about
who's behind stretching horizons?
and what do we do?
Connecting people
Stretching Horizons was a community, passionate about the educational benefits of travel.
Whether it's geography tours and ski trips or French exchanges and adventurous expeditions, travel and adventure has the ability to open eyes and nurture our understanding of the amazing world in which we live. Stretching Horizons celebrated this, connecting those who share this belief, and inspiring others to pick up the torch.
Unfortunately, despite much support from the industry, the Educational Travel Conference we envisaged was poorly attended. As this was the main income generator for the business, our wider community asperations had to be shelved along with the conference.
The company is now in liquidation.
The Team
Stretching Horizons was set up by a team of education, travel and adventure professionals with a common desire to celebrate, advance and inspire quality educational travel overseas.
Nichola Vickers
Nichola is a Jill of all trades and, we are rapidly realising, master of all of them too. We’re not sure if there is a job Niki hasn’t done over the years – from a career in the army, where she was a leading downhiller in the British Army Women’s Ski Team, to rescuing stray dogs at Battersea and even a few years working in TV. Nichola is also a qualified and experienced teacher, not to mention enthusiastic conference organiser.
Nick Parks
Sometimes easily overlooked (if you meet him you’ll know exactly what we mean) Nick is all things outdoors. Holder of the coveted IFMGA certificate, you will often find Nick guiding clients up the Matterhorn, ski-touring in the Alps, off-piste skiing in Japan or Kashmir, or acting as safety advisor or fixer to Bear Grylls. Nick is founder director of Mountain Tracks, a back-country skiing and mountain guiding company. As former head of outdoor education at Marlborough College, he knows a thing or two about running school trips as well. You can find out more about him on his website: www.nickparks.co.uk
Adrian Ferraro
Adrian is an accidental educationalist. From an eclectic background in sports science, pub management and purchasing, Adrian found his nirvana when he leapt into the adventure travel industry in 2001. He’ll bore anyone who will listen with stories of digging two-wheel-drive delivery trucks out of Africa’s Heart of Darkness. In 2006, he established The Specialist Travel Consultancy and has since personally planned over 100 educational adventures and expeditions across the globe. He is on the South West regional committee for the Royal Geographical Society and is also a geography ambassador. The whole Stretching Horizons thing was his idea, so if you're looking for someone to blame - he's your man!