Darren Rowbotham is CWU Western counties Branch Lead ULR and feels that learning doesn’t have to always take place in a classroom environment, as members found out in Exeter during a sunny Saturday in September.

Darren organised a survival day with A Taste Of the Wild - a Devon organisation specialising in bushcraft, wild food and environmental arts and crafts and based in Haldon Forest. Members who signed up for the survival mission in Haldon Forest were soon to find out life in the wild was a whole new experience. 

Those attending were first all blindfolded and left to find the hidden camp with just a rope to follow and their natural instincts, this helped prepare everyone for what was installed, they were no longer behind a BT desk or delivering post to the public out of our comfort zones. 

Once in the camp they were informed how to build a shelter for the night as the temperature started to fall and with a matter of hours night would be upon them. This is where team work came into play with everyone performing a specific role to reach the outcome which will enable them to survive a night in the woods. 

Darren takes up the story:

After the team building we all needed to keep our strength up, and had to create a fire in order to prepare an evening meal and a hot drink, with only natural resources at hand and a few tips from the instructors.  We soon found our inner survival skills.

The food was cooked and enjoyed by everyone around the camp fire. Now we had learnt how to keep our strength up, cook in the wild and the correct amount of salt to add to soup, or should I say how much not to add? We were ready for the final survival mission, find our way back to the car park in darkness with a torch, map and compass."

Given the team new found skills of orienteering they again worked together finding each location on the map and hidden glow stick which would light the way to the life style they were all used to - and just in time to catch Match of the Day back home.      

Gavin Hardie, Lead ULR Plymouth and East Cornwall Amal Branch said afterwards:

The whole day was a great success, everyone who participated really enjoyed each challenge set by our instructors. The event was meant to be a team building session and by the end of the day, with the help of each other and the hard work put in, our team really showed strength and enthusiasm to complete all the tasks set."

Ben Hatherley from Plymouth added:

I really enjoyed the day. I didn’t know what to expect at the start, but by the end of the day, I was so glad I did sign up for the event. The 2 instructors were really good and very knowledgeable. From the start they made everyone feel at ease."

Whilst fellow trade unionist Jack Davies from PCS in Exeter added:

I think the event was a success and was pitched at the right level for everyone to have a go."