the outdoor education company

What the outdoor education company does

The Outdoor Education Company (East) Ltd is a UK private limited company founded in 2014 by Lauren Bean, headquartered at the Kinetic Business Centre, Theobald Street, Elstree (Company No: 9234045). It operates a mobile activity-hire service that delivers adventurous activities directly to schools, events, and community groups across the United Kingdom, eliminating the transport and venue costs associated with offsite visits. The core offering consists of 16 owned activities — mobile climbing walls (including an accessible variant with adaptive equipment), a 27-room inflatable laser tag maze, archery (traditional and soft), skateboarding, wilderness skills, team challenges, aeroball, construction challenge, circus skills, boccia, new age kurling, mini golf, disc golf, and British Fencing-designed fencing — bundled into three school packages (Thrills, Adventure, Junior Explorers) plus bespoke packages for larger groups, SEN schools, and secondary schools. All equipment is transported and operated by the company's own DBS-checked instructors, with £5 million public liability insurance in place and Institute for Outdoor Learning membership held by the firm.

The business monetises on a per-pupil, per-event basis: single activities from £5-7 per pupil, full-day packages from £20-25 per pupil, with a 25% non-refundable deposit and balance due 14 days before event. Pricing tiers are structured as Adventure, Skills, and Thrills collections, with split-day and bespoke tiers for 150+ pupils. Customer concentration is primarily in the UK schools vertical (primary, secondary, SEN), with secondary demand from event organisers, corporate clients (Ageas Bowl, Huawei), local authorities (East Suffolk Council), disability charities (Erb's Palsy Group), and uniformed groups (scouts, guides, cadets). Marketing is predominantly direct-to-consumer via the company website (outdooreducationcompany.co.uk), organic social (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), email newsletters, printed booklets for schools, and significant word-of-mouth and returning-customer referrals. Distribution is fully direct — no intermediaries or resellers — with nationwide mobile delivery driven by a small team (approximately 8-12 people including owner, part-time office manager, operations manager, training lead, and instructor-drivers).

Strategic focus has been on building inclusive capability (adaptive climbing equipment, wheelchair-accessible laser tag bunkers), reinvestment in core equipment (£25,000 climbing wall renovation in 2024), and partnership-led reach (Alpkit Foundation for accessible climbing, British Fencing for equipment design). The company is founder-controlled with no disclosed external investment, acquisitions, patents, or subsidiary entities.

Name

the outdoor education company

Legal name

The Outdoor Education Company (East) Ltd

Website

https://outdooreducationcompany.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Outdoor Education Company is a UK mobile activity-hire operator founded in 2014 that delivers climbing walls, laser tag, archery, and 13 other adventurous activities directly to schools, events, and community groups nationwide, using DBS-checked instructors and owned equipment to eliminate offsite visit costs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Education Services

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAALAI

Adventure Equipment Rental Shops (Outdoor Gear, Camping, Climbing, Water Sports)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure & Ecotourism Equipment Rental & Guiding Services

Keywords

• Mobile activity hire
• Outdoor education services
• School activity packages
• Adventure activity delivery
• Inclusive climbing experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Elstree

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. School Activity Days: On-site adventurous activities delivered at schools. Pricing per pupil with packages for different group sizes. Single activities from £5-7pp, full activity days £20-25pp. Includes DBS-checked instructors, all equipment, 5 hours of operation.
2. Event Activity Hire: Mobile activity hire for corporate events, fetes, fairs, weddings, parties. Nationwide coverage with branding options available. Pricing includes 5 hours operation per day as standard.
3. Community and Charity Events: Activities for scout groups, guides, cadets, and disability charities. Can be delivered with combination of company instructors and organisation volunteers at discounted rates.
4. Sports Premium Activities: Activities delivered as part of UK school sports premium funding, supporting broader experience of sports and activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Outdoor Education Company delivers fully mobile adventurous activities directly to schools, corporate events, fetes, fairs, weddings, parties and community/charity groups across the UK. The company owns and transports its equipment fleet (7.5m climbing walls, 27-room inflatable laser tag maze, archery ranges, skateboarding gear, etc.) and provides DBS-checked qualified instructors for each booking, with 5 hours of operation per day included as standard. Activities are sold individually, as structured school day packages (Thrills, Adventure, Junior Explorers) or as bespoke packages for groups of 120+ pupils, secondary schools and SEN schools, all booked via direct contact with the company.

Product overview

The Outdoor Education Company operates as a mobile activity hire service providing adventurous outdoor experiences directly to schools, events, and community groups across the UK. The core offering consists of 16 individual mobile activities including Mobile Climbing Walls (available in standard and accessible versions), Mobile Laser Tag, Archery/Soft Archery, Skateboarding, Wilderness Skills, Team Challenges, Aeroball, Construction Challenge, Circus Skills, Boccia, New Age Kurling, Mini Golf, Disc Golf, and Fencing. These activities are bundled into three structured school packages: the Thrills package (Climbing, Laser Tag, Aeroball, Skateboarding), the Adventure package (Climbing, Soft Archery, Skateboarding, Circus Skills), and the Junior Explorers package (Aeroball, Circus Skills, Soft Archery, Boccia/Kurling). Additionally, the company offers bespoke packages for larger groups and specialized needs. All activities are owned, delivered, and staffed by the company's own instructors with DBS checks and liability insurance coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Climbing Wall Modern mobile climbing tower with 7.5m of climbing surface and 15 different routes, available in Arizona Orange and Slate Grey colours, staffed by qualified instructors and typically serving up to 150 pupils per day at schools or drawing footfall at fetes, fairs and corporate events.
• Accessible Climbing Wall Inclusive mobile climbing wall with adaptive equipment and specialist instructors supporting participants with disabilities including wheelchair users, those with visual impairment and reduced mobility, enabling inclusive delivery at school visits and disability charity events.
• Mobile Laser Tag Mobile laser tag with a 27-room inflatable maze with multiple doors and windows, a scoring system, phasers, accommodating 10-12 players per game in 3-5 minute rounds, supplemented by inflatable bunkers added in 2023 for inclusive events.
• Archery Traditional archery hire with qualified instructors providing safe target shooting suitable for schools and corporate events with adaptable range setups.
• Soft Archery Indoor-friendly archery variant with smaller space requirements, faster pace and wider age-range suitability than traditional archery, used in school and event settings.
• Skateboarding Mobile skateboarding instruction with safety equipment provided, focused on balance, coordination and confidence building for beginners, delivered at schools and events.
• Wilderness Skills Survival skills activity teaching five wilderness principles: fire lighting, shelter building, water filtration, basic first aid and signaling for help, delivered on-site at schools and events.
• Team Challenges Problem-solving activity using ropes, cones, balls, blindfolds and tarpaulins to develop teamwork, leadership, communication and lateral thinking skills for school and event groups.
• Aeroball Fast-paced combination of volleyball and basketball played on trampolines, with music, tournaments and quick changeovers, designed to engage groups at school events and activity days.
• Construction Challenge Problem-solving activity using giant Meccano-style equipment to build towers, cars and structures, focusing on teamwork, leadership and STEM skills for school groups.
• Circus Skills Workshop Inclusive workshop offering juggling, diabolo, spinning plates, ribbons, balance boards, pedal gos, kendama, flower sticks and slack lines with instructor guidance.
• Boccia Inclusive Paralympic sport played seated from a team position, similar to bowls, adaptable for various ages and abilities with mathematical and coordination elements.
• Mini Golf Portable 9-hole mini golf course with obstacles including bridges, swirls, bumpers and a loop-the-loop, suitable for younger children at school events and parties.
• Disc Golf Mobile 9-hole disc golf course using safe-fly discs, introducing the sport where players throw frisbees into catching baskets in fewest throws, suitable for school and event groups.
• New Age Kurling Ice kurling variant played on smooth surfaces, using coloured stones to get closer to a target than opponents, inclusive for a wide range of ages and abilities.
• Fencing Fencing instruction using British Fencing-designed portable equipment, teaching stance, movement and attack techniques through duels for schools and events, without bulky traditional kit.
• Thrills Year Group Activity Day Full-day school activity package featuring Climbing, Laser Tag, Aeroball and Skateboarding, designed for groups of 90-120 pupils across 4 activity sessions during a 5-hour operating day.
• Adventure Year Group Activity Day School activity package including Climbing, Soft Archery, Skateboarding and Circus Skills, suitable for Y3+ groups of 60-120 pupils across 4-5 activity sessions.
• Junior Explorers Activity Day KS1+ suitable activity package with Aeroball, Circus Skills, Soft Archery and Boccia/Kurling, designed for younger pupils in Key Stage 1.
• Bespoke School Packages Customisable activity packages for schools with 120+ pupils, secondary schools and SEN schools, allowing mix-and-match of activities from the A–Z menu, with discounts for multiple activities or days and options for progressive adventure weeks and whole-school sports events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 150 pupils can participate per activity per day
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cotswold OutdoorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner/client featured on events page with logo display. Cotswold Outdoor is an outdoor retailer that may provide equipment sponsorship or collaborative marketing for outdoor adventure activities.
• East Suffolk CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal government partner featured as client on events page. Council uses services for community events and activities.
• HuaweiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate client featured on events page. Huawei has used activities for corporate events and team building.
• Alpkit FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlpkit Foundation funded a mobile climbing wall for Erb's Palsy Group charity. The Outdoor Education Company works with this charity to deliver accessible climbing experiences using the funded equipment.
• Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL)minorOthersProfessional body membership indicated in safety page imagery. IOL is the professional body for individuals and organisations working in the outdoor learning and adventure activity sector.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/outdooredco
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheOutdoorEducationCompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/outdooredco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-outdoor-education-company

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about the outdoor education company