Christian outdoor centre in Beccles closes down

A charitable trust which ran a Christian residential and outdoor centre near Beccles in North Suffolk has been declared insolvent, the centre closed and staff made redundant.

The Ringsfield Hall Trust, which ran the Woodland Activity and Retreat Centre, officially went into insolvency on January 9, reports the EDP.
 
Staff were told in a meeting on that date that they were to lose their jobs working for the charity which has now stopped trading.
 
Rev Mark Bee, director trustee and chair of the charity, said: "I can confirm that sadly the trust has ceased trading after financial issues forced us to declare insolvency.”
 
Rev Bee, who is also the minister at the village's 15th-century church, told the EDP: "At the moment we have experts looking into solutions, staff have sadly been made redundant and we have people coming to value the property which likely will be sold to pay off the debts."
 
Following the declaration of insolvency, the business' website has shut down and it has cancelled all bookings it had for forthcoming school trips.
 
Ringsfield Hall provided children and young people with outdoor residential opportunities through school trips. Activities related to nature, care for the planet and very special care and respect for the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of each child.
It offered both residential stays and activity days to schools or organisations. The 14 acres of grounds included a games field with football posts, a badminton court, two fire pits with canopies  woodland areas, meadow, garden, pasture with animals and wild areas for exploration, discovery and fun.

The house was available to youth groups and churches, families and other groups for use either in their pastoral work or for social gatherings, reunions, retreats and workshops; and for quiet space and reflection, there is a small chapel, a quiet garden and hermitage.
 
The Hall is a Victorian house with 14 bedrooms, sleeping 25-50 in a variety of sizes from dormitories, to twin and double rooms.  There are two sitting rooms and a large dining conservatory plus a single room on the ground floor. There are outbuildings including a games /meeting room, a straw bale space with log burner and kitchen area and an art barn which is an indoor/outdoor space for some creativity.

On its website (which is now closed), the Hall said: “As a Christian Centre our core aim is to create a holistic, welcoming space to encourage the reconnection of both children and adults, to themselves, to one another, to the earth and to the spiritual within,  that is to foster the spirit of the child.”

Pictures from Ringsfield Hall.

Story extracts from EDP24.