Plas Pencelli has brought adventure and inspiration to tens of thousands of youngsters over 35 years. But now the council is set to withdraw its funding. DOMINIC PONSFORD has this exclusive report.

Swindon Council is proposing to scrap subsidised children's adventure holidays at its flagship outdoor education centre Plas Pencelli.

The council-owned centre in the Brecon Beacons has provided holidays for around 50,000 schoolchildren since it opened in 1967 but now both Wiltshire and Swindon councils are proposing to stop their £100,000 grants from April 2003.

Councillors have pledged that the centre will not close. But the move will mean staff cuts, reduced services and the end to subsidised holidays as the centre is run as a commercial business rather than a funded service.

Council lead member for education Garry Perkins (Dorcan, Con) said: "We want to make it an operation which will break even and there's no reason why it can't.

"We are looking at possible staff restructuring and also increasing the market. We are 100 per cent behind maintaining it but we've got to make it better value for money. There's no reason why we can't market it to outside bodies such as businesses within the town."

A week at the centre costs £130. Without subsidies this figure would be around £270. The centre has a total annual budget of £500,000.

The price includes activities such as caving, rock climbing, gorge walking, river kayaking and includes full board.

Teacher Dave Knight, 52, from Dorcan Technology College, has been taking groups to Plas Pencelli for 20 years. He described plans to cut its funding as "a crying shame".

He said: "I think it would be a great shame that something which was set up in the 1960s and has been a great asset for education for Swindon would be faced with possible closure.

"The course fees would go up and make it exclusive rather than inclusive. In the 20 years I have been going the cost has always been a reasonable one that the majority of pupils can afford.

"At parents' evenings I often find that parents went to Plas Pencelli themselves. It's become an institution in Swindon and it's part of the heritage of Dorcan School. It's a superb facility."

Wiltshire County Council decided to stop its funding for Plas Pencelli 18 months ago.

Swindon Council had considered chopping its subsidies as part of the new budget set last month, but eventually decided to put the plans on ice pending a further review of the service.

But at last week's cabinet meeting, councillors rubber-stamped a move to withdraw all the council's subsidies from April next year.

They decided to set up a working group of officers and members to work with the centre's management committee to review the way it is run.

The plan is to make it self-financing from April, but also to develop a three-year business plan to secure its long-term viability.

Wiltshire County Council head of Youth and Community Services Gordon Evans said: "We plan to withdraw direct contribution to Plas Pencelli from April 2003. In the meantime it gives us the opportunity to increase charges and reduce costs so that it will be able to survive without the subsidy."

He said that, as the centre is only used by two thirds of schools in the county, it was unfair that the other third should have to subsidise it.