Instructor Training (Christian Gap Year & 2 year)
Why choose Wood N Wheels?
We’ve been around since 1922 when a group of Sunday school teachers took a group of children, who had never had a holiday before, out of London on a healthy break to the south coast to improve their spiritual, mental and physical health.
Since then, we’ve grown into a thriving organisation welcoming over 60,000 visitors each year to our four adventure centres around the UK. Our ethos which is to bring adventure into learning in the outdoors, to transform lives, remains as true today as it has always been. We want kids to have lots of fun on activities whilst growing in confidence and self-esteem.
An action-packed course
This is an action-packed adventure programme with on the job training. The full course is for two years although we also have a limited number of one year places available. Throughout the programme you will be learning and working at the same time, gaining essential experience in youth work and leading groups.
Working with like-minded Christians
The course is residential so you’ll be living, working and training together with other like-minded Christians, building friendships and making life-long memories.
Your time will be spent learning how to plan, run and instruct activity sessions such as kayaking, archery and high ropes and will help deliver the busy summer programme of activities.
FAITH SHARED AT Wood N Wheels SINCE 1922
Course Itinerary
The course offers a good mix of faith, learning and adventure.
FAITH
It’s a faith-transforming, once in a lifetime opportunity. You’ll be engaged in a range of challenging outdoor activities and a series of workshops and seminars. You will learn to rely on God to sustain you physically, mentally and spiritually through challenging outdoor activities, workshops and Bible study. You’ll gain a greater understanding of yourself as a disciple of Christ.
LEARNING
We’re passionate about groups experiencing the power of the outdoors as an educational tool. Understanding how different people learn is essential to working with groups, so during your training you’ll explore learning in all its forms and acquire the skills needed to teach, lead and run activity sessions.
ADVENTURE
We’ll fuel your thirst for adventure with training in the Cairngorms in Scotland and the Gower or Snowdonia in Wales. You’ll grow stronger through the challenges you face and bring all you’ve learnt back to the young people on centre where you’ll develop your youth work skills by putting your training into practice.
IS THIS COURSE FOR ME?
How does kayaking, rock climbing or gorge walking, working with young people and leading adventure activity sessions, sound to you? Spend time camping under canvas with a bunch of new friends that feel like old mates, share testimonies of faith, study the Bible together and go on a life-changing journey with God.
You’ll need to have a servant heart and be prepared to put in hard work and devotion.
You won’t need any previous experience, just a love of the outdoors, a relationship with God you want to grow and a heart to see young peoples lives transformed.
For more information or an application form, please contact HR on 01933 654103 or email us at [email protected]
MISSION TO LESOTHO
As part of your second year, you will experience a mission trip to Lesotho in Africa.
You’ll stay at the Lesotho-Durham Link Outdoor Activity Centre which is just outside of the country’s capital, Maseru. There will be plenty of time to work alongside local instructors and prepare for the outreach camp which you will run for children who have become the head of their households.
On the mission you will introduce the children to activities including: archery, climbing, abseiling and canoeing and spend time teaching them more about God’s love for them.
You’ll also get a chance to see the work of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
WHAT’S THE COST?
There is no course fee. We will provide you with accommodation, utilities, activity kit and food whilst you are training with us. An overseas mission trip is included in the second year. Throughout your time with Wood N Wheels you will be working to deliver our activity programme.
Raising support
You will have an amazing opportunity to build and nurture a personal support network of friends, family, church and others who will share your successes and challenges and partner with you prayerfully and financially.
You will need to raise funds to cover your day to day personal expenses such as mobile phone, clothes, travel and leisure spending. We will provide support and advice to assist you along the way.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS CAN I GET?
FIRST YEAR QUALIFICATIONS
- BC Paddlesports Instructor
- Archery GB Instructor
- British Fencing – Core Coach
- 16hr First Aid
- STA Pool Lifeguard *
- BC Level 1 MTB Leader *
*Centre Specific
SECOND YEAR QUALIFICATIONS
- BC Paddlesports Leader
- BC Level 2 MTB Leader
- RCI – Rock Climbing Instructor
- ML – Mountain Leader Award *
Typically trainees achieve two of the second year qualifications.
Course Structure
The first 3 months of initial training will be based at our Whithaugh Park training centre.
Training consists of six units which each seek to develop experience, knowledge, understanding and skills in a specific discipline or activity.
Where will I be based?
After your first three months at Whithaugh Park, you will then spend the remainder of your programme at one of our four UK wide centres. To help you choose which centre you would like to be based at, take a look at the centre information sheets below:
LIFE-CHANGING ADVENTURE
First Year (or GAP Year)
Phase One Sept – Dec Initial intensive training programme based at Whithaugh Park (Scottish Borders)
Phase Two Jan – Mar
- Placement at the Wood N Wheels centre you chose at the time you applied, where you will be based
- Site-specific training, for example pool lifeguard/bushcraft/orienteering
- Further personal and spiritual development
Phase Three Apr – Sept
- The first, busy summer season with Wood N Wheels
- A chance to apply all of your new skills
- Continued development as an instructor through practise, observation, evaluation and feedback
Second Year
Phase Four Oct – Feb
- Additional training programme tailored to harness your natural ability and interests. For example: work towards National Governing Body (NGB) Awards including:
- Rock Climbing Instructor Award (RCI),
- Mountain Leader Award (ML)
- Maintenance and development of on-site activities
- The number of qualifications you obtain in Phase 4 and 5 depends on your individual commitment and focus
- You will have training, support and resources to achieve as much as possible
Phase Five Mar – Oct
- Consolidate your learning, instructing activities for our guests alongside practical observation, evaluation and feedback
- Developing your personal skills
HOW TO APPLY:
For more information or an application form, please contact HR on 01933 654103 or email us at [email protected]