Llanrug Outdoor Education Centre in North Wales will be closed down at the end of this financial year.

Funded by Worcestershire County Council, the centre has been operating in Snowdonia for over 30 years. In that time, thousands of children have participated in outdoor activities ranging from sailing to hill walking. A petition opposing its closure has been set up here.

Llanrug is not the only centre whose future is under threat. According to the Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres (AHOEC), a significant number of centres are under threat of closure or review. "At the moment, 22 centres are facing cuts in provision, cuts in budgets, or proposals to close," says Kevin Jackson, AHOEC's chair.

Last November, Alan Johnson, the then Education Minister, launched a manifesto for learning outside the classroom. Every education minister since David Blunkett in 1997 has talked with enthusiasm about out-of-classroom learning. November's manifesto was the first time government stated what such learning should entail.

Practitioners welcomed many aspects of the manifesto, such as experiential learning.  But the manifesto included no statement on funding, leaving many with the feeling that there was little to celebrate about.

"I don't see much cash on the table," said Karen Brush, chief executive of the Institute for Outdoor Learning. "Over a quarter of young people live below the poverty line. Financial support is vital if those young people are to benefit."

Around 60% of state pupils are offered the opportunity to participate in outdoor education, usually paid for by their parents. However, few schools place it at the heart of their curriculum and even less make it compulsory.

Tony Blair made a speech in May 2005 outlining his concerns of the 'compensation culture'. He called for society to take a more realistic attitude towards risk.

Outdoor education provides excellent opportunities to explore issues surrounding risk management. But for the time being, central government are not securing the future of outdoor education as a way to address these issues.

The Welsh Assembly Government is aware of the long term benefits of outdoor education. In 2005 they launched the North West Wales Outdoor Partnership (NWWOP) to provide outdoor opportunities for people living in North West Wales.

And where's NWWOP based? At Plas y Brenin, in the heart of Snowdonia.

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