I, Simon Jermy, being of slightly adrenaline fuelled but overall pretty sound mind do hereby pledge:

• - to spend the next year as if it were my last, seeking out the world on my doorstep.  Regardless of what others think, I will challenge and push myself, measured by my own standards and expectations.
• - This is my time; the year to try new things; to meet new people who share a passion for adventure and the outdoors…AND TO HAVE FUN!!

Take the pledge with me

Donate your status on Facebook, Twitter or any of your social networks.  Just copy and paste the following sentence and insert your name then paste it into your status:

[NAME] has made the Club Conch Resolution 2009. You can too at http://tinyurl.com/8jky4s

A year ago today, I made myself a promise. After a disappointing summer in 2007 I vowed to make the most of 2008, to get out and enjoy the adventures on my doorstep.  No matter what the British weather threw at me, I was going to try all those things that I’d talked about but never got around to.

One year on and I’m making that resolution again.  This time, you can join me and make the most of your 2009.

What is Club Conch?

It’s about fun, pure and simple.  Club Conch is a low-cost way of trying new adventure activities with people just like you.

Originally set up by Sallie Haydock (The Coachworks) and me (Simon Jermy), Club Conch was our way of making sure that our leisure time didn’t slip off the radar as we got caught up in the daily grind of work. 

2008 saw us hiking; biking and power kiting; mountainboarding; kayaking and playing disc golf.  We soon found other people wanted to join us and now you can too.

Adventure is good for the soul

I could go on forever about the benefits of adventure.  It’s a great way  of keeping fit, boosting your confidence and trying new things.  The feeling of contentment at the end of a day outdoors is incredible. 

In today’s economic climate, it’s more important than ever to stay positive.  Club Conch is a great way of doing that.

Sallie and I will be out and about throughout 2009.  If you don’t have the time to organise yourself, come and join us.  We’d love to see you.

How do I keep in touch?

There are no subscription fees for Club Conch.  Just pay to join the events you want to, whether that’s every month or just once a year.

The schedule for Spring 2009 will be sent out very soon so if you’d like to be kept up to date sign up to our newsletter at the top right of the blog homepage.

Take the pledge

Watch this blog for the Club Conch Resolution on New Year’s Day.  This is one promise you’ll want to keep.

So until tomorrow, have a wonderful New Year’s Eve and a great start to 2009 from all of The Conch team.

Ok so there was a hitch.  The hitch was this… paintballing got called off at the last moment.  There I was, just out of the shower and ready for a day of colourful bruises when I got a call from the guys at the paintball centre to say there weren’t enough people for a game. 

After a frantic hour phoning every paintball centre in the North West, with Club Conchers coming from all over the shop (even some from New Zealand!, via London…for a year) it soon became evident we wouldn’t make it in time to paintball.

Game over…?

Not exactly.  We were pretty determined to get out and about on Saturday.  After all, we had loads of food, dry weather (for the most part) and a group of people who were up for a day out.  So, instead we decided to head down to Delamere Forest in Cheshire and see what we could get up to.

The Forest

Like other Forestry Commission sites, Delamere is really well suited for outdoors and adventure enthusiasts.  As well as beautiful scenery and good amenities, the forest is home to Go Ape! (a treetop adventure park) and a massive network of biking trails. 

After staving off the hunger of the will we/won’t we paintball situation, we hired mountain bikes and hit the trails, winding through trees and ditches, racing round corners and even stopping off to play a little frisbee (although we spent most of the time fishing it out of the stream).   

Overall it was a fantastic day, just what we needed to de-stress and have some fun after all our busy weeks.  For me though, it was more than that.  On the Saturday afternoon, I felt so glad we hadn’t just cancelled the event.  It would have been the easy option but we would have missed out on so much.  In fact, it led me to make a promise to all Club Conchers.

Club Conch will never cancel an event

It may rain.  It may snow.  There may be 3 of us or 30 of us.  Whatever the weather and whatever the problem, we will not cancel an event.  This may involve some hectic rearrangements at the last minute.  It may mean we can’t provide the activity we originally planned. 

For those that don’t like the alternative activity, a refund will be offered.  For everyone else we say, come and cut loose with us.  It may not go exactly to plan but you’ll meet some great people and have a fun day out. 

After all, that’s why we’re all here isn’t it?

Work/Life balance is a tricky thing.  It can be hard to just kick back and have some fun.  When the pressure is really on, how do you justify taking a break?

At The Conch, we want you to be as sparky and as motivated as you can be.  Starting on April 19th 2008, we’re launching Club Conch, providing entrepreneurs and busy professionals with affordable adventure activities that will fit into the busiest schedule.

Club Conch grew out of a need faced by all entrepreneurs to guard their downtime. In bringing like-minded people together, we help foster connections in a fun environment that can lead to a greater focus and re-energised approach to your work life.

Launch Event – Mountainboarding

For our first event we’ve partnered with Surf The Turf, South Lakes Mountainboarding Centre.  Mountainboarding is also known as All Terrain Boarding.  It’s easy to learn so even if you don’t have previous boarding experience (skate, snow or surf) you’ll still pick it up and learn at your own pace.

The Details

Venue: Surf The Turf, South Lakes

Included: 1.5 hours tuition, 1.5 hours boarding, kit hire, insurance and meal.

Price: £35

Nearest train station: Oxenholme

View Larger Map

No experience required

So you’re no adventure athlete.  Who cares?  Club Conch is a fun, informal network of professionals out to enjoy themselves.  We want to help people try new things, build confidence and shake off the stress of work. 

After a hard day’s boarding, there’ll be a chance to grab some food and network (i.e. chat) in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Useful links

Eventbrite: Tickets are limited so book your ticket now!

Pingg.com: Don’t forget to RSVP on the club conch webpage.

The Conch: Join the Club Conch group to share your stories and photos.