The first of its kind in the south of England, Via Ferrata Cornwall is celebrating a slew of achievements as it marks its first anniversary on 26 July.

Launched during the pandemic as the South West's ultimate high-wire and climbing centre, the facility near Penryn enables participants to have fun, conquer fears and push their limits in a striking outdoors setting around a former quarry.

Whilst enabling nearly 7,000 visitors to do just that in its first twelve months of operation, Via Ferrata Cornwall has raised vital money for parent company BF Adventure, a charity providing critical support to Cornwall's most vulnerable children and young people in need.

The fledgling business has also managed to notch up several awards, including being named Experience of the Year in the i newspaper's National itravel Staycation Awards.

"Building a brand-new adventure course was always going to be a challenge, but particularly in the middle of a pandemic," explains Adrian Richards, CEO of BF Adventure.

"We had months of landscaping, drilling, and hanging off cliff edges to create the routes. With hundreds of metal rungs built into the rock, a 70m long high wire bridge, and a zip wire stretching over the water, this was no mean feat.

"Doing this in an ex-quarry was (and is) a first in the UK, but the staff at BF Adventure were up for this exciting challenge. Since we opened last July, we've welcomed 6,841 visitors including families, groups of friends, companies, school and youth groups, and disadvantaged young people. I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved," he concludes.

New for this year, Via Ferrata Cornwall, has expanded the activities on offer to include coasteering (in the quarry), climbing, archery, and water sports (stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing).

There are also plans for a wild play area for children aged 1-plus and nature trails in partnership with Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

As well as running regular adventure holiday clubs during the school holidays, Via Ferrata Cornwall hosts special themed events. Upcoming highlights include DadFest, the UK's only 'Festival of Fatherhood', from 20 to 22 August, and a team-building Business Challenge Event on 10 September.

Via Ferrata Cornwall's successful first year of operations has meant that around 100 children and young people have benefited each week through a range of 1:1 and small group work sessions delivered by BF Adventure.

Highlights have included the launch in January of AdventurEd, a new programme for young people aged 16-18, which has seen the outdoor activities recognised with an accredited qualification, Level 1 Skills for Living and Work.

Over 80 young people have also received support during the last 12 months for their mental wellbeing through the Head Out provision, demand for which has rocketed due to the impact of the pandemic on mental health.

Furthermore, around 80 children and young people struggling with mainstream education have been supported each week through the Learn Differently programme.

This has also seen a surge in demand with the challenges created by the change in routines over the past year.

Click here to see more from Via Ferrata Cornwall.

[H3] See the latest news on our Twitter and Facebook pages. [.H2]