WAY activity weekend: “Adventures are out there”

November 2026

Widowed dad Jonny enjoyed a weekend of adventure in Scotland recently at a WAY activity break in Scotland with his two children.

Rural Perthshire is one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland in Autumn and it’s where WAY hosted a PGL weekend for members at the end of October. The colours in the trees were simply stunning and considering that Storm Boelo had blown through the weekend before, the weather was just perfect for a weekend of outdoor adventure.

It was only a very small group who came along to enjoy the weekend. However, the lack of numbers did not stop Cumbria-based WAY member Jonny and his children having an amazing memory-making weekend.

Jonny was widowed almost four years ago when his children were just three and five. The family were involved in a car accident, which tragically killed Jonny’s wife, Helen, and left Jonny fighting for his life. Jonny is now on a mission to rebuild and ensure that his children have the life that their adventure-seeking mum wanted for them. So when he saw the PGL Dalguise weekend advertised on the WAY Member Hub, he signed up straight away.

Jonny shared: “This was the first proper WAY organised event I had signed up for, but I had been to another adventure holiday, which I saw on the WAY website and I now have set up my own events in my local area. I know how important it is to be around people who really do understand and as a family who love the outdoors, PGL seemed to be a perfect fit.”

The staff at PGL threw everything they had into making this weekend an unforgettable experience. Jonny, Harry (9) and Elsie (7) took part in a wide range of activities over the weekend including canoeing, archery, trapeze, tree climbing (everyone managed to ring the bell 75ft off the ground!), campfire, zipline, Halloween activities and a challenge course. Everybody took part in every activity, challenging themselves and overcoming fears – the growth in confidence over the weekend was obvious!

When asked about their weekend highlights, Elsie said the zipline was a firm favourite, while Harry reckoned the canoeing, Halloween activities and singing all the funny PGL songs were his best bits! Jonny’s highlights were the location and escaping the rest of the world for a couple of days. He explained: “I really enjoyed being able to let others take the lead for a while. As a solo parent now in everyday life, everything comes down to me and that’s exhausting.”
Explaining why he had decided to come to this weekend, he said: “I find it helpful to have something to look forward to. I saw this and thought a weekend adventure in Scotland would be amazing. I enjoy seeing my children enjoy outdoor activities so this has been great! If I was asked if I would do it again, there is only one answer… yes!”
WAY’s Volunteer Manager, Veronica, was on hand to make sure that the weekend ran smoothly and that everyone was well looked after. “It was so wonderful to watch Jonny and his children have a weekend of fun and adventure. As a family, they have already overcome so much, but they also overcame personal challenges at PGL, guided and supported by the incredible staff. The smiles and laughter were genuine and it was a privilege to see this family making long-lasting memories together… they are a formidable team!”
Elsie and Jonny had important messages to share at the end… asked what she would say to other children who might get the chance to go to PGL with WAY, she said, “Definitely come!” and Jonny was adamant about the benefits of this weekend and wanted other WAY members to experience the same. “The adventures are out there – go and find them!“

WAY organises several activity weekends throughout the year for our members and their children. We also run events for adults only, including our Annual Meeting and Dinner Dance.