Outdoor

Get active with outdoor activities in The Thames Gateway

With great access to the sea and the river you’ll find many water based activities as well as excellent sporting facilities across the region

Royal Victoria Dock Watersports Centre

From newcomers to experienced yachtsmen, the RVDWC provides a chance for anyone to get onto the water and try sports you don’t usually have a chance to enjoy elsewhere in London. Sailing, canoeing and kayaking, bellboating, rowing and even powerboat instruction are all on offer.

Wrecks and Reefs Diving

Wrecks and Reefs Diving is a diving school offering a range of courses, from introductory sessions to PADI Open Water courses and advanced-level instruction. Instructors can teach the basics of diving in a local private swimming pool, and even ‘scuba parties’ for children’s birthdays can be arranged.

East Beach Kite Surfing

One of Southend’s award-winning beaches, East Beach is long and sandy, with stunning dunes and a grassy area that’s perfect for picnics. It’s also a popular kitesurfing spot, home to Essex Kitesurf club and has been awarded both a Blue Flag and a Quality Coast Award.

Jeskyns Community Woodland and Greenspace

Situated between Gravesend and Cobham, this wonderful space used to be a farm, and has now been developed into a nature reserve for the community by the Forestry Commission. Its traditional landscape features of North Kent include orchards of apples, cherries and cob nuts, open parkland, grass and wildflower meadows and native woodlands. A network of trails and paths opens up the landscape to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

David Beckham Football Academy, Greenwich

The Football Academy, next to the O2 centre on the Greenwich Peninsula gives girls and boys from 8 to 15 the chance to train in state-of-the-art facilities. It’s the largest sports centre of its kind in Europe, with a massive indoor arena housing two full-sized artificial turf pitches, and state-of-the-art educational and medical facilities. Since opening in November 2005, its successful School Education Programme has hosted over 10,000 children.