A NUMBER of residential outdoor activity centres have joined forces with Cumbria Tourism to seek to persuade the county's MPs to support their calls for an urgent review of Government restrictions.

Current Covid-19 guidelines prevent schools from organising learning activities outside of a classroom setting.

Organisations representing outdoor activity centres have been in talks with the Department of Education on this issue, and have lamented the Government's decision not to review the current guidelines until "at least" November.

Now a number of centres, including the Lake District Calvert Trust in Keswick, are joining forces to urge the county's Westminster representatives to encourage a rethink of the current position.

Justin Farnan from the Lake District Calvert Trust, also a Non-Exec Director for Cumbria Tourism explained: “Despite other rules on overnight stays being relaxed, for schools and colleges they have a 100 per cent ban imposed for 2020 and no clarity for 2021.

"This will mean that in addition to major shortfalls in 2020, for many activity centres the majority of next year will be written off too.

"This is a highly visible part of the Cumbrian economy and no sight of any change in guidance risks hundreds of jobs and some permanent closures, skills and facilities that may never be regained, plus further shocks within the local supply chain.”