'Don't close our centre,' pupils plead

Schoolchildren have joined a campaign to save a threatened outdoor study centre, describing it as an "amazing place".

Hampshire County Council has proposed shutting Stubbington Study Centre near Fareham so it can be turned into a new secure children's home.

Year six pupils from Craneswater school in Southsea who are among more than 4,000 young people who visited the facility in the past year, have written letters and made posters in support of the centre.

The local authority said the home was needed to cope with a high demand for specialist residential care.

Craneswater school pupil, Sophie remembered trying to throw an egg in a trebuchet during her trip to Stubbington Study Centre.

"An actual egg you make an omelette with!" she explained proudly.

"We had to do tasks to win things to protect the egg and we got bubble wrap, cotton wool AND a yoghurt pot!"

I asked if the egg catapult was a success.

"No" she said with a giggle. "It broke and it was a right mess!"

Classmate, Casey remembered the "earthquake experience".

The children have to pretend they are part of a rescue team, going through black tunnels and carrying equipment over obstacles.

He smiles as he tells me "I was trying to carry a ladder so I did throw a few of the plastic babies to another member of my team!"

"You get to do some really fun activities. It's an amazing place," said Barney.

For Seb, the highlight was playing football with other schools. "It had the most amazing playpark" he said.

The outdoor education centre, first opened in 1935, is used by schools and youth groups.

It has four outdoor classrooms, a hide for watching wildlife, a pond and an orienteering course.

Most visitors stay overnight in on-site dormitories, but it also offers day camps and holiday activity programmes.

Teacher Bethan Vaughan said the activities the centre were important to the curriculum for primary-age children learning about nature and wildlife.

"The environment is so special, right on the beach and with incredible woodland and green space, quite a lot of inner city schools have nothing like that near them.

"It's the animals which they really remember, seeing badgers and foxes late at night from a hide is so exciting," she said.

Members of other councils, parents and a group of ex-head teachers have already voiced concerns about the closure plans.

Hampshire County Council has said it was keen to hear from all users of the centre as part of its consultation.

It insisted the new specialist secure welfare children's home would be a "once in a generation" opportunity to provide "state of the art" facilities for the most vulnerable children.

The new facility would be funded by the government - if the council can provide a suitable site.

The consultation runs until 10 February.

You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.