Help for Heroes

Raise money for soldiers by taking part in extreme sport……..

Paratrooper, Ben Parkinson, is the most seriously injured British soldier to survive his wounds in Afghanistan. Yet on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the lance bombardier, who lost both legs and suffered brain injures during active service, jumped 15,000ft in a charity parachute jump.

Inspired by the bravery of paratrooper, Ben Parkinson, in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday on November 14th, The Activity People will be making a £1 donation to ‘Help For Heroes’ (http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk) with every group booking activity form now up until Remembrance Day.

Rebecca Rudkin, business development manager at The Activity People, said: ‘The real-life heroism of our troops in Afghanistan is inspiring to many of us. Parachute jumps, bungee jumps and the other extreme activities we offer are nothing compared to the day-to-day heroism of our troops on the frontline.

‘We hope to do our bit by raising some money for our brave troops,’ said Rebecca. ‘We will make a donation of £1 on every group booking an activity before Remembrance Sunday, they don’t necessarily have to do the activity before that date, just book it before then.

‘We are also hoping that many of the groups will take the opportunity to raise money for Help For Heroes, by sponsoring their activity or collecting money on the day. We have every possible activity for them to choose from, and each member of the group can book onto the charity event as individuals making organisation less of a headache. So, how about a parachute jump, paintballing, karting, rally or off-road driving, quad biking, dirt buggy racing – you name it we have the activity,’ said Rebecca.

With British Forces fighting in Afghanistan the money raised in the annual Poppy Appeal is more significant than ever before.  Since 2003 the Royal British Legion have provided financial help to 10,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan operations – and are currently investing £20 million in Personnel Recovery Centres to care for the wounded of current conflicts. In 2009, the legion raised £107 million – including a record £31 million for the Poppy Appeal – so well worth supporting.

The Legion spent over £110 million on its work in 2009.   If you want to book an activity, click here and quote HFH1.

The Activity People support Help for Heroes
The Activity People support Help for Heroes
The Activity People support Help for Heroes

Some Zorbing facts!

zorbing down hill

Zorbing (globe-riding, sphereing, orbing) is the recreational activity of rolling downhill whilst inside an giant inflatable ball not too dissimilar from the well known hamster ball!

The globes are generally made from a transparent plastic.

As a rule Zorbing takes place on a gentle hill, however it can also be done on a level surface which allows for a greater degree of rider control.

There are two types of orbs, harnessed and non-harnessed. Non-harnessed orbs are able to carry up to three riders, while the harnessed orbs are constructed for one to two riders. Double-harnessed spheres have different slope requirements, and must only be operated in specific locations.

The first Zorbing site was established in Rotorua, New Zealand, by Andrew Akers and David Akers.

Zorbing entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 2001 where it was defined as: “a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills”.


Book your Zorbing Experience NOW

The History Of Karting

indoor

The sport of Go karting or karting as it is more popularly referred too, has undergone some major changes since it’s inception in the USA as little more than feisty ride-on lawn mowers ridden by the odd amateur enthusiast.

Modern karts driven by the professionals of the sport can now reach speeds of around 160mph and are used as training for aspiring F1 world champions. Karting as a leisure activity made it way across the Atlantic into Europe during the swinging 60s and has steadily grown in popularity on this side of the pond ever since.

Karting’s origins in the USA

Art Ingels is generally accepted to be the father of karting. A veteran hot rodder and a race car builder at Kurtis Kraft, he built the first kart out of scrap metal and a surplus two-stroke cycle engine in his garage in Southern California in 1956, and his new invention immediately caught the imagination of an audience of a few hundred people when he tested it in the car park of Pasadena’s famous Rose Bowl.

In 1958, American outfit Go Kart Manufacturing Co became the first kart manufacturer, whilst another American company, McCulloch, was the first to produce engines for karts. Its first engine, the McCulloch MC-10, was an adapted chainsaw 2-stroke engine.

Karting quickly caught on, with karting facilities springing up in many towns and cities across the USA.

This initial widespread enthusiasm, however, lasted only until a lack of finances towards the end of the 1960s saw many of these facilities begin to disappear and karting become a much more select sport with only those who could afford it able to take part. Karting as a sport also suffered at this time from lacking a governing body, meaning it had no basis on which to develop a bona fide professional sport, so for decades was predominantly enjoyed on a recreational basis.

The shift to Europe

Unlike other motorsports with origins in the USA such as Demolition Derbies, Drag Racing or Stock Car Racing, karting and kart racing has succeeded in making the transition from the States to Europe, becoming a highly popular leisure activity as well as a key learning ground for professional drivers.

In the late 1960s, European engine manufacturers became more popular than their American counterparts. This trend continued into the 1970s as McCulloch, the leading American Go Kart engine manufacturer, was bought by Black and Decker, who had no interest in producing kart engines. It was during the 1970s that today’s modern Go Kart designs came into force. The engines were at the side, rather than at the back of the kart.

Karting becomes a sport for real

The creation of several regulatory bodies in the 1980s strengthened the idea of Go Karting being more than just a hobby. Karting had, for several decades, predominantly enjoyed on a recreational basis, but the introduction of regulatory bodies helped it to open up to people who wanted to get a good grounding in motor sports.

Though it is a relatively short one, the history of karting as an organised sport is extremely illustrious, to say the least. Karting has acted as a high-octane kindergarten for some of the greatest drivers in the history of modern motorsport. Senna. Prost. Schumacher. Alonso. Räikkönen. Button. Hamilton. All of them used competitive karting as their first stepping stone towards the eternal glories that F1 world championships bring with them.

Karting as a leisure activity

Kart racing is generally accepted as the most economic form of motorsport available. As a free-time activity, it can be performed by almost anybody, and as a motorsport in itself, it is one of the sports regulated by FIA (under the name of CIK), permitting licensed racing for anyone from the age of 8 onward.

Besides traditional kart racing, many commercial enterprises offer karts for rent, often called “recreational” or “concession” karts. The tracks can be indoor or outdoor. Karts are rented by sessions and use sturdy chassis complete with dedicated bodywork to provide driver safety. These karts also often contain limiters, which allow those running the circuit to slow down or even completely stop karts remotely if they feel that there might be any danger to drivers out on the track. Most of these enterprises use an ‘Arrive and Drive’ format which provide customers with all the safety gear (helmets, gloves and driver outfits) and allow them to show up any time to race at a reasonable price, without the hassle of owning one’s own equipment and gear.

Karting, then, has enjoyed a varied history, but has now firmly established itself as one of the most popular motorsports in the world.

Book your Karting Experience NOW.

Game to improve your aim !!

Practice makes perfect and you can hit the bulls eye every time !
Practice makes perfect and you can hit the bulls eye every time !

This simple and fun game will help improve your aim.

You will need:

  1. Rubber Bands
  2. Sticky tape or blu tack
  3. and lots of paper.

MISSILES (heh, only paper ones!)

  • Get lots of regular pieces of printer paper and cut them into strips about 1 inch wide.
  • Fold each strip in half long ways 2 times. Then fold it short ways once. Then long ways 2 more times. Do this with all the 1 inch wide strips of paper until you have a nice stockpile of paper missiles!
  • Get a rubber band and stretch them between your index (pointer) finger and thumb.
  • In order to shoot load a missile on the half of rubber band closest to your target.

TARGET

  • Stack 5 pieces of paper so they lay on top of each other (the extra layers protect the surface behind the target from marking).
  • Draw a bulls eye on the front sheet.
  • Tape it or blu tack to a vertical surface (but not a wall as the missiles can leave a mark on paintwork or wallpaper if you fire with enough power and miss!).
  • Practice shooting the target until the bulls eye is an easy target!

WARNING (we know you will be sensible but just in case!):

  • If fired with enough power the missiles CAN HURT, so be careful.
  • NEVER shoot at the face.
  • DO NOT play this game at School – you could be suspended or, worse, expelled.
  • NEVER EVER add nails or staples to your missiles – you could really hurt someone.

Now to put your expert aim to the test…………..sites nationwide:

Archery

Clay Pigeon Shooting

Paintball

Laser Combat

Essential Bond

What a Car!
What a Car!

1. How to make the perfect martini:

There are numerous way to make a Martini: gin or vodka, little or no vermouth, stirred or shaken and an olive or lemon twist garnish

The following recipe is for the classic Martini – remember to shake if you want to go Classic 007:

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 oz gin
  • 1/2 oz dry vermouth
  • 1 green olive or lemon twist for garnish
  • orange or Angostura bitters (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass or shaker filled with ice cubes.
  2. Stir or shake for 30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  4. Add a dash of orange or angostura bitters if desired
  5. Garnish with the olive or lemon twist.

Variations in the classic Martini:

  • Dry Martini- Traditionally uses more dry vermouth, however recent trends define a Dry Martini as using little or no vermouth.
  • Bone Dry or Desert Martini- No vermouth.
  • Gibson- Garnish with a cocktail onion.
  • Perfect Martini- Use equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.
  • Dirty Martini- Add a small amount of olive brine.
  • 50-50-Use equal parts of gin and dry vermouth.
  • Vodka Martini- Replace gin with vodka for a nice alternative.

2. Drive an Aston Martin

Experience the thrill of driving a Supercar at one of the many superb venues available nationwide. These experience days are truly unforgettable, a must for Petrolheads and Bond enthusiasts alike.

3. Perfect your aim

Take some time to perfect your aim in paintball, lasercombat, clay pigeon shooting or even archery. Bond is an expert in all 4 and more besides………………moderately good at 1 is a good start and probably a damn sight better than any of your friends!

4. Learn the art of seduction

Some basic (but useful nevertheless) pointers in the minefield that is seduction:

  • Read the body language of the object of your attentions. And adjust your approaches accordingly – if you are being met with blocking signals…..back off gracefully, desperation isn’t particularly suave.
  • Flirtation should be subtle but unmistakable. Flirtation should never be coarse.
  • Be funny and fun – making someone laugh can be hugely attractive.
  • Don’t be pushy about your feelings. Gentle persuasion always yields better results.
  • And should you strike out, don’t be disheartened. Your Bond Girl is out there somewhere.

5. Learn the art of survival.

Watching back to back Bear Grylls could give you a few pointers on this! Alternatively taking part in some outdoor activities such as horse riding, orienteering or land yachting will definitely start you off on the right track.

Have fun out there!