South Wales Outdoor Activity Providers Group

POSTPONED 15 Mar 2020 Waterfall Country Community Activity Day
2020-03-15 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Pontneddfechan Village Hall, Pontneddfechan, Neath, SA11 5ND, United Kingdom
***This event has been postponed by the organisers – future date To Be Confirmed***
SWOAPG is joining BBNPA and others in providing another ‘Community Activity Day’ for residents of Waterfall Country.
Providers will include:

SWOAPG
Mountain and River Activities – climbing and hawks
Call of the Wild – gorge walking
Proactive Pontneddfechan – litter picking, nature craft and activities
Central Beacons MRT
Severn Wye Energy Consultants
Alan Bowring, Geopark Officer BBNPA
Eleanor Flaherty, Community Development and Storyteller BBNPA
Rachel Williams – Dyfed Powys Police
Possibility of Archery

14-15 Mar 2020 16hr Outdoor First Aid
2020-03-14 - 2020-03-15

14-15 March 2020 British Canoeing Canoe Leader Training
2020-03-14 - 2020-03-15
£180 plus hire of canoe if required

14 Mar 2020 Facilitating Experiential Learning in the Outdoors:
2020-03-14 - 2020-03-15 | Woodlands OEC, Glasbury, Powys, HR3 5LP, United Kingdom
Accepted as CPD for Mountain Training Association members
A chance to try out new ideas and test the theory. Designed by the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) this two-day course (Saturday 9 to 5 + Sunday 9 to 4) provides an opportunity for participants to experiment with a wide range of facilitation techniques and explore the theories behind them. It is suitable for providers of all types of outdoor learning including multi-activity instructors, fieldwork teachers, Duke of Edinburgh Award leaders, overseas expedition leaders, Scout and Guide leaders, providers of technical outdoor courses, management training consultants, and those involved in personal and social development work. Price includes a manual designed by IOL. Places are limited to 12 participants per course. Details here: Facilitating Experiential Learning in the Outdoors

7-8 Mar 2020 16hr Outdoor First Aid
2020-03-07 - 2020-03-08

29 Feb 2020 Emergency / Outdoor / Aquatic First Aid Level 1 (1-day course)
2020-02-29
A 1-day course provides a basic level of knowledge and skill to render First Aid in a range of emergency situations within a reasonable distance of medical assistance. This course covers all the requirements for the Emergency First Aid at Work course as well as the British Canoeing Lifeguards Aquatic First Aid Level 1 Award. The 1-day course is an appropriate award for Paddlesport Instructors, Paddlesport Leaders, Sheltered Water Coaches (and Level 1 / 2 coaches) and for all paddlers and volunteers operating in and around the sheltered water environment. It is also an appropriate award for the BMC Climbing Wall Awards. The course comprises a minimum of 8-hours training. It takes place in a classroom environment, with an outdoor scenario whenever possible.
Venue to be confirmed (somewhere in the Brecon area).
Cost £60

23 Feb 2020 Dinas/Sychryd & Mellte Code of Conduct Training
2020-02-23 13:00 - 16:00 | Dinas Rock Car Park, Coed-Y-Rhaidyr, Pontneddfechan, SA11 5NU, United Kingdom
This is a Code of Conduct Training session for Providers who are signed-up to the NRW Waterfalls Country Concordat. It is a requirement that a representative from each Provider has attended a Code of Conduct Training session if they wish to use of the area for Gorge Walking.
This session is suitable for both new Providers that are starting to use the gorge, as well as established Providers who would like a refresher or to bring new staff up to speed.

Attendees must be either Full Individual Members or staff from Full Corporate Members or Supporters or their staff. Credentials will be checked on booking.

The Sychryd session is based on the paths around the gorge so no in-water kit is required, but we will be undertaking the training whatever the weather, so come prepared. A ‘classroom’-based Mellte session will follow the Sychryd session, for anyone who requires this.
We will meet at 1pm in the main car park at Dinas Rock.
The cost is £25 per person, but one free space will be available to Providers who have paid for this year’s Full Membership (and who have not already claimed their free place).

14-16 Feb 2020 Canoe Leader Training
2020-02-14 - 2020-02-16 | Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer, Pontsticill, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 2UR, United Kingdom
British Canoeing Canoe Leader Training (Moderate Open & White Water)
£279, see https://www.parkwoodoutdoors.co.uk/centre/dolygaer/canoe-leader-training

7-8 Feb 2020 Paddlesport Leader Course
2020-02-07 - 2020-02-08
British Canoeing Paddlesport Leader course (Sheltered Water)
£189, see https://www.parkwoodoutdoors.co.uk/centre/dolygaer/paddlesports-leader-course

18 Jan 2020 Facilitating Experiential Learning in the Outdoors
2020-01-18 - 2020-01-19 | Blue Peris Mountain Centre, Gwynedd, LL55 3EY, United Kingdom

13 Jan 2020 Reflective Practice Workshop
2020-01-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Woodlands OEC, Glasbury, Powys, HR3 5LP, United Kingdom
This workshop explores the theories behind reflective practice and offers opportunities to experiment with different ways of reflecting in order to improve your practice and increase your enjoyment of life and work. Bring paper, pencil and a sense of adventure.
This workshop is free to everyone and not just IOL members. Workshop accepted as CPD for AMI members
FREE to attend but please book

7 Jan 2020 Strategic Coach Supervision
2020-01-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
SWOAPG Members are able to book places on a series of IOL workshops on using Coaching in Outdoor Learning – see IOL Outdoor Learning Coaching for full details – and book online at https://www.outdoor-learning.org/Good-Practice/Develop-as-a-Professional/Specialist-Competencies/Coaching

14-15 Dec 2019 British Canoeing Core Coach Training
2019-12-14 - 2019-12-15
The British Canoeing Coach Award is an entry point qualification which offers discipline-specific pathways across all disciplines. The Award is designed for people whose core function is to coach paddlers who want to gain/improve paddlesport skills within the discipline chosen. This will include coaching beginners new to the sport, or paddlers looking to develop their skills in the given discipline or environment.
The Coach Award content is delivered through 2-day Core Coach Training and 2-day Discipline Specific Training (22 disciplines currently available, including Sheltered Water Kayak and/or Canoe; White Water Kayak; White Water Canoe; and Open Water Canoe).
The two-day Core Coach Training course introduces the shared coaching content that is relevant to all coaches at this level, exploring different approaches to coaching, understanding and enabling learning; and some core coaching skills. It is not specific to any one discipline and will make use of a variety of craft to explore different approaches to coaching and introduce some core coaching skills. The course will be a blend of classroom and water-based activity; and you will also be supported a personal coaching development plan to enable you to take your learning into practice after the course.
Subsequent Discipline Specific Training will then focus on how to coach discipline-specific technical and tactical skills, helping coaches to plan and deliver safe, enjoyable, progressive coaching sessions and explore specifics to help coach typical athletes/learners relevant to the discipline.
You can find more details about the course at https://www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/level-2-coach-award/.
You need to meet the following prerequisites before attending the course:

Full ‘on the water’ membership of Canoe Wales / British Canoeing (etc.); and
A base level of knowledge about the discipline(s) you wish to coach.

Venue and Timing
This non-residential course takes place over 2 days: Sat 14 & Sun 15 Dec 2019 and will run from 9am to (approximately) 6pm each day.
The venue will be somewhere in / near Brecon – to be confirmed.
We expect most of our activity to take place on or beside the River Usk (‘Newton Pool’ above Brecon weir) and the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
Staff
The course staff will be Steve Rayner and Ant Morgan.
Cost
The course fee will be no more than £180, which includes coaching, equipment and certification. If more than 4 candidates attend, I will aim to reduce this fee if I can.
Bookings and More Information
Visit the website below for more details and booking information.

14-15 Dec 2019 Rescue Emergency Care First Aid Course
2019-12-14 - 2019-12-15 | Cardiff International White Water, Watkiss Way, Cardiff, CF11 0SY, United Kingdom
This is a 2-day (16-hour) qualification related to Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and all the essentials for anyone working or spending time outdoors.
Price £130 per person.

10 Dec 2019 Development Coach Supervision
2019-12-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Online

8 Dec 2019 Micro-Navigation/Poor Visibility Techniques
2019-12-08
Suitable for aspirant mountain leaders/instructors + those looking for a skills boost
Mountain weather can change at an alarming speed, especially in the British hills, and once the mist is down even the easiest ground can become confusing and difficult. On this moorland based one-day course, I teach a range of simple yet effective techniques which will allow you to find your way with confidence through the thickest weather. These include compass skills, and time & distance estimation. Some of the micro-navigation techniques rely on a reasonable working knowledge of map interpretation, so I recommend that you have at least a basic grasp of map skills before attending this course.
1-day courses – £90/person (maximum 4 people per course).
All courses bookable online at www.mountain-activities.com
15% discount to SWOAPG members. Just use the code “SWOAPG” at checkout when booking online.

7-8 Dec 2019 Mountain & Moorland Navigation – Stage 1
2019-12-07 - 2019-12-08
Suitable for aspirant mountain leaders/instructors + those looking for a skills boost.
Despite what you might think, navigation is simple! All it requires is an understanding of a few basic, straightforward skills which can be used anywhere and in any conditions. On this course, I will teach you those skills!
Combining my Map Interpretation & Micro Navigation/Poor Visibility Techniques courses, on this two-day course I use day one to introduce the art of map interpretation, which allows you to get an amazingly detailed picture of the ground. On day two, I teach you a range of compass skills, and show you how to estimate time and distance with great accuracy.
The continuity gained by attending for two consecutive days means that we often cover more ground than is possible on two, separate one day sessions. This course is therefore a very cost-effective way of learning about navigation.
2-day courses – £170/person (maximum 4 people per course).
All courses bookable online at www.mountain-activities.com
15% discount to SWOAPG members. Just use the code “SWOAPG” at checkout when booking online.

7 Dec 2019 Map Interpretation Course
2019-12-07
Suitable for aspirant mountain leaders/instructors + those looking for a skills boost
Far more than simple map reading, map interpretation allows you to get an amazingly detailed picture of the ground using simple yet effective techniques. Once learned, you will never look at a map in the same way again! On this valley based one-day course, we spend the first couple of hours indoors exploring essential theory, then we put it all into practice during a physically simple but mentally challenging valley walk. Suitable for all fans of the great outdoors, including those who are looking for a skills refresher or a confidence booster, this course is the perfect introduction to precise navigation.
1-day courses – £90/person (maximum 4 people per course).
All courses bookable online at www.mountain-activities.com
15% discount to SWOAPG members. Just use the code “SWOAPG” at checkout when booking online.

4 Dec 2019 Relocation Skills
2019-12-04
Suitable for aspirant mountain leaders/instructors + those looking for a skills boost
Okay… so you think you’re lost! Although knowing how to remedy the situation is largely judgemental (and I cannot teach judgement!), what I can do is illustrate how various combinations of techniques work, and show you some classic adaptations. Based on a particularly featureless tract of moorland, on this one-day course I concentrate on combining basic navigation skills in order to manage different scenarios. During the day I will try my utmost to get you lost!… and then show you a range of relocation and search techniques that allow you to work out your position. The techniques introduced on this course assume a comfortable working knowledge of basic navigation techniques including map interpretation, compass work, and estimating time and distance, so I recommend you have at least a basic level of skill before attending.
1-day courses – £90/person (maximum 4 people per course).
All courses bookable online at www.mountain-activities.com
15% discount to SWOAPG members. Just use the code “SWOAPG” at checkout when booking online.

3-4 Dec 2019 Mountain & Moorland Navigation – Stage 2
2019-12-03 - 2019-12-04
Suitable for aspirant mountain leaders/instructors + those looking for a skills boost.
You do not need to know where you are all the time, especially if you can combine and adapt basic navigation skills. On this course I show you some classic combinations, and give you the confidence to roam across wild countryside. In effect, this course offers you the freedom of the hills.
Combining my Contour Recognition & Relocation Skills courses, on this two-day course I revisit the basic skills and illustrate simple yet effective ways in which to interpret contour patterns. I then get you locationally challenged on a stretch of featureless moorland, and introduce a range of options which allow you to work out your position with confidence. I guarantee you’ll never be “lost” again!
This course is the natural follow-on from my Mountain & Moorland Navigation – Stage 1 course, and I recommend that you have a comfortable working knowledge of both map interpretation and basic poor visibility techniques before attending.
2-day courses – £170/person (maximum 4 people per course).
All courses bookable online at www.mountain-activities.com
15% discount to SWOAPG members. Just use the code “SWOAPG” at checkout when booking online.

3 Dec 2019 Strategic Leadership Workshop
2019-12-03 - 2019-12-04 | Anderton Centre, Chorley, Lancashire, United Kingdom
The IOL Strategic Leadership Workshop will be held on December 3rd and 4th at the Anderton Centre, Chorley, Lancashire. Book online here (reduced rate for SWOAPG Members). This is a premier CPD event for leaders, managers and decision makers in the sector to come together to look at their organisations strategic direction and make plans for how to negotiate current and future challenges. There is a focus on shared learning and practical, applied, and inspirational input from IOL.
Aimed at: People with a senior and strategic role in their organisation – e.g. department head, centre manager or outdoor advisor. Download the brochure.

3 Dec 2019 Contour Recognition
2019-12-03
Suitable for aspirant mountain leaders/instructors + those looking for a skills boost
Having the ability to “see” the landscape by relating the contour patterns to the shape of the ground (and vice versa) is an essential part of successful navigation in mountain and moorland environments. On this hill based one-day course, I explain the concept of vertical scale, and show you a range of simple techniques that enable you to visualise the shape of the ground from the map, and to gauge where the contours run on the ground when looking at the landscape. Many of the techniques used assume a comfortable working knowledge of map interpretation, so I recommend that you should either have attended my Map Interpretation course, or that you have a reasonable grasp of map skills before attending this course.
1-day courses – £90/person (maximum 4 people per course).
All courses bookable online at www.mountain-activities.com
15% discount to SWOAPG members. Just use the code “SWOAPG” at checkout when booking online.

30 Nov-1 Dec 2019 Rescue Emergency Care First Aid Course
2019-11-30 - 2019-12-01 | Cardiff International White Water, Watkiss Way, Cardiff, CF11 0SY, United Kingdom

27 Nov 2019 SWOAPG AGM
2019-11-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Pontneddfechan Village Hall, Pontneddfechan, Neath, SA11 5ND, United Kingdom
The SWOAPG Annual General Meeting will be held at Pontneddfechan Village Hall on 27 Nov at 6.30pm.
The full set of papers can be found here – or click on the links below for individual items.
Agenda (click on links for detail):

Matters Arising from the 2018 AGM
Overview of SWOAPG’s recent and planned activity
Annual Report and Accounts
Amendment to Terms of Reference (to increase size and amend requirements of Steering Group)
Election of Steering Group Members, Director and Chairperson
2020 Membership Fees (to be increased in line with inflation only, as agreed at 2018 EGM: £78 Full Membership, £26 Associate Membership)
Amendments to Access Rules and Advice for Dinas and Mellte (to incorporate changes introduced in the last year)
Presentations on items of interest to Members:

Effects of Ash Dieback on our Woodlands (Paul Dann, NRW)
Update on the Waterfall Country Project (James Lawrence, BBNPA)

Discussions on SWOAPG’s role in current access issues:

Access to Loonies’ Leap
Welsh Government Access Reform
River Wye Glasbury-Hay

Q&A

Please RSVP below if you expect to attend.

24 Nov 2019 Relocation Skills
2019-11-24

23-24 Nov 2019 Mountain & Moorland Navigation – Stage 2
2019-11-23 - 2019-11-24

23 Nov 2019 Mountain Training Lowland Leader Award Assessment Course
2019-11-23 - 2019-11-24
Parkmill, Gower
£150 for the 2 day Assessment
Contact Gary Evans

23 Nov 2019 Mountain Training Lowland Leader Award Training Course
2019-11-23 - 2019-11-24
Parkmill, Gower
£140 for the 2 day course
Contact Gary Evans

23 Nov 2019 Contour Recognition
2019-11-23

22-24 Nov 2019 Rescue 3 WRT-PRO
2019-11-22 - 2019-11-24 | Cardiff International White Water, Watkiss Way, Cardiff, CF11 0SY, United Kingdom
The Whitewater Rescue Technician – Professional (WRT-PRO) course is designed for professional river users who require a rescue capability in a whitewater environment, e.g. raft guides, safety kayakers and gorge walk leaders.
