Venture Elements was setup by Matt and Emma in 2017, as a part time project to provide outdoor adventure activities for individuals or groups that face barriers to participation. The business has steadily grown and diversified in the range of services it provides, but has stayed true to its key value of using outdoor adventure activities to support peoples needs.
Matthew has eleven years teaching experience, working with young people across all key stages. This included working with students with learning difficulties through to those on gifted and talented registers. He set-up Outdoor Education programmes within two different schools, to develop personal skills that prepare them for life and support their future aspirations. He is a qualified instructor in; Rock Climbing, Abseiling, Canoeing, Kayaking, SUP, Caving, Bushcraft, MTB, Archery, Gorge Walking. He currently works delivering a range of different courses across the Peak District. Any spare time is spent climbing in the Peak District or around Europe.
Emma has worked as a primary school teacher for the last 6 years. She has studied Psychology and Education at Masters level, recently undertaking a research project looking into the impact of mindfulness for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. Further to this, she has developed the use of these strategies within the outdoor environment to give children something concrete to work with. She is currently working towards achieving a doctorate with a research focus on developing resilience and growth mindset. Her additional qualifications include a Counselling and Psychotherapy Diploma and a Diploma in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.