Longridge CEO stands down after 18 years of helping youngsters enjoy great outdoors

One of the key figures behind Longridge Activity Centre has stepped down after dedicating 18 years to helping young people enjoy the great outdoors.

Amanda Foister helped set up the Longridge On The Thames charity which bought the outdoor adventure site, near Marlow and Bisham, from the Scout Association back in 2007.

She spent almost two decades as the activity centre’s chief executive, working towards the goal of making the venue a place for everyone in the community to enjoy.

The site, located near the banks of the River Thames, offers activities from kayaking to paddleboarding for up to 80,000 young people across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire annually.

It has faced myriad challenges over the years including the growing impact of flooding at the site.

Now, as the venue edges towards its 100th anniversary in 2027, Amanda said the time had come for a change as the centre looks to the future.

She said: “Having done it for so long, I really felt that for Longridge to be the best it can be it needed fresh eyes and fresh energy to push it forward for the next 100 years.

“Longridge is vital. I know I’m passionate about it and have given it a lot of years but I would like to see more Longridges not less.

“Now, it is even more important because there are less opportunities, particularly for young people, to get outside and enjoy nature.”

The 59-year-old received an OBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours’ List in 2017 in recognition of her services to young people at the Quarry Wood Road venue.

But she said the activity centre’s success has been down to the hardworking teams running its countless activities and helping things operate smoothly behind the scenes.

The role Longridge has played in helping youngsters improve their confidence and make positive changes to their lives is also something Amanda will always treasure, she told the Advertiser.

“I’ve seen so many wonderful stories of young people who have managed to make quite significant changes in their lives as a result of Longridge,” Amanda said.

“Sometimes those little tiny things of getting people to get out of their bedrooms, move away from their video games and be outside with people widens horizons.

“It’s just being in nature, being outside and being active.”

As the site prepares to mark its 100th anniversary, there are now plans to improve its facilities for families to make the venue more appealing for those who want to take trips closer to home.

Amanda said: “There’s so much potential there and so many fantastic plans. The team now really want to open Longridge up much more as a community resource and open it up to families.

“With less money around, people still want to have breaks but perhaps need things that are closer to home and more affordable.

“Longridge can provide that but it can only provide that with an investment in approving the accommodation, improving the toilets and that sort of thing.

“That will be their next fundraising push.”