Our story

Level Up Outdoors was born from our team’s passion for outdoor education and our desire to work with as many young people and adults as possible to help them positively transform their lives. Last year (2022) over 4,000 young people (+staff) had a residential experience with us, which meant that over 40,000 meals were prepared and served on site!

Our parent company, Operation Encounter Ltd, has been planning and delivering outdoor experiences since 2016. This includes working with schools, charities, local authorities, the NCS Trust, sports teams and corporate groups. Thousands of people have completed an experience with us!

Our broad experience enables us to understand and tailor every activity and programme to match the objectives and needs of your organisation and participants.

ORGANISATIONS WE HAVE WORKED WITH

Over the years we have worked with a wide range of NCS Trust Delivery Partners, Schools and other organisations. Here are just a few:

SCHOOLS
    • Alperton Community School
    • Ark Blake Academy
    • ATAM Academy
    • Aylesbury Vale
    • Beaconsfield School
    • Bohunt School Wokingham
    • Botwell House Catholic Primary School
    • Cranmore School
    • Durston House School
    • Edgeborough School
    • Great Marlow School
    • Longdean School
    • Moulsford Preparatory School
    • Notting Hill and Ealing School
    • Reading Blue Coat School
    • Reading School
    • Ruslip Garden Schools
    • Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School
    • St. Andrew’s School Pangbourne
    • St. George’s School Ascot
    • St. Peter’s Catholic Primary School Marlow
    • Sutton Valance School
    • Trevor-Roberts School
    • Whitchurch Primary School
    • Woodston Primary School
    • Worplesdon School
NCS DELIVERY PARTNERS
  • Activate
  • Bedfordshire
  • EFL Chelsea
  • Groundwork
  • Hear2Listen
  • LEBC
  • The Challenge
  • Young Gloucester

Accreditation & Quality Standards

Quality and safety are paramount for us and underpin everything we do. We hold a licence with the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) which is part of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). This is renewed annually. We also hold a Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge and an Adventuremark. These endorsements reflect the expertise and experience of our team and the quality and safety of our deliver

AALA-1
Adventuremark logo
Layout 1

Our People

Level Up Outdoors brings together a diverse range of personalities and experiences to form a first-class team of leaders and instructors, supported by our operations crew. Each individual is hand-picked to fit our ethos and values as well as the qualifications and experience required.

Regardless of their background and specialism, every staff member receives extensive in-house training and is required to pass an enhanced DBS check.

Meet the Core Team

team_3
Matthew Couling

Matthew Couling

Matt is a Director of Level Up Outdoors and looks after everything related to operations and our sites – no small job! In his early career, Matt served for four years as a Royal Navy officer, specialising as a pilot. He subsequently worked for a FTSE 100 company in business development whilst committed as a part time Police Officer and Royal Navy reservist.

Since then, Matt ownes and operates multiple businesses in the outdoor industry. Having always had a passion for adventure and outdoor education, Level Up Outdoors is the perfect combination of both. Matt lives in Buckinghamshire and is married with a daughter.

Richard W
Richard Waddell

Richard Waddell

Also a Director, Richard is responsible for long-term planning and strategic relationships. He brings a diverse range of experiences, having started his career as an Officer in the British Army. As well as three operational tours of duty, Richard led and took part in adventurous activities including skiing, snowboarding, climbing and scuba diving.

After leaving the Army, Richard moved into leadership consulting. He is passionate about seeing young people develop their confidence and push themselves in ways they never thought was possible. Richard is married to a teacher and has two young children. He lives in Buckinghamshire and enjoys running, cycling and road trips to Europe.

Rich C
Rich Carpenter

Rich Carpenter

Rich is our Head of Centre and onsite Technical Expert. He has been working in the outdoor industry for 17 years since leaving college and has worked in many different types of local authority centres and commercial outdoor operations throughout the UK and abroad.

Rich is a highly qualified and respected paddle sport coach in addition to holding many high-level outdoor qualifications. Whilst he is happiest on or in the water, he is just at home climbing, mountaineering or even underground caving.

team_4
Kelly Couling

Kelly Couling

Kelly is the Office Manager for Level Up Outdoors. With over 10 years of experience as a secondary school PE teacher, Kelly brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team.

At Level Up Outdoors, Kelly is the first point of contact for teachers and group leaders, making the booking process easy and stress-free. Kelly also ensures that our staff are always current with their qualifications. She is constantly supporting the rest of the team to provide the highest level of service possible.

With a background in teaching, Kelly is passionate about helping people of all ages enjoy the great outdoors and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Interested in working with us as an instructor?

Find out more here