The owner of an outdoor education centre near Bala has warned that the industry is about to coll­apse and the effect of that will be catastrophic for North Wales.

Sara Jane Jones has run the Rhos y Gwaliau Outdoor Education Centre with her husband Ed for 16 years. The centre has been in operation for 45 years but Sara says the centre, and outdoor education centres across the country, are under threat.

“Centres have not been officially closed, but school children are not allowed to go on residential trips, so we’ve not had any business since March,” Sara said.

“The sector is in collapse due to government restrictions and will not survive this pandemic without help.”

Rhos y Gwaliau employs 12 members of staff including Sara and Ed and they are all on furlough.

With the government scheme set to end soon, the couple are doing everything they can to keep their staff.

“We’re trying to avoid redundancy and we’re personally borrowing money to save our livelihood and our staff,” Sara said. “We need them to operate. Without them we haven’t got a business.”

Sara believes across North Wales there are 25 centres employing over 900 people. Those jobs could all be lost if the outdoor education centres close. They also estimate an annual income of £50 million for these centres across North Wales.

“We offer highly skilled, permanent, year-round jobs which are vital in rural areas,” Sara said.

“If they were lost, this would impact many people and other businesses in the supply chain in the area, and it would have a huge effect on the rural economy of North Wales,” she added.

Sara is also concerned children are being deprived. She said: “Opportunities for residential education are being lost for children all over the UK. Give children the space and freedom in these beautiful environments that they so badly need.”

Referring to the centres as “safe opportunities” and “safe businesses” which could be lost forever, Sara added: “We are a small centre in North Wales who have set up the #saveoutdoored campaign to raise awareness of the issues facing these businesses. These centres will close because they cannot last without income or support.

“We want children to be allowed to stay. We have plans in place and the activities take place outdoors but we haven’t been given a chance to operate. We’d like schools to be able to decide themselves if groups can visit in their bubbles and if they can’t we want to know when the education departments will allow visits to take place. If they won’t do that, they need to fund us adequately.

“We are in a devastating place right now.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We continue to advise against all residential trips for children under 18 organised by educational settings. Our guidance is regularly reviewed and all future decisions will be made within a broader framework of what is happening in Wales.

“Our Economic Resilience Fund has supported more than 13,000 businesses across Wales. Firms in the outdoor activities sector have been eligible for support from the fund or could have received a non-domestic rates grant depending on the rateable value of their property.”