Robinwood Activity Centres develop children as individuals and as members of a team, with safety, enjoyment and learning as our priorities. We aim to respond to customer feedback to provide the best customer experience and to respond to staff feedback to create the best place to work.

Robinwood Activity Centres is proud to be a Living Wage Employer, committed to paying its staff industry-leading pay.

Started in 1994, Robinwood provides 3-day, 2-night residential courses for 7-11 year olds.

Its staff are focussed on making a really positive difference developing children through adventurous and themed activities. Each group of children gets the same Group Leader throughout their stay allowing them to work with the teachers to develop the children as individuals and as a group.

Based across 3 centres in Yorkshire, Cumbria and North Wales but continually looking to grow and expand. We believe in investing in the very best staff to deliver all that we offer, and as such, we have held Investor in People Gold Accreditation since 2013.

Always looking to the future and striving to improve in whatever way we can for both our customers and our staff, Robinwood is proud to announce that it became an employee-owned company in November 2024.

Reasons to Work at Robinwood

1. Best Pay - We reward the valuable work our staff do. How? By being an honest and transparent living wage employer.

The starting wage for a Robinwood Group Leader is £13.45 per hour (increasing to £13.85 per hour following successful completion of a 6-month probation period). For a Group Leader on a 29 hour per week (4 day) contract, this is £20,584* in your first year and will be your gross pay, not pro rata, and has no hidden deductions.

For Group Leaders starting at our Barhaugh Hall centre, pay starts at £13.65 per hour (increasing to £14.05 per hour following successful completion of a 6-month probation period). This works out at £20,885* in your first year based on 29 hours per week (4 days).

All new starters begin on a 29 hour per week contract, with their normal working week after induction training being 4 days. We use an annualised hours system to ensure that you receive a consistent monthly wage, regardless of differences in your monthly work hours. Your permanent, year-round contract provides financial stability, helping you plan for the future.

*Annual figures are an estimate. As we are a Living Wage Employer, our base pay rates are reviewed and increase based on the Real Living Wage Foundation guidance in May.

Making a commitment to our staff by being a Living Wage Employer is something we feel passionate about. The whole team do an incredible job developing children and deserves the fairest pay possible.

2. Best Team - We build fun and supportive teams. How? With our values-based recruitment process.

For many people who work with us, the friends they have made here are a headline reason why they love the job so much.

Everyone at Robinwood starts as a Group Leader and is appointed based on their values. One of the fantastic benefits of this is that our staff are always around like-minded people.

Outdoor sports, bushcraft, board games, you name it, someone will be interested in it too. Our staff team come from so many different backgrounds that you will be sure of finding some common ground. This creates a welcoming, understanding and fun staff team that we are sure you will love being part of.

And with our staff living in the local area and the permanent year-round contracts we offer; you will want to (we hope) stay with us for many years and become part of what we firmly believe is the best team.

3. Best Training - We prioritise your development from the very beginning. How? With paid-for, relevant training.

You do not need any prior qualifications to become a Group Leader although we ideally look for people with previous experience working with children. Our values-based appointment process means you have what it takes to be a great Robinwood Group Leader, we’ll teach you the rest!

At Robinwood, you can expand your skill set by obtaining paid-for nationally recognised qualifications in archery, paddle sports, and climbing, among other areas. These qualifications may be necessary if you want to advance into more specialised positions with us.

4. Best Wellbeing - We deliver the very best support to the very best staff. How? With our award-winning staff provision.

We take the wellbeing of our staff team seriously. We strive to make a difference to our team by making sure they feel listened to, supported and have a workload that works.

Through a consultation with the staff at the centres, we found out the things that make a difference to them at work.

We have pledged a Wellbeing Commitment that covers 12 key areas. These include timetable shift patterns, at least two consecutive days off a week, line manager support, holidays and communication.

Once you start, you will have regular contact with your Line Manager. They will be a key person in your career with us. Their primary focus is to create a positive workplace for you. They will observe your activity sessions, provide you with supportive feedback and help you work towards your goals, and are on hand for you to talk to if you need other support.

5. Best Lifestyle - We get the work-life balance just right. How? With 12 weeks holiday a year and fixed timetables.

One of the things that makes us stand out in this industry is that we only offer permanent year-round contracts. We balance your hours across the year meaning that you get paid every month, even when we’re on holiday.

It is important to us that, where possible, your timetable supports your hobbies and commitments outside of Robinwood. To do this we will offer you a fixed timetable with the same days off each week and twelve weeks' holiday a year.

Great teamwork is key at Robinwood; therefore, we jump at any opportunity to put on team building and social activities. Each centre has a team of staff who organise regular social events and a team dedicated to boosting everyone’s well-being.

6. Best Awards - Our fantastic staff provision has won numerous awards. These awards mean more than trophies on a shelf and wall plaques. They are proof that we are as good as our word. Delivering on what we say we do, not only leads to higher staff retention but also to happier customers and a stronger business.

Gaining awards and recognition is one of the many ways we hold ourselves accountable to achieving the provision we put in place for our staff.

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