Away Days
Away days can be used to aid strategic planning, when there is a particular issue that needs the full attention of a team, for aiding in team building or for any other purpose. Facilitation of these away days is often by someone external to the team in order for the day to run smoothly and without bias.
The OED Team are happy to give help and advice when organising away days, whether this be advising you on the right venue or activities or providing a facilitator to help the away day run more smoothly. Below you will find links to different areas to help you plan the most effective away day.
Facilitators
The OED team can often offer internal facilitators for you teams, however, we are not always available or sometimes we might feel it appropriate to suggest an alternative, below is a list of facilitators that we are aware of and have either used or have had recommendations for.
As with the venues we cannot guarantee their service and you will be expected to contract directly with them.
If you do use an external facilitator either from the list or someone else, we would appreciate any feedback you may have on your event, so that we can advice other groups accordingly.
back to topVenues
It is recommended that ‘Away Days’ are held outside the normal working environment and away from potential distractions so that participants can focus on the agenda. In choosing a location for an Away Day it is useful to consider the suitability of the venue for the kinds of activity you are planning at your Away Day (e.g. are you planning to break out into task groups as well as meet as a whole department/Faculty/Division).
Factors to also to consider are availability, Facilities and fee. Off-campus venues can be attractive alternatives but consideration should be given to ensuring that venue meets your requirements and that participants are not disadvantaged by the location of the venue (e.g. can the venue be accessed by members of your team without are car?).
The OED team have compiled a list of possible venues for your 'Away-Day'. This of course is by no means an extensive list and if you have been to a venue not listed here and you feel others would benefit from considering it don't hesitate the OED team with your feedback.
Lancaster University Campus Venues
Leveraging the wide range of event and accommodation facilities across the Lancaster University campus, the Conference Centre provides a flexible, diverse and customer driven service for event planning and delivery.
back to topBlackwell The Arts and Crafts House
Located in the heart of the Lake District this visitors centre has an education room available for private hire that can be configured as either a board room or a conference room seating up to 14 people or 27 people respectively.
The OED team has used this room for a couple of their own away days and found a lovely location with nice outdoor space and really nice food
back to top
Located at the head of Lake Windermere this beautiful Georgian mansion has a number of conference rooms available including meeting rooms, a compact theatre as well as an onsite restaurant.
Locally there are also a number of walks in the area that would suit all levels of walker and the hall can also help with arranging activities such as canoeing, high challenge course, orienteering, raft building and many more.
Located in Kendal this venue offers a number of different rooms that can be arranged in a variety of different ways, holding up to 300 people.
The hotel also offers a team of dedicated conference hosts allowing the same contact to be available to you throughout the booking process.
back to top
Everyone knows that Center Parcs is good for family holidays, but did you know they also host meetings and team building events? With conference facilities that can host up to 600 people (depending on location) and with all the variety of the onsite facilities for team building events from action and adventure to spa sessions, or from indoor activities to water sports. If you fancy something a bit different this could be the ideal venue.
Located just at the back of the University this venue could be used if you don't want to stray too far away from work. It offers 4 useable spaces for conferences including the Reed room that takes 50 people, Banton room, that takes 20 people and 2 lodges - Hazelwood Lodge and Conder Lodge that take 30 and 20 people respectively.
back to top
This four star hotel is located in the South lakes and boasts panoramic views across the bay. With a number of different conference rooms that can host up to 150 people and with a range of different walks and activities available to delegates you are bound to find something that suits.
back to top
This Georgian Mansion is located near Kendal and has stunning views of the Pennines, Kent Estuary and the Lakeland Hills. It has a variety of meeting rooms that can be set up either in a theatre or boardroom style and have a wide variety of conference equipment.
The maximum number of people for the hotel is 60.
back to top
Located in North Yorkshire, this venue it perfect for those wanting to get away from everything. In its isolated location at the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park it offers exclusive use of its facilities including 21 bedrooms and a sauna and private bar.
It offers a variety of team building activities too including pony trekking, kite flying and falconry.
back to top
Located in the Lune Valley this listed building offers two large conference and dining rooms, a reception lounge, as well as break out space and syndicate rooms. There is also a licensed bar and facilities for catering up to 200 people.
back to top
Located in Morecambe, this hotel offers stunning views across the bay. There are 4 individually styled rooms for you to choose from.
back to top
Located in Grange over Sands this stately home offers infinite options to allow for a great deal of flexibility. With a selection of reception and conference rooms catering for groups of up to 150 people, there is also space outside the main building for marquees for exhibitions and displays.
back to top
This castle, located in the heart of Cheshire, is a slightly more expensive option, but will give a good idea of the kinds of things that can be done for team building events.
On the conference side of things they offer a number of different options for numbers from 8 to 180 that include Wi-Fi.
On the team building side there are a number of activities that the castle offers such as abseiling the castle walls, Chocolate making, duck herding, game shooting, treasure hunts and much more, as well as tailored events to accommodate everything that you wanted to get out of your away day.
back to top
Located on Lake Windermere this grade II listed building enjoys envious views of the Lake. There are a number of different rooms that can be used including the Counties Meet room which holds up to 40 delegates, The John Bolton room, which holds 20 delegates and the Study which can hold around 10-12.
back to top
Thurnham Hall is a 12th century country house that stands proudly in a stunning estate of nearly 30 acres. The Hall is located in the tiny hamlet of Thurnham, situated just five miles south of Lancaster, England
back to top
Located within 2.5 acres of grounds in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this hotel is perfect if you fancy going outdoors with such activities on its doorstep like hiking, orienteering and mountain biking.
It offers a choice of two rooms which can be laid out in a manor of different ways to suit your needs, as well as providing you with conference equipment.
back to topLast updated: 06/11/2012 (SP)