Our Charity

Big plans were already in the pipeline here at Longridge (scroll down past the depressing flood photos for more details), but the great flood of January 2024 has very clearly shown that we need to expedite those plans. Longridge needs flood proofing, and fast, to ensure that we aren’t begging for help and weeping into our wellies every winter. As the water level rose, we had to watch endless amounts of hard work come undone, but it’s only made us more determined than ever to build something even better - and more importantly, something up and out of the path of the powerful Thames and it’s inevitable floods.

We are incredibly lucky to hold such a beautiful location in Marlow. However, that is not without its hardships. Longridge is built on a flood plain, and there is no escaping the fact that the flooding we endure each year is getting worse as more water is redirected away from the houses of Marlow. We will not be beaten though, and instead we need to think big, and we need to build TALL!

Since the flooding of 2014 we have worked hard, with lots of support from amazing bodies such as Sport England, Wooden Spoon, Percy Bilton, Berkshire Community Foundation, Heart of Bucks and many many of our users and supporters to raise the money to flood proof Longridge by raising our buildings and facilities. Just before Christmas we had the exciting news that we have been granted funding from COF to replace the largest building on site, The Gibbs & Dandy Rooms with flood proof cabins. This left us just our training rooms and workshops to replace and we aimed to achieve this in 2025. The River Thames though had other ideas and this latest flooding has decimated those buildings. We could replace the floors, decorate, re-plaster etc, but that seems a waste when we know we are going to demolish them in the near future. Added to that is the fact that they won’t survive even another flood, not even a miniature one. We know this is a big ask, but if we are able to raise £40,000, then we can bring forward our plans to demolish and replace these buildings. Having flood proofed training rooms will ensure Longridge will be able to withstand future flooding and continue to provide the young people of our community with amazing outdoor adventures for another 100 years.

Please donate if you can, but we are also desperate for volunteers to come down and help us put site back to how it should be. In particular we’ve been lucky in the past to have corporate groups and local companies come down for the day and lend a hand. If you can help, please get in touch, or if you know of a business looking for a fantastic local charity to support with their Corporate Social Responsibility Days then please send them our way! We’ve got a range of jobs, from shovelling woodchip to helping pressure wash away the detritus the river leaves behind - so there really is a job for everyone. It’s most fun if we can put a group together and make a day of it, and any youth groups/companies/teams that come will of course be rewarded with a team building activity as soon as the weather allows.

Please email savannah.foister@longridge.org.uk with any ideas or offers of help. Thank you in advance. Longridge would not be here if it was not for all the amazing support we’ve had from our community over the years, and we will rebuild and push through this latest flooding to ensure we are here for that community for at least another 100 years!

Longridge On The Thames - Be Part of our Adventure.

We are seeking our communities support with one final fundraising push to realise the full potential of Longridge and secure its future. We have over the last year developed a strategy with the following objectives:

Financially robust

year-round income streams not reliant on fundraising or activities but being complementary to our market
6-months operating reserves
Remove all debt

Strong community presence

A much-loved family destination
Delivering strong community benefit

These objectives rely on us having facilities that are flood-proof and fit for purpose. For many years our hands have been tied by having to make facilities that are out-of-date and expensive to run work for us. Having raised £220k through COF funding, we are seeking a final £40k to realise all of our ambitions and secure Longridge’s future.

Our Past

The charity Longridge On The Thames (LOTT) was formed to buy Longridge from the Scout Association in 2007 and run Longridge for the whole community. In the first few years, we successfully created a year-round centre and built up good operating reserves but flooding and more recently Covid ate into those reserves and made us pause and realise we needed a new operating model for Longridge to be sustainable.

Longridge On The Thames (LOTT) is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. LOTT owns the freehold of the Longridge centre, with a £300k outstanding mortgage. Overall responsibility for the strategic direction of the charity sits with the board of trustees who delegate operational responsibility to the CEO.

Our Activites

Longridge is recognised by British Canoeing for the provision of paddlesports such as canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, as well as bigger boats such as dragon and bell boats. We also work with British Rowing and are delighted that the British Rowing have their own training hub at Longridge. In addition to our water sports, we have a large climbing and high ropes course, laser tag, a giant swing and water orbs. All of our activities are designed to introduce young people to the concept of risk, to build confidence, team building and leadership skills. We are also credited with Learning Outside of The Classroom which is something that our Team and Charity are incredibly passionate about. Young people visit us with their schools, youth groups, families and on their own. We also offer courses for adults and work with other charities and community groups to develop programmes that tackle specific challenges that young people face, that could be physical, environmental or social challenges.

As well as our activities we have a training rooms, the main rooms are used by Azure Dance and Theatre School, and our smaller rooms provide space for the various sports teams and clubs that are based at Longridge, as well as providing classroom space for courses in first aid and child protection. We have a PRU based on site providing alternate provision for young people who are at risk of being permanently excluded, using outdoor activities to re-engage them with education and enable them to thrive. We have beautiful camping areas, many on the river-side and it is here that we have our own tented villages which are complemented with an indoor accommodation block.

We aim to widen young people’s horizons and develop a positive life attitude. Not everyone can thrive in mainstream education and so whilst we provide fun and adventurous activities for everyone no matter their background, we also hope to show young people that they can achieve great things both within and outside of education, no matter their ability level.

Vision of the future

We plan to demolish all the ground level buildings that have flooded numerous times and are no longer fit for purpose. We will replace these buildings with raised modular buildings that are functional, affordable and raised off the ground fulfilling our mission to have a light touch on the earth. Our plans can be split into three areas:
1. Parking

Our existing carpark is large but poorly laid out. We plan to create a longer, thinner carpark with distinct entrance and exit, space for coaches and under the carpark a sustainable energy source. This latter energy source will not only power site but also sell power back to the grid. The carpark will be for Longridge customers and members of the clubs and organisations based at Longridge. This is the final part of our project and we envisage this happening in 2026.
2. Better use of existing facilities (this has been completed!)

In 2023 we will seek a tenant for the Training Centre to bring us year-round income, as well as building a second tented village. The ground floor of the Laser House will be converted into a self-catering kitchen and training space, to replace the space lost in demolishing the Gibbs & Dandy Rooms.
3. Replacement

In 2024 we will replace all existing ground level buildings with a series of temporary cabins that will deliver:
o Adult toilets and showers
o Training Space
o Office space
o Café/Shop
o Commercial kitchen
o Covered catering areas
o Two new activities, a bouldering wall and low ropes course
o Improve pontoons and access to island
o Create members racking and improve river access
o Build a wild swimming area in the Thames

Investing in Longridge

Longridge has been at the heart of our community for nearly 100-years. Generations of families have used the centre. Those in their 70/80s will remember learning to swim at Longridge. Scouts and Guides will have visited with their troops, in fact, our own CEO first came to Longridge 40-years ago as a Scout, as did many of our Trustees. Some schools have been having their annual trip to us for decades, with parents now bringing their children to the same camp that they attended.

You can be part of our adventure by donating into our Flooding Fund

We hope you agree that Longridge is worth investing in. You can make your donation via our Good Hub page. Alternatively, if you would like to get involved by donating expertise to help shape and create our plans or discuss making a sizeable donation and naming part of the site please contact our CEO, Amanda Foister OBE on 07540 411779 or amanda.foister@longridge.org.uk

There are three ways to support Longridge. Above talks about what we will do with your donation. We also need donations of time, particularly to help clearing up after the flooding and of course the best way to support Longridge is by using our facilities. This could be on your own, with your family, a group of friends or work colleagues. And when you have a really great time, making sure you share your experience with everyone you know.

Support us, support the future.

How can you help?

Ideas & Contacts

Do you know someone who might like to help us by donating skills or expertise? We particularly need help with scoping out our development plans and in particularly our alternative energy aspirations. Or can you think of something we can offer at Longridge that our community needs – particularly in the winter months when Longridge is quieter. If so, please get in touch with and let us know your idea.
Sponsorship

Donate to our Flooding Fund.
We also want Longridge to be completely sustainable and create its own energy, so plan to build an alternative energy source under our new carpark. Would your business like to sponsor a building? Or would you like to be a member and make a donation?
Time

We have a core salaried team who work hard but even so we wouldn’t be able to run Longridge without our dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers work in every part of our operation – we have volunteers coordinating our development planning, helping with our marketing, organising events and maintaining the site, and our Trustees all give huge amounts of their time to keep the governance of the charity tip top. For our site maintenance, some volunteers join our team regularly to plant and care for our grounds and their work is complimented by groups coming from local companies to paint, clear and repair specific areas. We always have jobs – big and small for all ages, all abilities and to fit all time scales. Longridge would not operate without volunteers.
Using Us

Probably the best way to support us is by organising your adventure at Longridge That could be on your own, with your family, a group of friends or work colleagues. And when you have a really great time, making sure you share your experience with everyone you know.