IF YOU'RE interested in an adrenaline-filled day, outdoor adventure company Peak Pursuits could have the answer. The company offers a range of exhilarating activities and packages in beautiful locations – and is an ideal way to appreciate the countryside in a manner which has little or no impact on the environment.

Managing director Paul Ball, pictured below, says instilling a respect for nature is one of the company's main aims when activities take place.

He says: "The environment is very important to us. The countryside and greenery is where we take our clients to, and if these places were not safe or pleasing to look at, we would not have a business at all.

"When we take young people on outdoor activities, we encourage a respect and appreciation of the environment. We talk about the environment as we carry out the activities, and try to widen people's knowledge. Everyone comes away from their experiences having a better understanding, and what needs to be done to protect it."

In operation for the past 10 years, Peak Pursuits – which is based in Audley and has centres across Staffordshire and Cheshire – has a number of diverse subsidiaries. The company's main focus is helping disaffected and disadvantaged young people by taking them out into different environments and using the outdoors as a tool to help them to develop their social skills. It also has a leisure and a corporate market.

Paul adds: "Basically, we are an outdoor adventure and education company, and offer 15 different activities from canoeing and archery, to abseiling and mountain biking. Altogether we have just shy of 50 staff at our five centres.

"We also deliver services nationally within the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, offering Open Gold Walking Expeditions in the Peak District and the Lake District. We plan to have our offices more spread out eventually, in order to reduce the transport element of our involvement with the scheme. This would help to reduce our carbon emissions as we wouldn't need to travel up and down the motorways as much. So this would be a cost efficiency measure, as well as helping to cut down our impact on the environment."

Alex Davies, project officer for the Duke of Edinburgh's (DofE) Award scheme, says Peak Pursuits offer a high quality service. He says: "The company has two relationships with us. It is an Approved Activity Provider and supports both our expedition section as well as the business programme.

"The environment is something that the DofE is increasingly looking at. We are committed to the Leave No Trace movement, which is an American concept about minimising environmental impact. This involves low-impact camping, and working out walking routes that would cause the least damage.

"Every DofE participant has to complete a set training programme which includes learning the Countryside Code, or doing a presentation on topics which often focus on things like soil erosion, litter or ecology. The idea behind the scheme is it takes young people out of their usually urban setting, and puts them into a rural environment. And then they can learn how to behave in this environment in a responsible and respectful way.

"Companies like Peak Pursuits enable us to do this."

Peak Pursuits has its head office in Audley, as well as an indoor climbing centre in the town, which is open to the public. At Tittesworth Reservoir, near Leek, people can do water sports including canoeing, kayaking, katakanus, raft building, and team building, as well as archery. Climbing and scrambling is available at the Roaches in the Peak District nearby. There are also two further centres at Rixton, in Warrington, Cheshire, and at Gailey, near Cannock.