pgl travel hindhead

PGL hit with £1 million fine after children injured at Hindhead adventure centre

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Outdoor education provider PGL Travel Limited has been ordered to pay a huge £1 million fine plus costs after two children sustained significant finger injuries at an organised residential stay at the company’s Adventure Centre near Hindhead.

The company pleaded guilty to offences under Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Guildford Magistrates’ Court in June, and was sentenced at Staines Magistrates’ Court on Monday when a fine of £1m, plus costs of £18,006 and a victim surcharge of £181, were imposed.

The offences related to accidents which took place on May 26, 2021, and October 21, 2021, both involving children attending school-organised residential stays at PGL Marchants Hill Adventure Centre near Hindhead.

The two children sustained significant injuries to their fingers following entrapment in door hinges at the centre’s accommodation blocks.

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The court heard PGL, which describes itself as “the UK’s leading outdoor education provider”, had been monitoring similar incidents since 2009, and that 520 children across all its sites had sustained finger entrapment in door hinges, some resulting in significant injury and amputation.

Despite this, the business failed to voluntarily install finger guards to protect children staying at the Marchants Hill centre until officers from Waverley Borough Council’s environmental health (food and safety) team issued them with prohibition notices requiring them to do so.

Councillor Tony Fairclough, Waverley’s executive portfolio holder for enforcement and regulatory services, said: “The council takes breaches of health and safety legislation very seriously. This is a significant fine for a local authority prosecution and it is testament to the sterling work of our environmental health and legal teams.  

“No parent expects to send their child on a school residential trip and for them to return injured. The children involved should have been enjoying their first independent holiday without parents but were badly wounded and traumatised by their injuries, which required hospitalisation and surgery.

“It is vitally important that businesses protect the health, safety and welfare of visitors to their business premises. They can do this by undertaking a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of work activities at their premises and implementing control measures in a timely fashion.”

PGL said in a statement: “We deeply regret the two finger injuries that occurred at our Marchants Hill centre in 2021 as well as the previous incidents between 2009 and 2019.

“During the sentencing, the judge acknowledged a change in culture initiated by a new CEO, including in respect of health and safety management where substantial investments have been made. A large number of initiatives were acknowledged by the court, including the installation of finger guards on all doors across all PGL centres. This resulted in a material reduction in the fine laid down.

“While we acknowledge these historical incidents, and unreservedly apologise for any injury or upset caused, they do not reflect the high standards in place at PGL today. Safety is one of our core values and at the forefront of everything we do. We are confident that today’s PGL provides a safe and caring environment for young people on outdoor educational visits.”

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Children 'traumatised' after fingers mangled in doors at Surrey adventure centre

PGL has been fined £1 million after the children were hurt at the firm's Hindhead site

• by Chris Caulfield
• 13:29, 4 Oct 2023 Updated 18:11, 4 Oct 2023

A children’s activity company has been fined £1 million after two youngsters were 'traumatised' when they had their fingers jammed between doors.

'Parents Get Lost' was ordered to pay the sum after the children suffered "significant injuries" during a stay at the company’s Surrey adventure centre. It follows a spait of reported injuries at the outdoor centre, some of which required amputation.

The case was brought against the outdoor education provider PGL Travel Limited by Waverley Borough Council after the children were hurt at the firm's Hindhead site.

The court heard PGL Travel Limited, which describes itself as “the UK’s leading outdoor education provider”, had been monitoring similar incidents since 2009, and that 520 children across its sites had “sustained finger entrapment in door injuries, some resulting in significant injury and amputation”, Waverley Borough Council said in a press statement.

District Judge Cooper, sitting in Staines Magistrates’ Court imposed the fine on October 2 after the company pleaded guilty, the council said.

READ MORE: 'Hung out to dry' Fury reignited in Guildford over London Road plans

The two specific offences date back to incidents involving youngsters attending school-organised residential stays at PGL Marchants Hill Adventure Centre on May 26, and October 21, 2021.

The two children sustained “significant injuries to their fingers” after getting them trapped in door hinges in the accommodation blocks.

According to the council statement, PGL failed to install finger guards to protect children at Marchants Hill until the council issued them with prohibition notices requiring them to do so.

Councillor Tony Fairclough, Waverley Borough Council’s portfolio holder for enforcement and regulatory services, said: “This is a significant fine for a local authority prosecution and it is testament to the sterling work of our environmental health and legal teams.

“No parent expects to send their child on a school residential trip, and for them to return injured.

“The children involved should have been enjoying their first independent holiday without parents but were badly wounded and traumatised by their injuries, which required hospitalisation and surgery.”

A spokesperson for PGL said the company deeply regretted the injuries that occurred, as well as the previous incidents between 2009 to 2019.

They added: “During the sentencing, the judge acknowledged a change in culture initiated by a new CEO, including in respect of health and safety management where substantial investments have been made.

“A large number of initiatives were acknowledged by the court, including the installation of finger guards on all doors across all PGL centres.

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"This resulted in a material reduction in the fine laid down.

“Whilst we acknowledge these historical incidents, and unreservedly apologise for any injury or upset caused, they do not reflect the high standards in place at PGL today.

“Safety is one of our core values and at the forefront of everything we do. We are confident that today’s PGL provides a safe and caring environment for young people on outdoor educational visits."

The fine of £1m was imposed after PGL was given credit for its guilty plea and is payable within three years with £200,000 due the first year, £300,000 within second year and the remainder within third year. Prosecution costs of £18,006 are to be paid by 2 January 2024.

• Surrey, Marchants Hill

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About Marchants Hill

Surrounded by acres of woodland at the edge of the Devil’s Punchbowl, Marchants Hill is conveniently close to London and a great location for your residential trip. There are adventure activities on land and water to help your group challenge themselves and build stronger relationships with each other.

Whether it’s paddling a Giant SUP across the lake, a leap of faith to reach the trapeze bar or a morning’s hike to explore the beautiful surroundings, there’s plenty to discover at Marchant’s Hill. There are great facilities include a sports hall, classrooms and a large playing field, plus a games room and disco area for the evenings.

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Enjoyable mealtimes with nutritious and tasty food., accommodation at marchants hill.

Accommodation Type: Lodges Guests: En suite rooms sleep up to 6 Leaders: Single or twin en suite rooms

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Accommodation Type: Guests: En suite rooms sleep 4-8 Leaders: Single or twin en suite rooms

Multi-Activity

Our most popular multi-activity course. We pack so much into each day, it’ll be an outdoor learning experience they’ll never forget.

• English as a Foreign Language

Three hours of mixed nationality English lessons each day combined with excursions and adventure activities. Courses run throughout the year.

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Fully integrated adventure camps with native English-speaking guests. A variety of programmes including motorsports, horse riding and film making.

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Specifically designed to help your KS2 (P7) pupils build confidence and develop tools to successfully take the next step in their educational adventure.

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GROW! adventures provide secondary students with breakthroughs to boost CHARACTER-DEVELOPMENT!

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Brilliant bushcraft adventures to help your Year 5 pupils solve real-life problems and prepare for life’s knottiest challenges!

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Let us guide your pupils through their first PGL experience, supporting them and building their confidence along the way.

REACH – SPRINT!

The best of PGL Multi-Activity for Group Adventures. 48hrs of non stop excitement, perfect for weekends and short breaks.

REACH – UNITE!

Especially designed for secondary schools to build RELATIONSHIPS through the power of adventure!

REACH – UNITE! for year 6

The most thrilling way to begin Year 6? Bring everyone together with our new UNITE! outdoor adventure that builds relationships and boosts teamwork.

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A blend of teacher-led study time and adventure activities to help students remain motivated, focussed and engaged during some serious revision time

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Combine inspiring UK excursions and adventure activities with a fully personalised itinerary, for a trip to capture their imagination.

Planning an event of your own? Use one of our centres for great value accommodation and facilities, plus a wide range of optional activities.

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The tower is over 10 metres high. The task – to walk backwards off the top, gradually working back towards ground level, suspended only on a rope. It’s all about trust, courage and confidence. It’s also a very dynamic way to learn calculating and controlling risk. Some children deal with heights more easily than others, but the support and encouragement of the rest of the group is important for each individual’s success and will help strengthen peer relationships.

Aeroball / Airball

A cross between trampolining, basketball and volleyball - it’s an exhilarating, high-energy sport. Four players learn the basics required - then spring into action! The aim is to get the ball in the opposing player's net. As well as being lots of fun, your group will develop team tactics and improve communication skills along the way.

Our Archery sessions offer the chance for every pupil to experience success. Accuracy, control and a steady hand are vital for achieving the best results and many children discover a talent for a new skill. Handling bows and arrows may be a brand new experience for your group and presents a variety of new challenges! We encourage safety awareness from the outset and teach the basic skills on an indoor or outdoor range.

Archery Tag

Let the battle commence! Archery with a twist - you are aiming for each other! In this game of skill and teamwork you are equipped with foam tipped arrows to battle it out in action packed games. You will do some basic skills training before entering the arena to see who comes out victorious! Available March to September

Axe Throwing

Discover your inner Viking on our NEW Axe Throwing ranges. Hone your skills, and get your eye in, as you aim for maximum points on the target. Technique over strength will be the key to mastering this activity and as the session progresses you'll discover the best ways to fling an axe down the range. But, by the end of the session, will you be brave enough to 'call the Crux'?

Challenge Course

The PGL Challenge Course is legendary – it’s a well-loved and popular activity with plenty of opportunities for everyone to get involved; it can even get quite competitive sometimes! As your pupils negotiate the various obstacles that lie ahead, it’s an experience that will promote teamwork, lateral thinking, problem solving and decision-making – as well as being physically challenging too.

Your pupils will need to combine different skills including perseverance, strength, an ability to deal with heights – as well as trust in their belay partner and equipment. Those who have never tried it before will find it an exhilarating experience. Climbing at PGL may take place on indoor walls or outdoor climbing towers; whichever it is, we always use a top-rope belay for safety. Weight limit: 140kg

Fencing is a great workout for both body and brain. It’s challenging, exciting and involves good eye-to-hand coordination, fast footwork, lightning reflexes and even quicker decision-making. It’s a sport that offers huge potential for the enthusiast to learn more and progress at club level, but it’s also accessible and great fun for beginners too. Our qualified instructors will teach your pupils the basic principles and safety procedures before they progress onto outwitting their opponent in this great Olympic sport.

Forest Walk

Our staff lead a walk into the forest around the centre to discover the natural environment through activities, set tasks and games that will help your pupils get the most from their experience.

Giant Stand Up Paddleboard

The giant stand up paddleboard is a fun and relaxing way for your students to enjoy being on the water. It's a great activity for building confidence on a board through teamwork, balance and coordination. Available May to October.

Giant Swing

The ultimate test of nerve and joint decision-making. Two or three of your students are harnessed into the swing, while other members of the group haul them up to 10 metres into the air. After the group in the swing decide together how high they want to go, a pull on the ripcord will send them plummeting earthward. It’s a fast and exhilarating drop, but good communication will get the right balance between fear and fun! Weight limit: 150kg

Jacob’s Ladder

It’s an exercise in teamwork and friendly cooperation. Your group’s objective, in teams of three, is to climb to the top of a suspended ladder of logs. The gaps between each log become wider, the higher you go. Pushing up, pulling up, standing on shoulders – it’s all about working together to achieve a joint purpose. The activity promotes friendship, communication, discussion, leadership and decision-making as each team progresses to the top. Weight limit: 150kg

Orienteering

Orienteering makes an excellent introduction to practical map-reading and is an exciting way to get to know your surroundings on centre. Pupils work in small teams or in pairs to locate control points across the grounds of the centre. As it’s essentially a competitive activity, the idea is for your group to find all the controls more quickly than the others. The activity helps them to improve decision-making, map reading and correctly judging distances.

Problem Solving

Problem solving sessions test your pupils’ initiative and ingenuity. Children work in small teams to solve puzzles and complete set tasks - it’s a great way for your pupils to get to know each other really well. By the time they finish they’ll have an appreciation and understanding each individual’s ability (including their own!) when it comes to planning, communicating and making decisions – skills which are all key to achieving the objectives of each task.

Raft Building

Down to the water’s edge and your pupils’ challenge is to design and build a robust and working raft. There’ll be a number of components available, including large plastic barrels, ropes and poles. Our staff can give as much or as little support as you’d like but it’s a great teamwork exercise and will help your pupils improve their communication, problem-solving and decision-making. Once rafts are ready to launch, the fun begins on the water!

Rifle Shooting

Shooting our lightweight air rifles tests individual skill and requires high levels of concentration and physical control. Children need to control their breathing, keep a steady hand, concentrate hard and focus on accuracy. Do all this, and there’s a good chance of being rewarded with the success of a good score!

Sensory Trail

The sensory trail is a challenge in more ways than one. During the activity your pupils will negotiate a series of obstacles – blindfolded – with the other members of their group for guidance. It’s a challenge, which raises questions about our abilities and assumptions, and demands mutual trust, self belief, and effective communication to complete the course successfully.

Stand Up Paddleboard

SUP is a fun and relaxing way for kids to enjoy the water, build confidence on a board, and learn a new skill - this activity has quickly become a favourite!

Once the ‘wilderness’ scenario is set, your pupils need to develop effective teamwork to build their shelter. Basic navigational skills and meteorological skills help them decide the layout of the site. They will have to identify and share out the key responsibilities for getting each task completed, and communicate well to get the most from the project. Work as a team to build a wilderness shelter on centre, and learn how to stay warm and dry using whatever you can find. You’ll need to plan your camp taking into account the prevailing weather and then share out the tasks to get the shelter built before time runs out...

Each stage of the trapeze counts as a success and requires courage and determination. The challenge starts with a climb to the top of a 6 metre pole. Next, a climb onto the small platform will require balance as pupils stand to make that leap for the trapeze! It’s an exhilarating and heart-pounding activity that will bring your pupils together in their support for each other. It also gives each participant a very real sense of personal achievement. Weight limit: 150kg

Tunnel Trail

On their own or in small groups, your pupils can discover a series of underground tunnels. The tunnels vary in size and they have various tasks to carry out during their exploration. Completing the tasks will improve pupils’ self-confidence, problem-solving skills and teamwork. Please note this activity will only be available between May and September at some centres due to weather.

Once at the top of the zip wire platform, pupils are securely attached to the overhead wire before making their flight across the sky! Their route may take them through a forest or even over a lake. It’s a hugely exhilarating experience that requires personal courage and determination – it pushes most children beyond their natural comfort zone. It’s also a chance for the rest of the group to offer support and encouragement. Weight limit: 90-120kg (varies by location)

If you love hide and seek, you’ll adore Ambush which takes this popular group game and ramps it up an extra notch! After sundown your group will split into small teams, with one team hiding within the centre grounds, leaving a trail for their competitors to follow. Great for developing strategic and team building skills. Ambush is usually run in the dark, and torches are advised. Available September to March

Let the battle commence! Archery with a twist - you are aiming for each other! In this game of skill and teamwork you are equipped with foam-tipped arrows to battle it out in action packed games. You will do some basic skills training before entering the arena to see who comes out victorious! Available March to September

Balloon Splash

Each team completes a series of challenges or games to earn coins that will allow them to purchase items from a mystery box! Teams will then work closely together to create the best contraption to protect their water balloon from destruction.

The ultimate way to enjoy the great outdoors as a group! Enjoy a campfire tailored to your requirements. Get hands-on constructing your campfire during the day, and it will be lit ready for you to enjoy in the evening. If your group loves to sing or simply relax with some games around the campfire, our team can cater for all ages in the idyllic settings of our campfires.

Team PGL need help to solve a great mystery onsite! Groups are given a map with locations of characters on, and a score card to find out who committed the crime! In groups they’ll work to locate the character somewhere onsite and have a task to complete to receive information about the suspect. This game can take place in the evening, so torches are advised.

Creation Station

After a busy day in the great outdoors, our Creation Station session offers the perfect chance to relax and socialise with friends, while creating a keepsake to take home. Choose from a selection of arts and craft activities; from rock painting to creating friendship bracelets. The ideal way to unwind and flex your creativity!

A popular last night choice, guests learn the moves to popular hits with “follow-the-leader” sessions, plus lots of unique PGL dances! A fun and sociable evening.

Passport to the World

Hop aboard PGL airlines to take a trip around the world! Here, groups are given a map with a mixture of country flags located around the site. Each country has a plaque located on the point on the map. The plaques have questions to answer related to that country, which must all be answered correctly before returning to base. It might be dark when this activity takes place, so torches are advised.

PGL Tournament

At PGL Tournament guests will play a series of exciting team games and complete a selection of individual challenges to determine which team is the best! Challenges include: Basketball Shoot, Human Skittle and Ultimate Frisbee

In teams, guests are set Q&A-style challenges with lots of interaction and plenty of variety to keep them motivated and to maximise their participation. As well as general knowledge, rounds may include dressing up, dancing and miming.

Silent Disco

Party the night away without the noise of a disco. Every guest has their own set of headphones, where guests can select music from a number of channels to find the tunes they enjoy. Then spend the evening dancing away with friends or trying to guess what song your friends are listening to.

Explore other locations nearby

Isle of Wight – Little Canada

Nestled between 56 acres of woodlands and the inlet waters of Wootton Creek, this unique centre on the Isle of Wight is bursting with challenging activities on land and water, and is instantly recognisable by its charming log cabins on the riverbank.

Sussex – Windmill Hill

Welcome to Windmill Hill, an impressive Grade II listed mansion house on the beautiful Sussex Downs… where big adventures, new discoveries and unforgettable experiences can be found around every corner!

Wiltshire – Liddington

As one of PGL’s largest centres, Liddington is bursting with outdoor activities and sports facilities. Buzzing with activity and packed with challenges to conquer with your group. Situated on the ancient Ridgeway track bordering the North Wessex Downs, yet conveniently located just minutes from the M4

You’re in safe hands with PGL

No risk is an acceptable level of risk, which is why we go beyond to ensure every young person is always in safe hands.

Everything we do is built on five protective pillars:

Safe Places Our sites and buildings are managed to reduce all possible risk before any child arrives. including segmented accommodation, secure perimeters and stringent equipment standards.

Safe Spaces Every child is different so to make our environments as encompassing as possible every colleague is SEND trained. we offer language inclusivity and offer over-and above access for all We also operate a zero-tolerance policy on illegal practices.

Safeguarding Trained to act as ‘first-responders’ to safeguarding red flags, PGL colleagues are versed in spotting risks (across mental health. self-harm sexual and physical wellbeing) and acting quickly to escalate any concerns or stop harmful behaviour.

Safe Travels Every travel partner with whom we work is vetted to ensure they have strict safety management systems in place. specifically focused on travelling with young people. We also aim to ensure travel provision is adaptable to the needs of every single child.

Safe People All our staff are rigorously selected for their capabilities, DBS checked. fully trained and continually assessed to ensure they meet the highest safety standards possible.

What kind of groups do you cater for?

At Marchants Hill, we cater for a range of different groups, including:

Primary Schools

Secondary Schools

• Faith Groups

Health & Support Groups

• Sports Clubs

Youth Clubs & Trusts

International students

What’s included in the cost of the PGL trip?

Everything your school or group needs is included in the cost of the camp at Marchants Hill, with accommodation, activities, equipment, food and drinks all covered in the price per person!

What happens in the evenings?

The fun doesn’t stop after the day’s activities! After dinner, our evening entertainment programme will keep your class or group amused until  it’s time for bed. We’ve got discos, campfires, quizzes and loads more! We want to create a schedule perfect for your group, so if you have anything in particular then just let us know and we’ll do our best to plan it into your group’s itinerary!

What should I pack for my child's overnight stay?

Here are some of the essential items that you should pack for your child. For a full list of what to pack, see our packing guide.

• Tops/t-shirts (for daily adventure activities)
• Trousers/leggings (for daily adventure activities)
• Evening clothes (for discos, quizzes, evening games and more)
• Sports kit (for sports teams and sports activities)

Does my child need waterproofs for their residential trip?

We suggest that your child brings waterproofs to their adventure at Marchants Hill. Your child will be taking part in our outdoor adventure activities, so having a waterproof that they can put on in case it starts to rain is perfect for keeping as dry as possible.

Can I contact my child during their camp stay?

They don’t need to bring money, but if your child would like to buy a souvenir to take home from the gift shop then we recommend about £10 per child, in cash or on a pre-paid card. We have lots to choose from at our gift shop, including group badges and PGL goodies like caps, t-shirts, mugs, teddy bears and more!

Do you cater for special dietary requirements?

Yes, at PGL we regularly provide meals for a wide variety of needs including coeliac, diabetic, food allergies and vegetarian/vegan. If your child or anybody in your group has any dietary requirements, whether for religious, cultural or medical reasons, just let us know when you book so we can make sure they’re catered for. All of our catering staff have received food allergy and food hygiene training.

What safety measures are in place at Marchants Hill?

We have a huge emphasis on safety, starting with the recruitment of our staff and continuing through to all of our activities. As a founder member of BAPA (British Activity Providers Association) and a licence holder for activities in scope of AALA (Adventure Activities Licencing Authority) regulations, we make safety our priority.

A risk assessment has also been carried out at Marchants Hill, with risks being outlined and managed. The risk assessment covers the grounds of Marchants Hill, as well as all of the activities available at the centre.

Our activity leaders are experts in their area, trained and assessed both in-house and by external assessors. They’ll be there during every activity to make sure they’re completed safely and correctly.

Our Activity Instructors are experts in their area, trained and assessed both in-house and by external assessors. They’ll be there during every activity to make sure they’re completed safely and correctly.

New staff complete a comprehensive induction and job specific training followed by regular observations, feedback, reviews and assessments.

Is there parking available at Marchants Hill?

Yes, parking is available on-site at Marchants Hill.

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PGL Schools & Groups Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

• schoolsandgroups.pgl.co.uk
• April 24, 2024

Compliance status

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

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Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Disability profiles supported in our website

• Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
• Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
• Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
• ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
• Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
• Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

• Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
• Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
• Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
• Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
• Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
• Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
• Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

Browser and assistive technology compatibility

We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

Notes, comments, and feedback

Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to

• Surrey, Marchants Hill

A huge range of adventures awaits! Book Now!

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There’s never a dull moment at Marchants

45 acres of concentrated action and adventure! Marchants Hill boasts a massive range of programmes, modern accommodation and plenty to do.

The surrounding woodland is filled with activities, and our purpose-built lake is used for paddle boarding, raft-building and kayaking.

Marchants Hill is home to our DISCOVER! Adventure and EXPLORE! Adventure multi-activity camps , and for those looking for something extra-special, our range of TRAILBLAZE! Adventure camps includes specialist Aqua Explorer , Bake It , Cooks Academy and Adrenaline Quest .

Swipe to find out more

Kids’ adventure camps at Marchants Hill

What you can find at Marchants Hill

Marchants Hill is packed full of handy facilities for your child to enjoy between activities. Whether they are looking to chill out, grab a snack, buy a gift for mum or dad, or socialise with their new friends, Marchants Hill has everything they need.

• Indoor Activity Zone

Retail / Shop

• Vending Machines

• Drying Room

• Accessible Bedrooms

• Sports Pitches/Courts

Table  Tennis

• Sports Hall

• Chill Out Zone

What’s on the menu at Marchants Hill?

Tasty meals and plenty of choice to please even the fussiest of eaters.

Adventure is hungry work! Kids at Marchants Hill enjoy three nutritious meals a day in our dining rooms, picking and choosing from a varied menu of delicious family favourites.

Hot and cold meal choices with vegetarian options

Self-service fresh salad bar

Fresh fruit available with every meal

Allergies, intolerances and special diets catered for

Kids love sleepovers at Marchants Hill

Sharing a room with new friends is part of the PGL experience! Our rooms at Marchants Hill are clean, warm and cosy, with comfy beds and en suite bathrooms too! After a long day of action, our young adventurers look forward to a fantastic nights’ sleep, ready for more excitement tomorrow.

Bethany House

Bethany House at Marchants Hill

En suite rooms sleep 4 -8 children

Lodges at Marchants Hill

En suite rooms sleep up to six children

Adventure for all ages at Marchants Hill

We’ve learned that children get the most from their PGL adventure when they’re with kids their own age, which is why at Marchants Hill we split our kids’ camps into three main age groups. Not only do children feel more confident and relaxed around same-age peers, it means their adventure will be perfectly tailored to suit their ability, offering age-appropriate excitement, challenges and activities to provide maximum enjoyment from their Marchants Hill holiday.

Our overlapping age ranges give you the option to choose the best group for your child if they are sitting at the upper/lower age limit.

Adventures that build independence whilst meeting new people and making friends in a fun and supportive environment.

11-13 Years

Explore the outdoors and grow in confidence through self discovery.

13-16 Years

Boost Boost resilience, teamworking skills and self-belief on an unforgettable outdoor adventure.

Which Marchants Hill adventure will you choose?

From dipping your toe into a short and sweet DISCOVER! Adventure , diving into the full multi-activity experience with an EXPLORE! Adventure  or trying something extraordinary with an TRAILBLAZE! Adventure specialist interest camp – there’s something for everyone at PGL Marchants Hill.

Which adventure will you choose?

• Adrenaline Quest

This one is especially for the adrenaline-junkies! Our Theme Park Camps are a thrill-seeker's paradise, packed with our finest white-knuckle PGL activities and two full-day theme parks visits, including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park and Drayton Manor Park.

• Aqua Explorer

Each holiday includes a selection of action-packed watersports activities, such as Aqua Parks, Sailing, Wake Boarding and Coasteering. Plus you'll get to take part in our very best PGL watersports - Giant SUP, Raft Building and Dragon Boating to name a few! Half your time will be spent doing specialist watersports and half enjoying classic PGL Multi-Activity.

You can choose this holiday at Liddington, Osmington Bay or Marchants Hill. Six half days of baking and six half days of our classic PGL Multi Activities provide the perfect balance for a week of fun! Work with our experienced baking mentors through a series of themed days, just like on Bake Off!

• Cooks Academy

Based at Liddington, Osmington Bay or Marchants Hill you'll spend six half days cooking with our expert mentors and six half days enjoying classic PGL Multi Activities. Each cooking session will have a daily theme - from Spanish culinary treats to French cuisine - you'll learn a whole host of new skills.

DISCOVER! Adventures

Day camps, 2 and 3 night stays jam packed with outdoor activities and new experiences.

EXPLORE! Adventures

4 to 7 night outdoor activity breaks. Our EXPLORE! Adventures offer longer stays,  more activities, bigger challenges and plenty of fun!

How to find Marchants Hill

Explore other locations nearby.

Isle of Wight – Little Canada

Nestled between 56 acres of woodlands and the inlet waters of Wootton Creek, this unique centre on the Isle of Wight is bursting with challenging activities on land and water, and is instantly recognisable by its charming log cabins on the riverbank.

Sussex – Windmill Hill

Welcome to Windmill Hill, an impressive Grade II listed mansion house on the beautiful Sussex Downs… where big adventures, new discoveries and unforgettable experiences can be found around every corner!

Wiltshire – Liddington

As one of PGL’s largest centres, Liddington is bursting with outdoor activities and sports facilities. Buzzing with activity and packed with challenges to conquer with your group. Situated on the ancient Ridgeway track bordering the North Wessex Downs, yet conveniently located just minutes from the M4.

Your child is in safe hands at PGL

At PGL it is safety first, always . We go above and beyond to ensure every young person is in safe hands at all times.

Everything we do is built on five protective pillars:

What our adventurers are saying…

Testimonials, what programmes are available at marchants hill.

We have three types of programmes that you can choose from at Marchants Hill. These are:

DISCOVER! Adventure EXPLORE! Adventure TRAILBLAZE! Adventure

Our specialist camps for your TRAILBLAZE! Adventure include:

What facilities are available at Marchants Hill?

We have the following facilities available at Marchants Hill:

• Table Tennis

What's included in the cost of a PGL adventure?

Included in your child’s adventure is:

• Accommodation
• Food & Drinks

Do you cater for specific dietary requirements?

Yes, we can cater for many dietary requirements at our PGL centres. We are able to deliver catering provision for dietary requirements as specified by culture, religion and medical concerns. We regularly provide meals for a wide variety of needs including coeliac, diabetic, food allergies and vegetarian/vegan. If your child has any dietary requirements then it’s best to get in contact with your party leader or a member of the PGL team to discuss their needs.

Can I contact my child while they're staying at Marchants Hill?

Absolutely! If your child has brought a mobile phone with them then you can call the during free time when they’re not taking part in our multi-activities, or you can call our centre if you need to speak to your child urgently.

Does my child need to bring money?

Your child doesn’t need to bring any money to camp as our adventures are fully inclusive. However, depending on your adventure there could be excursion days where your child might want to grab a snack. There’s also a Gift Shop on-site selling sweets and small souvenirs

We recommend pocket money of around £5 a day, plus between £5 and £20 to purchase gifts which will be on sale all week. And don’t worry about your child spending it all because we operate a secure system for holding and issuing pocket money in accordance with parents’ wishes.

Is parking available at Marchants Hill?

Yes, parking is available on-site.

What safety measures are in place at Marchants Hill?

Here’s how we keep you and your children safe at Marchants Hill:

• Safe People : Staff are fully trained, DBS checked, and continually assessed.
• Safe Places : All buildings are risk assessed, we have segmented accommodation, secure perimeters and strict equipment standards.
• Safe Spaces : All encompassing environments, language inclusivity, and SEND trained staff.
• Safeguarding : Staff are trained in safeguarding, helping them to spot risks and act quickly.
• Safe Travels : All of our travel partners are vetted to make sure they have safety management systems in place, and we ensure travel is adaptable to the needs of all children.

Call us on: 03333 212 114

Lines open Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5pm

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• Camps for 8 to 11
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Accessibility

Accessibility modes, online dictionary, readable experience, visually pleasing experience, easy orientation.

PGL Adventure Holidays Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

• adventureholidays.pgl.co.uk
• April 24, 2024

Compliance status

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.

Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Disability profiles supported in our website

• Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
• Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
• Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
• ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
• Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
• Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

• Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
• Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
• Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
• Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
• Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
• Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
• Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

Browser and assistive technology compatibility

We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).

Notes, comments, and feedback

Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to

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Date posted: 03 October 2023

£1 million fine for outdoor education provider in Waverley

News Editor

• Council News

Waverley Borough Council has successfully prosecuted outdoor education provider, PGL Travel Limited, who were ordered to pay £1 million plus costs after two children sustained significant injuries at an organised residential stay at the company’s Adventure Centre near Hindhead, Surrey.

The company pleaded guilty to offences under Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Guildford Magistrates Court in June, and were sentenced at Staines Magistrates Court on 2 October 2023, when a fine of £1 million plus costs of £18,006 and a victim surcharge of £181, were imposed.

The offences related to accidents which took place on the 26 May 2021 and 21 October 2021, both involving children attending school organised residential stays at PGL Marchants Hill Adventure Centre near Hindhead, Surrey.  The two children sustained significant injuries to their fingers following entrapment in door hinges at the centre’s accommodation blocks.

The court heard that  PGL Travel Limited, which describes itself as “the UK’s leading outdoor education provider”, had been monitoring similar incidents since 2009, and that 520 children across all its sites had sustained finger entrapment in door injuries, some resulting in significant injury and amputation.  Despite this, the business failed to voluntarily install finger guards to protect children staying at the Marchants Hill Hindhead based centre until officers from Waverley Borough Council’s Environmental Health (Food & Safety) Team issued them with Prohibition Notices requiring them to do so.

Councillor Tony Fairclough, Waverley Borough Council’s  Executive Portfolio Holder for Enforcement and Regulatory Services, said : “The council takes breaches of health and safety legislation very seriously; this is a significant fine for a local authority prosecution and it is testament to the sterling work of our Environmental Health and Legal teams.  No parent expects to send their child on a school residential trip, and for them to return injured. The children involved should have been enjoying their first independent holiday without parents but were badly wounded and traumatised by their injuries, which required hospitalisation and surgery.

“It is vitally important that businesses protect the health, safety and welfare of visitors to their business premises. They can do this by undertaking a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of work activities at their premises and implementing control measures in a timely fashion.”

Further information and advice on how to carry out a risk assessment is available from the Health and Safety Executive at www.hse.gov.uk .    

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PGL Marchants Hill

View prices for your travel dates

• Excellent 33
• Very Good 8
• All languages ( 57 )
• English ( 54 )
• French ( 2 )
• Spanish ( 1 )

" Get a cleaner & wash bedding.sort out damp & sewage smell in rooms.should be cleaned & inspected between each guests & make sure facilities work "

" Loads activities "

" On top floor because you can hear others banging around above you on bottom floor. "

" like butlins only worses, "

" Ask for a Teacher's room or rooms in the Golden Hills block "

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

PGL MARCHANTS HILL - Updated Reviews

PGL Marchants Hill

View prices for your travel dates

• Excellent 33
• Very Good 8
• All languages ( 57 )
• English ( 54 )
• French ( 2 )
• Spanish ( 1 )

" Get a cleaner & wash bedding.sort out damp & sewage smell in rooms.should be cleaned & inspected between each guests & make sure facilities work "

" Loads activities "

" On top floor because you can hear others banging around above you on bottom floor. "

" like butlins only worses, "

" Ask for a Teacher's room or rooms in the Golden Hills block "

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

PGL Marchants Hill - UPDATED 2024 Reviews & Photos

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PGL Marchants Hill

URN: EY395219

Rating and reports

All reports.

24 July 2023

10 July 2009

Next inspection

Early years register.

Providers on the Early Years Register will normally be inspected at least once within a 6-year window.

We will prioritise the first inspection of newly registered providers on the Early Years register. This will normally be within 30 months of their registration date.

Good or outstanding - We will inspect them at least once within a 6-year window from their last inspection.

Requires improvement - We usually re-inspect all childminders, pre-school provision and nursery provision within 12 months of the latest inspection.

Inadequate - We re-inspect all provision within six months of the latest inspection.

Group provision will normally receive a telephone call at around midday on the working day before the start of the inspection.

Group providers that do not operate regularly, will usually receive a call no more than five days before the inspection.

We can also inspect without notice.

Childcare Register

Each year, we inspect 1 in 10 of those who are only on the Childcare Register.

We do not inspect any provider on the Childcare Register until it has been registered for at least 3 months unless we receive information about possible non-compliance.

We will usually only inspect a provider on the Childcare Register once in any 12-month period unless we receive concerns.

For inspections of providers of childcare on domestic premises that operate regularly, we will carry out an unannounced inspection.

For all other inspections (childminders, nannies and childcare on non-domestic premises and childcare on domestic premises that does not operate regularly), we give no more than five days’ notice.

About PGL Marchants Hill

• Type: Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises, Out-of school day care
• Local authority: Surrey
• Address: P G L Adventure, Marchants Hill Camp, Tilford Road, HINDHEAD, Surrey, GU26 6RF
• Region: South East

Contact details and general enquiries

• Telephone: 01428605626

Registered by PGL Travel Limited

Open to show all providers under the same registered person.

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• Where we are All Locations Devon, Barton Hall Devon, Beam House Dorset, Osmington Bay East Sussex, Windmill Hill France, Château d’Ebblinghem France, Château de Grande Romaine France, Domaine de Segries Isle of Wight, Little Canada Lancashire, Winmarleigh Hall Lincolnshire, Caythorpe Court North Yorkshire, Newby Wiske Hall Northumberland, Ford Castle Perthshire, Dalguise Powys, Tregoyd House Shrewsbury, Boreatton Park Suffolk, Bawdsey Manor Surrey, Marchants Hill Wiltshire, Liddington
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Your adventure starts here...

Because your job should be an adventure too.

Enriching the lives of children is at the heart of everything we do, as is our incredible team. Join us and discover why a career with PGL is an adventure like no other.

As part of Team PGL you will make a real difference to the lives of children through creating unforgettable outdoor learning experiences. In return, let us look after you and your career.

We're not just Activity Instructors...

Life at PGL isn’t all climbing walls and ziplines! Behind the scenes is the multi-talented #TEAMPGL , our outstanding team of professionals who keep the adventure going from dawn til’ dusk.

So if dangling from ropes isn’t your thing, don’t worry! With rewarding careers in Catering, Retail, Hospitality, Administration, Facilities, Management, HR, IT, Sales, Marketing and  more , there’s a place for everyone at PGL.

Looking for flexibility? We’ll do our very best to fit your needs, whether it’s full-time, part-time, hybrid working or gap years!

A job with PGL is rewarding in more ways than one

We believe in paying our people great salaries. That’s why PGL offer at least the Real Living Wage, but we also understand its not just about money. PGL also believe in providing attractive benefits, offering unrivalled career development, and doing everything we can to make PGL an amazing place to be.

So be inspired, make incredible discoveries, enjoy success and achieve personal growth on your very own PGL adventure.

Our UK colleagues earn at least £12 per hour (from April '24)

Sector leading family friendly policies

Health, finance and wellbeing assistance programme

Fantastic perks, partner offers and PGL discounts

An extra day off on your birthday!

Paid volunteering time

If you love your job, why not make it a career?

Your adventure starts here. Where it goes, you decide. Enabling you to take a job you love, and make a career out of it, is something we take great pride in. Our people are our future and PGL is committed to matching your hard work by providing each member of our team the support and learning and development opportunities to realise their career goals.

I joined the PGL family after my first year of uni as it was a flexible and short-term summer job. I’m now back for my third summer and it’s one of the highlights of my whole year.

Every day is different, i have a great team around me and i've already picked up skills to progress my career, an amazing experience with incredible people... the best job i've ever had with memories to last a lifetime, best training i've ever had, they prepare you for everything you need to know..., a life changing experience, lots of opportunities, there is an amazing sense of family at pgl, there is a place for everyone, pgl provides opportunities for people of all ages, be it your first job or your last.

No matter your background, there's a place for you

We want to play our part in making the world a better and fairer place for all.

We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds, experiences and circumstances, and our recruitment team undertake regular outreach work with schools, colleges and universities, encouraging young people to explore job opportunities and career prospects at our centres.

We’re also developing our SEND support and training to establish a consistent and inclusive approach to our colleagues and guests with additional needs.

Better Beyond Adventure

We care for our places and planet. We champion wellbeing and play our part in society by acting progressively for the betterment of our colleagues, customers and communities.

✓ Our Places, Our Planet ✓ Champions Of Wellbeing ✓ Playing Our Part

Accessibility

Accessibility modes, online dictionary, readable experience, visually pleasing experience, easy orientation.

PGL Careers Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

• jobs.pgl.co.uk
• 24 April 2024

Compliance status

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email

Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.

These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.

Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Disability profiles supported in our website

• Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
• Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
• Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
• ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
• Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
• Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

• Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
• Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
• Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
• Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
• Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
• Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
• Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

Browser and assistive technology compatibility

We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

Notes, comments, and feedback

Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to