people of all ages and backgrounds to adventurous activities in Greater Manchester and the North West.
Allowing you to have an "Outdoor adventure on your doorstep"!
For more than 15 years we have been providing canoe trips on the River Mersey, Outdoor Activity days for schools, Holiday Clubs, Birthday Parties for old and young and welcomed local ( and not so local) Business Groups.
Much of our activities are based at our small centre in Stockport which is by the bank of the River Mersey within the grounds of Burnage Rugby Club. We do however love to introduce people to the great , nearby areas of the Peak District, Lancashire and Yorkshire hills and our vast canal network, for walking, mountain biking and canoeing. We can also visit your school, centre or place of work.
We’ve developed a company that provides outdoor sports and environmental activities year round to schools, colleges, youth groups, families, individuals and companies.
We are lucky to have a high class and consistent group of instructors and support workers!
Getting ready to canoe
Ian Sheldrake
Director
Ian is a qualified primary school teacher with a previous background in residential child care. He set up “Messing about on the Mersey” at Burnage Rugby Club in 2009 to introduce people to their first experience of a river paddle, business thrived and now has become Venture-Out. Venture-Out now is a full time job. During the winter running programmes for Special Education Schools in Stockport and then managing a large team of freelance staff from Easter to October to run the busy season. Ian has lived locally in Didsbury for 30 years and his active in Didsbury Baptist Church with family members who you might now see working alongside him.
Liam Thompson
Day to day manager
(Covering all areas from mid week education to weekend hire)
Starting at the age of 15 in 2010 as some casual work experience Liam has constantly remained a regular sight at Venture-Out. He is happy working weekends; ensuring all the bookings runs smoothly, working in the week on school projects and can be seen out many evenings with the youth organizations we work with. With a background in the care sector working with the elderly and vulnerable adults he is a great addition to the team.
Tim Crowther
Senior River Trip Leader
(Hire / Guided trips / Uniformed Groups / Birthday Parties ))
From bumping into Tim early on at the start of the business Tim has remained an active member of the team at weekends and evenings. He works full time locally at Ashton Sixth Form College .
Adie Molloy
Senior River Trip Leader
(Hire / Guided trips / Uniformed Groups / Schools)
Adie has a background full off canoe and kayaks! He started working with PGL on the Ardeche in France and in England has worked for the Princes Trust, Youth Zone in Manchester and also Stockport Academy. He currently works as a Firefighter for Cheshire. He's almost as happy bumbling down the river with a set of Beavers as he is in the Austrian Alps ( honest!)
Mathew Wilkinson
Senior River Trip Leader
(Hire / Guided trips / Uniformed Groups)
Mathew has worked with Venture-Out almost from its inception. As a local student, he would often be found helping out... over the years he has remained a constant support. He currently is the marketing manager for Pyranha who make kayaks and canoes! Again we are lucky to have someone happy to paddle down Himalayan classics as well as pootle down our local rivers.
Ruairi Teahan
Multi-activity Instructor
(Schools, Holiday Club and Youth Organizations)
2023 will be Ruairi's 3rd season with us. He is part of the back bone of our holiday club programme and is qualified and experienced in all the activities we offer....and more to boot...you can often find him ( well if you went looking) in a hole in the ground in the Peak District. Maybe we'll send him some clients to go 'Pot Holing' with him one day!
Charlie Neagle
Multi-activity Instructor
(Climbing wall / archery / birthday parties)
Charlie has extensive experience in working with young people especially on indoor climbing and especially with inclusivity and within the limits of our structure is able to support many students with additional physical needs to access the wall.
Matthew Sheldrake
Senior assisstant
( Schools, Youth groups and Holiday Club)
Matthew ( by default) has been around Venture-Out since its inception but now plays a valuable role outside of being a student. Having rapidly developed his kayaking and leadership skills at University Canoe club level. He certainly outdoes the boss in a kayak..but not yet in a canoe! Matthew leads in all other areas and is especially good on the archery range
The CREW
Support Instructors / Staff
(what needs doing!!)
We have a great crew around us to support the busy calendar. Most instructors are able to deliver archery, all are first aid qualified and also work on our mobile climbing wall.
(MOST OF THE MAIN SEASON)
Jonathan (since forever!!!) & Robbie - archery qualified and strong paddle sport assistant instructors.
Sophie Elliott - 3rd Year Sport Science Student - archery and first aid qualified and working towards Paddle Sport Instructor
Sophie Sanders - 1st Year School Sports B Ed - new to the team last year ( but you wouldn't have known it)
Liam Dutton - 2nd Year Outdoor Ed Degree - great that a local young Scout leader has the bug for the Outdoors ..so much he's studying it and working for us!
Sam ( the lifeguard)- 2 seasons with us and great to have in the team
YOUNG LEADERS
Sam (the climber), Cora - often seen working with our climbing wall. - both ex Holiday Clubbers and now hold the highest Indoor Young persons climbing qualifications. Ruby - always keen to be involved and helping out especially at the weekends and holiday club. Holly - a football coach and climber
(AS AND WHEN)
Dave Jones - (The Welsh Dragon) - a long time friend of Venture-Out he enjoys his M56 trip to Venture-Out to support school days and sometimes on our holiday club! Archery Instructor / Bushcraft / Bouldering
Steve Emberson- likes to come to visit a few times a year from the depths of LEEK to run some river trips for us. Multi-qualified instructor
Sonia - Occasionally will drop into help A high class extreme kayaker! Senior River Trip Leader
Cally - A climber through and through ( indoors and out) and also archery instructor - seen mainly now on our climbing wall days as working in a school.
Venture Out News
Trip Advisor - Traveller's Choice Award 2023
3 years in a row we have been awarded this award. And consistently #1 in Stockport
At last! - our new website
Nearly 2 years in the making. At last we have a website that better showcases what we do and how great our services are.
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