A £1,000 grant from the Kickstart programme has helped launch an exciting adventure business in South Wales.

River and Ridge, based in Magor, gives people a taste of the outdoors through a range of activities designed to be fun, and to build confidence, self-esteem and team spirit.

Climbing, canoeing, gorge walking, coasteering, mountain and hill walking and bushcraft are just some of the ways teams and individuals can enjoy the natural world.

With 20 years years of experience in organising outdoors experiences, including working for Cardiff City Council, Andy Holland is delighted at the progress being made since he launched the business.

“There is a lot of demand for exciting outdoor activities these days,” said Andy. “We cater for a lot of schools, organisations for young people, stag and hen parties and all sorts of events.”

River and Ridge aims to use all the natural resources of the area and to demonstrate the beauty of the locality to locals and visitors alike.

“Caneoing on the river is a superb experience, as is coasteering in West Wales,” he said.

“Wales is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and we help to make people see what is all around them and feel a part of it.”

Glyn Thomas, of Tata Steel subsidiary UK Steel Enterprise, said: "We are delighted to see that the Kickstart programme is working well, with the help of Monmouthshire County Council. We are very pleased to have been able to support the launch of River and Ridge and wish them every success.”

River and Ridge is still a young company, and Andy is looking to expand in coming years.

“We are aiming to have five instructors within three years," he said.

James Woodcock, of Monmouthshire County Council, said: “More and more people are realising that Monmouthshire is a great place to start a new venture and we are really grateful to UK Enterprise for the support that they offer to local businesses.”