Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, there is a charge of £3 per person to launch your own canoe/kayak/SUP from our site. This charge includes car parking, the use of the showers and changing rooms and access to the river. Please call in to reception on arrival to pay and sign our Launch and Change Register. Calling ahead is recommended as sometimes launch is not available and sometimes the centre could even be closed.
Unless otherwise specified, all sessions will take place on-site. Below is a breakdown of the common session locations:
High Ropes sessions are based on our big purpose built high ropes course in the main field.
Climbing can be in one of four locations: Inside the tower on the high ropes course, (ideal if the weather isn’t good), vertical sides of the tower on the outside, inclined side of the tower on the outside, (ideal for the less able climber) or inside the main building, (ideal for when the weather is very cold or wet).
Abseiling sessions are on the high ropes course in two locations: halfway up the tower on the inclined wall or on top of the tower (people aged 8 and over).
Canoeing, Kayaking, Bell Boating, KataKanuing, Stand Up Paddleboarding Raft and Bridge building sessions are delivered on the River Soar right on the doorstep of the centre.
Archery and Air Rifle Shooting sessions are based either outside on the range in the second field or inside in the sports hall.
Fencing takes place indoors – in the sports hall or the Tonks Hut.
All other sessions take place in bespoke locations on our 15 acre site.
We cannot guarantee you will stay dry if participating in water based activities as accidents can happen. The Instructors will take steps to minimise the chances of falling in, particularly if the weather is hazardous. If falling in is a big issue it is a good idea to talk to the Instructor before and they will advise as necessary to make you feel safer.
If you are participating in a land or high ropes based activity then your only chance of getting wet lies with the weather – please come appropriately dressed to be outdoors given the expected weather.
Yes, all required equipment is provided for Instructor lead courses and activities, this includes boats, paddles, buoyancy aids, harnesses, helmets, bows, rifles and anything else that might be integral to the activity.
Customers must remember to bring a spare change of clothes and a towel if participating in water based activities or if the weather is wet.
Yes you can, but whether you can use it is down to the discretion of the Instructor. Items such as typical paddling kit and boats are usually ok. Typically items that are required for safety such as harness, ropes etc we tend to only use ours.
You can download a list of recommended clothing and items to bring with you from the Useful downloads page of our website.
- Abseiling – 5 years
- Upper Aerial Trekking – 8 years
- Air Rifle Shooting – 8 years
- Archery – 5 years
- Bell Boating – 5 years
- Bridge Building – 12 years
- Bushcraft – 5 years
- Canoeing & Kayaking – 8 years
- Climbing – 5 years
- Crate Stacking – 8 years
- Fencing – 5 years
- High All Aboard – 8 years
- High Balance Beam – 8 years
- Inclined Beam – 5 years
- Jacob’s Ladder – 12 years
- Leap of Faith – 8 years
- Lower Aerial Trekking – 12 years
- Orienteering – 5 years
- Powerfan – 8 years
- Raft Building – 8 years
- Stand Up Paddleboarding – 8 years
- Team Building – 5 years
- Trebuchet Building – 8 years
- Zipline – 8 years
Please note: For our After School Club and Holiday Schemes the participant must be in School Year 1 where the minimum age states 5 years, this is an OFSTED requirement and therefore LOPC can not accept any participant that is younger than school year 1.
There are no maximum ages for any of our activities, everybody is welcome as long as they are above the minimum age.
However, for the holiday scheme we do split the children into age groups and we do try to stick to these as firmly as possible so that parents know the activity will be tailored to their child’s age.
Yes, we require you to book in advance. You can make a booking in the following ways:
- Using this website for Adventure Club activities, Holiday Schemes and Courses.
- Over the telephone by calling 0116 268 1426.
- Email: enquiries@lopc.co.uk or admin@lopc.co.uk
- By visiting reception at LOPC.
We require at least some of the cost of the booking to reserve the spaces for you, how much depends on the activity:
All Adventure Club sessions must be paid for in full at the time of booking.
For Holiday Scheme places, Courses and Group Bookings LOPC require a minimum of 50% deposit at the time of booking. Once payment is received your reservation will be confirmed. Provisional bookings cannot be guaranteed without payment.
The outstanding balance can be paid in advance or on the day of the activity.
LOPC accept the following payment methods:
- Cash
- Credit or debit card payments either over the telephone or in person
- Cheques from an organisation (such as school, business, youth group etc.)
- Bank transfer (please call 0116 268 1426 to request details)
- Childcare Vouchers
Picture 1
Yes you can use a debit or credit card as you would with most online payments.
Yes we have male and female changing rooms, equipped with group lockers, individual lockers, showers and toilets, we also have an accessible toilet.
Keys for the lockers are available from reception, a small deposit is required for an individual locker key – £5, item of jewellery, bank card, driving licence etc.
Yes, we have plenty of free parking available on site without height, weight or width restriction. We encourage coaches to come into the car park rather than blocking the road.
The instructor can provide you with a box to put all valuable items in which will then be locked away in a cabinet in the office during the session. Alternatively individual lockers are available in the changing rooms. Keys for the lockers are available from reception, a small deposit is required for an individual locker key – £5, item of jewellery, bank card, driving licence etc.
No, we do not have a requirement that people are able to swim, all participants in water based activities wear a suitably sized and fitted buoyancy aid to help them float should they fall in the water.
What we do ask is that participants are confident in the water should they fall in. If you or someone you are booking in is nervous of the water, just let your instructor know before the activity starts as we are quite used to working with people who are facing their fears.
No! We never make anybody capsize. We sometimes encourage people to capsize if the time is right for them, but we never make them. If you are on a paddling course you may be require to capsize in order to pass the course, as already said you will not be made to but you’ll be encouraged.
Capsizing is part of your development as a paddler. Although you may not like capsizing, by experiencing a capsize and knowing what it’s like you can understand what to do if you capsize again, you can then become less concerned about it and become more confident as a paddler.
Your booking confirmation will tell you whether there are any more costs, what you have paid for and any outstanding payment to be made. Generally for courses you may be required to pay a registration fee to the national governing body to process the award.
This does depend on the course you have booked on to.
Some courses do not have a formal assessment as they are only a training course, however you may need full attendance to gain the certification that shows you have attended the course. Usually for training courses, attending for the whole course and being open to the learning that is offered is sufficient.
Courses that do have an assessment are subject to how well you perform. We will do our best to give you every opportunity to prove you have the required skill level to pass – but we cannot guarantee a pass! Some of our courses are ran by an external assessor who comes in from the sport NGB just to ensure standardised testing across the country.
You should however learn a great deal, about the subject and/or your ability. If you do not pass you should be given a clear action plan about what you need to do to improve if you are deferred. Your course confirmation should inform you whether this is an assessed course.
We have wetsuits available if required, you will need to arrive early and ask for one as we do not hand them out routinely. Please note that wetsuits generally work best when they are wet so if you are not planning on falling in then you may not need one. If you have your own wetsuit then you are of course welcome to bring it.
Yes, Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre is registered as an OFSTED Childcare Provider. Our Registration Number is 226869
Yes, if you would like to view a copy of our liability insurance cover please visit the Useful downloads page of our website.
Yes, we have a number of Risk Assesment documents to help you understand the likelihood and seriousness of any dangers associated with our activities. Please visit the Useful downloads page of our website to see them.
LOPC will sell equipment that has been used for activity sessions. We will advertise items for sale on the website, on LOPC noticeboards or through the press. From time to time the Clubs who are attached to the Centre also advertise equipment to purchase either on their website or noticeboards at the Centre. However we do not have a shop – we can recommend to you where to get items from if you are after something specific.
There is a question on the consent form that you will complete before you participate. We ask you if you want your photo to be used for marketing and you are welcome to opt in and say that you are happy for us to use your image. If you do not tick the box, we will assume that you do not want your image to be used.
For all booking enquiries our main office hours throughout the year are:
Monday to Thursday – 9.00am – 5.00pm
Friday 9.00am 4pm
Saturday 9.30am – 5.00pm
Sunday 10am – 4pm (Open March to October)
Activities can be booked to take place 7 days a week in our main season of March to October, and Monday to Saturday from November to February.
Generally activities start at the earliest at 9.30am and are finished at the latest by 8.00pm (latest start time 6.30pm)
From time to time we will be open to run activities outside of these times, please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Dogs are allowed in the outside spaces if they are kept on a lead. As with normal practice, dog owners are required to keep their dogs under close control and clean up after them. You must not use our grounds to exercise your dog.
Yes, but if in doubt please seek advice from your Doctor.
From our experience:
Full body harnesses can be worn for ropes activities but sit harnesses are best avoided – you can do all of our ropes activities in a full body harness.
Archery will become more difficult as the pregnancy progresses and the bump gets in the way of the bow when standing side on to shoot.
Careful craft selection will be necessary for water based activities.
But overall most activities remain accessible to ladies that are pregnant.