You are hiring an assault course for a private group. This section helps you pick a venue, a date and a plan that suit Year 10 girls and their mums.
The girls do not need to train hard. The course should be real but not extreme, with a good safety record and a well-run team.
Finding a venue
Book an established outdoor activity centre that offers private group hire of an assault course. Several are listed in the guidance on venues.
Ask each venue about the following before you decide:
- a course suitable for girls aged about 14 and for adults of mixed fitness;
- obstacles that an adult in everyday clothing can attempt, and a clear space for penalty exercises;
- private hire, so that only your group is on site;
- a women-only day, with female instructors where possible;
- a private area for changing, and toilets and washing facilities nearby;
- space for the meal and for prayer;
- easy parking for a minibus;
- a first-aid post and a clear emergency plan.
Look for real obstacles, not a gentle course. Ask for water features that are shallow and warm enough for early spring or autumn.
Tell the venue plainly that the group includes adults in everyday clothing, who will join in after a talk. Explain that you will agree the two standards, the penalty exercise and the safe words with their instructors.
Book early. Popular venues fill several months ahead. Ask for their risk assessment, public liability insurance and instructor qualifications, and keep copies.
Brief the venue’s instructors on the surprise. They need to know that the mums have agreed to take part, and that the girls have not been told.
Choosing the season and day
Late spring and early autumn are kind to everyone. The ground is soft, the days are long enough for the whole programme, and the weather is rarely extreme.
A Saturday suits most families. Check the diary against:
- school terms and half-terms;
- Ramadan and the two Eid festivals;
- exams, trips and other madrasah events;
- prayer times, which shape the whole day.
It is wise to name a reserve date in case of storms or icy ground.
Getting there
Everyone travels together. Hire minibuses with professional drivers, women where possible, with room for the girls and their mums. This keeps the group together, and removes the worry of tired driving after a long, active day.
The mums come along as supporters, so nobody needs to be collected or kept apart. Mums and daughters simply travel side by side, as families do on a day out.
It helps if you:
- book the minibuses and drivers as early as the venue;
- agree the meeting point and times with every family;
- check seat numbers, seatbelts and insurance;
- hold a list of who is on which vehicle.
Count your passengers on every journey, out and home.
Safeguarding and safety
These girls are children, so safeguarding comes first. Use the checklist below with your own policy and your venue.
- A named safeguarding lead, with a current certificate
- Enough adult leaders for the number of girls, including trained first aiders
- Signed consent from a parent or carer for every girl
- A signed participation, health and informed-consent form for every mum or stand-in, showing her chosen standard
- Medical, allergy and dietary information for everyone
- Emergency contact numbers, held by two leaders
- A written risk assessment, shared with the venue, that covers wet clothing, penalty exercises and adults attempting every obstacle
- A clear plan for lost children, injuries, cold and bad weather
Ask parents about medical needs and any worries well ahead of the briefings. Check what your insurance covers, and add any extra cover you need, including for the mums.
For risk assessment guidance, see the Health & Safety page [link to be added].
What it costs
Costs vary a lot between venues and regions. Ask for written quotes, then build a simple budget.
| Cost | How to estimate it |
|---|---|
| Course hire | Quote per person or per group, from the venue |
| Minibus and driver | Quote for the full day, including waiting time |
| Meal and drinks | Number of people multiplied by cost per head |
| Certificates and small prizes | A modest, fixed amount |
| Insurance and first-aid supplies | Check your existing cover first |
| Reserve | About ten per cent of the total |
No family should be put off by cost. Raise funds for places, ask local donors, or reduce the budget before asking families to pay more.
A few simple ways to keep costs down:
- visit venues before you book, and ask for off-peak days;
- share the meal, with families bringing a dish if you agree it in advance;
- ask a local business to donate prizes;
- borrow equipment and first-aid kits from your mosque or school.
Sponsorship raised for charity can help with running costs only if you say so clearly to sponsors. Keep it separate from money given to the cause. A girl’s place must never depend on how much she raises.
What to wear
Clothes have a part to play in the story, so the rules are simple.
- The girls come in their normal madrasah dress, with an old pair of trainers.
- The mums come dressed as supporters, in an elegant abaya and flat shoes.
The mums’ outfit is what makes the call to leave work. They look like women who have come to watch, and not like people ready for a muddy course. The clothes stay part of the challenge. They are not swapped for sports kit.
That does not mean unsafe. Ask everyone for sturdy, closed, flat shoes with a good grip. Headscarves should be pinned or tucked so nothing trips or snags.
A full-length abaya can be heavy when wet. Tell the mums to choose one they do not mind getting dirty, and to wear a base layer underneath if the weather is cold.
Mums who choose the supported standard wear a plain white hijab to help instructors identify them. Mums on the full challenge can wear any other hijab of their own.
Clothes for the end of the day
Everyone looks forward to getting clean and warm after the challenge. This is part of the day, not an afterthought.
Each girl brings a bag with a clean, nice outfit for herself. Each mum brings a bag with dry things to wear underneath. Both bags are handed quietly to a leader at the madrasah.
The organisers supply the mums’ outer clothing. This is a set of plain abayas and hijabs, gathered in advance and handed out after the meal. It echoes how families arriving at a camp are often given donated clothes. Part 4 explains how to hand them out with dignity.
All the bags are left on the minibus and are not carried on the course. They come out only after the meal.
Ask each girl to put in her bag:
- A nice outfit, with a headscarf
- Clean underwear and socks
- Footwear to change into
- A small towel and wipes
- A bin bag for muddy clothes
- A name label on the bag
Ask each mum to put in hers:
- Dry underlayers and an underscarf
- Clean socks
- Footwear to change into
- A small towel and wipes
- A bin bag for muddy clothes
- A name label on the bag
The organisers should prepare the donated clothes with care.
- Gather them from your community, or ask a local refugee clothing project.
- Wash and press them, and make sure they are modest, clean and in good condition.
- Include a range of sizes, a spare hijab for each mum and a few pins.
- Ask in advance who keeps them. Many groups pass them on, washed, to a refugee clothing project.
Leaders collect the bags on arrival and check them quietly. If a bag is forgotten or incomplete, leaders can step in with spares, with no fuss.
With the venue, the minibus and the clothes settled, you can turn to the cause.