Family Traveller teamed up with Peugeot to embark on a search for UK’s most active family, in association with the new Peugeot 2008 SUV with Grip Control, the perfect car for any family adventure.
We asked you to send photos of you and your family out and about, getting stuck into everything from rafting to hula hooping. We weren’t just looking for organised activities, we wanted to see families finding creative ways to get active – jumping in puddles can be just as awesome as kayaking!
Eye-popping prize
The winning family has earned themselves a week-long Normandy Chateau Family Adventure Holiday, where the action takes place in and around the beautiful 200-year-old Chateau de la Baudonniere, close to the coast near Avranches.
The Chateau’s one hundred-acre grounds, made up of river, lake and forest, are the ideal setting for a week of activities. Our winning family will enjoy circus skills, canoeing, climbing, archery, kayaking and more – plus there’s a mini farm. Even cooler, all meals, activities and entertainment will be thrown in too!
Find out more about Family Adventure Holidays: familyadventureholidays.co
The UK’s most active family is (drum roll please)….
The Wooldridge family!
The Wooldridges are mum Helen, dad Craig and kids Rosie (12), Jake (10) and Jasper (6). The latest addition to the family is puppy Piper, who’s five months old. The Wooldridges live in North Cadbury in Somerset.
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Here’s what mum Helen has to say about her fun-loving family:
‘I asked the kids what makes us the UK’s most active family and they said ‘we like being outdoors every day and we always include everybody’ – which pretty much sums us up.
We spend as much time as we can doing adventurous things. It gives our kids confidence, and we have the best fun together as a family when we are all outside and active. Plus brothers and sisters don’t squabble when they are out doing fun, active stuff!
Jasper is only six, but we find ways to make sure he can get involved in everything so we can all have a family adventure together. Now he’s such a good little mountaineer that Craig and I get puffed out trying to keep up!
We have so many favourite places, but the Dorset coast and countryside are very high on our list because there is just so much to do there. Pembrokeshire is also amazing as there are so many different outdoor activities to choose from.
The kids all have their own favourite places and ways to be active. For Rosie it’s bodyboarding in north Devon, while Jake is a fan of climbing in Portland and Jasper loves Scotland for jumping off sand dunes! As a family, our favourite activities are water-based, like canoeing and swimming.’
Five awesome runners up
The five runner-up families have each won a £100 voucher for Ellis Brigham, who specialise in all things outdoorsy, including ski gear, outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment.
1. The Bayliss family
The Bayliss family are mum Sarah, dad Ian, Tommy (5) and Ida (3). They live in Newcastle Under Lyme in Staffordshire.
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Mum Sarah explains what makes them such an active bunch:
‘The picture above where we’re looking windswept is of me and my family on top of Snowdon in June. We almost got blown off! My Tommy (at five years and three months) walked all the way up the Snowdon Ranger path. This was the day after we went wild swimming in lake Cwellyn. Our summers (and the rest of the year) involve camping, fishing, hiking, discovering and playing. We love our little adventures, getting the kids outdoors is super important to us.
When we’re at home, we go our local country park and build dens, source food for free, explore the ponds and climb trees. We also take a back pack to hand containing a tarpaulin sheet, a mini gas cooker and waterproofs to head outside for picnics in all sorts of weather. We are not afraid to be adventurous. We took a trip to Skye with our caravan when Ida was 12 weeks old and hiked along the Quirang, swam in the fairy pools and found the old man of Storr.
2. The Colombus family
The Colombus family are mum Katie, dad Mark, Kaila-Rose (6), Maia (4) and Jackson (1). The live in Radlett, Hertfordshire.
Mum Katie explains where their kids get their love of the outdoors from:
‘With a dad who loves his extreme sports – anything from skiing through bungee, to hiking up mountains with a fridge on his back to raise money for charity (this really happened!) and a mum with a past in gymnastics and dance and whose current fave pastime is yoga or running a 10k here and there, it’s no wonder we have three free-range kids who live for tree climbing, rock climbing, beach combing and wildlife spotting.
We joke that they are “feral” as they like to get mud on their feet and twigs in their hair, but Mark and I both love that they are more interested in nature than iPads and TV shows. We have a small terraced house with a small back garden, so with three kids we all seek our space in the great outdoors! We love walking – around lakes, up hills and mountains, through the countryside.
3. The Falls family
The Falls family are mum Catherine, dad Barry, Jack (5) and Noah (2) – plus there’s another on the way! They live in Ireland.
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Mum Catherine describes the family’s fondness for adventure:
‘Living in Ireland means we can’t just be fair weather walkers. We get out most weekends, regardless of the forecast. We believe there is no such thing as poor weather, just poor preparation. So we take the kids bodyboarding, hiking, climbing, walking, and exploring. We are definitely all outdoorsy types. I am thankful for the kids adventurous spirits, and hope they remain interested in staying active – and spending time with us!
Our favourite place to visit in the UK would probably be the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland. The north coast is a pleasure to visit too. Lossiemouth in Scotland is also a place of spectacular beauty (take us back!) We have plenty more places on our bucket list on the mainland though, such as the Lake District and Dover. A proper ramble and climb over rough but spectacular terrain is what excites us most.’
4. The Fuller family
The Fuller family are mum Michaela, dad Joseph, Aoife (5) and Everly (2 and a half). They live in Basingstoke.
Mum Michaela explains that you don’t need to spend a fortune to find adventure:
‘We love being outdoors and exploring. Our children love discovering new places to visit, or new things to do. We want them to grow up with a passion for life, and thrive for adventure and new experiences. Every week, we fill up our tank, and set off on whatever new place we decide to visit at the weekend.
Whether its raining, snowing, freezing, or the sun is shining, we will find an adventure. We love going for long walks, especially if there is a beautiful view involved, or some kind of water for the children – they love to splash or make mud pies, or potions! Woodland walks are also our favourites, and the children love to pretend they are going on a bear hunt!
To keep costs down we take a packed lunch with us wherever we go. We take the kids’ bikes everywhere too. We have also recently bought a National Trust membership we pay for monthly which saves us £30 a time.’
5. The Kimber family
The Kimbers are mum Samantha, dad Jonathan, Eleanor (8), Tabitha (7) and Jasper (4) – or Jono, Sam, Ellie, Tabby and Jazzy as they’re commonly known! They live in the countryside just south of Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
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Mum Sam shares some of the family’s favourite ways to get active:
‘We are all active and the children especially are most happy when they are outside being busy. Even in the winter we can usually be found outdoors – we have masses of waterproofs and warm things so we’re always ready. Ellie and Tabby have been doing judo for three and two years respectively and Jasper will be starting as soon as he’s five. All three swim weekly, which they love, especially the younger two.
We all love the beach, and the children love beach-combing for shells, stones and sea glass. Our favourite place to visit as a family is probably Aberdovey beach. It’s such a special place; where the mountains meet the sea. As a family we all enjoy walking, Geocaching and ‘peak-bagging.’ The children are currently trying to ‘bag’ all of the Marilyns (a type of hill) in Shropshire. We’ve done five out of the ten so far!’
The ultimate ride for active families: new PEUGEOT 2008 SUV
The new Peugeot 2008 SUV with Grip Control®* is perfect for any kind of family adventure. It optimises traction in low grip conditions and adapts to different terrain effortlessly and without struggling. Its sporty look, new paint finishes and even more innovative technology delivers an SUV that’s bursting with character and personality.
Its vertical grille gives the 2008 SUV a stunning look, while inside the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit® and its 7” colour multifunction touchscreen combine to create a dynamic driving experience where everything you need is at your fingertips. The car’s features include Park Assist^, CarPlay®^ and Active City Brake^, which are all underpinned by a range of award-winning~ and efficient engines that lower CO2 emissions and fuel costs. This is an SUV with built-in control, that your family can trust on any adventure.
Read Family Traveller’s review of the Peugeot 2008 SUV and find out more at: PEUGEOT.CO.UK/2008SUV
* Model / engine specific
^Model specific or optional at extra cost on specific models
~Winner of the 2015 & 2016 International Engine of the Year Award for the 1.2L PureTech petrol engine