There are various different ways you can search for activities and centres in the UK, depending on what you want to do and where you want to go. You can search by activity type, activity category or location or try entering the word or phrase you’re looking for in the text search box.

What are you looking for today? Please select one of the 5 options below:

1. I already know which type of activity I’m looking for 
2. I want to do something: on foot, on the hoof, on water, on the edge, on wheels, in the air or down under 
3. I want to search for all activity centres in a specific location 
4. I want to search for all activity types and centres relevant to a specific word or phrase 
5. I want help with using the Rucksack 

1. If you already know which type of activity you’re looking for...You can select an activity type from one of the drop-down menus in the navigation bar across the top of the page or select one using the drop-down list in the “SEARCH ACTIVITIES” boxes throughout the website. Both of these options will take you to the Activity Type page for your chosen activity.

On the Activity Type page is a map showing the location of all the centres which offer the activity you previously selected. For popular activity types with more than 100 centres, you will need to refine the search results by zooming in on the map or town, county or postcode in the “location” box. You can also search for group activities available to Stags and Hens, Corporate Events and/or Schools and Colleges by selecting the checkboxes above the map.

The list of centres next to the map can be used to locate centres by highlighting them on the map. To see information about the centre, hover your mouse over the map point then use the links in the pop-up speech bubble to find out more.

2. If you want to do something: on foot, on the hoof, on water, on the edge, on wheels, in the air or down under…You can select an activity category from the navigation bar across the top of the page or select one using the drop-down list in the “SEARCH ACTIVITIES” boxes throughout the website. Both of these options will take you to the Activity Category page for your chosen category.

On the Activity Category page, you can click “Find out more” on your preferred activity type or select several activity types in your chosen category to perform a multiple search. When you’ve made your selections click “SEARCH ACTIVITIES” to see all your results on a map.

The map on the following page shows the location of all the centres which offer any of the activity types you previously selected. You can add or remove activity types from the search results by using the expandable check-list above the map. If more than 100 centres are found, you will need to refine the search results by zooming in on the map or entering a specific location in the “Search nearby” box. You can also search for group activities available to Stags and Hens, Corporate Events and/or Schools and Colleges by selecting the checkboxes above the map.

The list of centres next to the map can be used to locate centres by highlighting them on the map. To see information about the centre, hover your mouse over the map point then use the links in the pop-up speech bubble to find out more.

3. If you want to search for all activity centres in a specific location...You can use the “SEARCH ACTIVITIES” boxes throughout the website, select “(All Activity Categories)” and “(All Activity Types)” from the drop-down list then enter a town, county or postcode to view a map showing all centres in and around that location. You can also try entering the location in the text search box, which will return a list of results relevant to that location (see below for more details on the text search results page).

4. If you want to search for all activity types and centres relevant to a specific word or phrase...Enter the word or phrase you want to search for in the text search box in the top right corner of the page. The search results found are categorised into:

• Activity Types: This is a list of activity types found that match the search. Click on the activity type name to go to the Activity Type page. You can also select “Show all centres providing these Activity Types on a map” if you want to view all the activity type results together.
• Premium Activity Centre Members and Activity Centres: This is a list of all the Activity Centres found that match the search. Our Premium Activity Centre Members have more detailed and informative listings, so these are priority listed in the search results.

For each centre found, you can click “More” to see further details about the centre or “Close” to hide these details. If you’ve entered a town, county or postcode in the “My location” text box, the distance to each centre from this location is also displayed. The drop-down list next to this can be used to sort the results by: relevance, activity centre, location or distance from the location entered.    

5. How to use the RucksackYou can use the Rucksack to create a shortlist of your favourite Activity Centres (similar to a shopping basket which you may have used before on other websites). These centres can be saved in your Rucksack and easily returned to at any time.

While browsing the Factivities site, if you find an activity centre you’re interested in, click the “Add Centre to Rucksack” link found on the maps, text search results or centre listings, to add it to your shortlist. To view the centres in your Rucksack, click “my rucksack” in the top right hand corner of the page. The number in brackets next to this link shows how many centres are currently stored in your Rucksack.  

On the My Rucksack page, you can click the column headings to sort the centres in your Rucksack by: activity centre name, location or the number of activities available. If you have entered a location in the “My location” text box you can sort them by the distance from this location.

You will also have various options available underneath the centres listed in your Rucksack:

• Unpack: This will delete individual centres from your Rucksack.
• Empty my Rucksack: This will delete all the centres in your Rucksack.
• Share this Rucksack: This allows you to share your Rucksack with friends by sending them a code via email.
• View shared Rucksack: If a friend has sent you a Rucksack code, enter it here to view their Rucksack.
• Make an Enquiry: Select the centre(s) that you want to make an enquiry with then click this link and complete the form displayed to send your details to them.   
• Save my Rucksack: To do this, you will need to log in or register for a Factivities account by signing up for our Free Newsletter. When you are logged in to your account, you can access the centres saved in your Rucksack during a previous session.