The Association of British Climbing Walls’ annual conference will take place on the 19-20th September at the Magna Science Adventure Centre, with an exciting new team climbing event at Depot Sheffield on the evening of the 19th.
This year’s conference will focus on ‘Scaling Success’ – from running comps to cafes and everything in between!
We are pleased to announce a range of opportunities to showcase your brand to climbing wall owners, managers, route setters, instructors, marketeers and more.
BOOK AN EXHIBITION STAND
Our last few exhibition stands are available to book at £1050 for a 3x3m space.
To see what is included in the exhibition package and view the floor plan, please view the brochure here.
SHOWCASE YOUR HOLDS IN ACTION
Showcase your best holds in action by sponsoring a bloc at our brand new climbing event at Depot Sheffield on the Thursday evening. Join us for a team climbing challenge hosted by team GB Olympic climber Molly Thompson-Smith. Bloc sponsors will be announced on the night, have in-situ branding and be included on all evening collateral.
£150+VAT per bloc (max two available per brand).
For any enquiries, please email [email protected].
SPONSOR A ROUND TABLE
We will be putting on a number of round table sessions to address key challenges shared by our members and the climbing sector more broadly.
See the list of possible topics here and contact [email protected] to find out more about hosting a session.
BESPOKE OPPORTUNITIES
Looking for something different? Contact [email protected].
MOUNTAIN TRAINING PRESS RELEASE:
Mountain Training continues to support indoor climbing walls through this latest release of its guidance for site-specific training schemes, which has been updated to reflect developments in good practice.
Site-specific training schemes are used by some indoor climbing walls and other artificial climbing walls to ensure the competency of their staff. In some instances it can be a more tailored and accessible route to demonstrating competence than requiring staff hold a national climbing instructor qualification, such as Climbing Wall Instructor.
The guidance is designed to be used by competent persons/technical advisors and climbing walls to develop and deliver unique site-specific training schemes and it has been endorsed by the Association of British Climbing Walls, BMC (British Mountaineering Council), Mountaineering Ireland and Mountaineering Scotland.
Guy Jarvis, Executive Officer for Mountain Training England said, “Mountain Training recognises the important role of site-specific endorsement and we hope this refreshed guidance provides support to those designing and delivering bespoke training to wall and centre staff, that is fit for purpose.
“We know many people who receive site-specific training often go on to complete a national qualification and we’re currently finalising the details of a Bouldering Wall Instructor qualification which will be launched in October. This will provide an additional option for the sector and has been developed in response to demand from walls and the individuals who work in them.”
Kath Hipwell, Chief Executive Officer at the Association of British Climbing Walls said, “We welcome this updated guidance from Mountain Training to support climbing walls in delivering high quality training that is both standardised and specifically relevant to their own centre and how it is used.”
– Mountain Training
Should my centre have an AED?
“Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of premature death. […] Immediate action by members of the public can save many lives.”
After discussion with First Aid providers, some member walls, and the British Heart Foundation, the ABC now recommends that walls who feel able to do so should consider having an AED on site for the safety of the centre’s own users, and for the surrounding community.
Member walls that already have AED’s have found suppliers such as Defib Warehouse and Defibstore to be helpful when selecting the most suitable device for their centre and situation. It’s also possible to get in touch with the British Heart Foundation directly for their advice.
In terms of your own commitment as an AED owner, British Heart Foundation have advised the following: “If you register your defibrillator with the Circuit (National Defibrillator Network), your local ambulance service will have its location and availability (so, if kept inside your building, your opening hours.). If a responder is sent to you as the nearest location, it is likely that they will take the defibrillator themselves. However, in some circumstances, it may be that a member of your staff is called upon to take and use a defibrillator on a patient. Whilst we always encourage the registration of defibrillators on the Circuit, the more there are publicly available, the more lives they can save, it is purely down to individual preference and the defibrillator can be kept on the premises for personal use, and hopefully never needed.”
For more information on AED’s, check out the guide below by the Resuscitation Council UK in collaboration with British Heart Foundation.
Accreditation Programme
The ABC is commencing the consultation phase of the Accreditation Programme, which was announced during the2023 ABC conference.
The climbing industry has witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years, and as we continue to expand, it’s important that we collectively continue to demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety..
Why an Accreditation Programme is needed
The industry has experienced a surge in popularity, attracting climbers of all skill levels to walls. Our most recent member survey indicates that visits have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with a further 14% increase in customer numbers anticipated in the next 12 months. While this growth is certainly welcomed, it brings with it various challenges, including the possibility of increased accident rates and greater scrutiny and attention as a result.
To address these challenges and ensure the industry continues to adhere to high standards, the introduction of an Accreditation Programme is of paramount importance. The programme’s core objective is to build on our existing guidance and guidelines, supporting the development of safer and more enjoyable experiences for all.
Moreover, the establishment of a recognised Accreditation Programme will enhance the industry’s credibility and reputation, and in turn attract prospective climbers.
Volunteering and learning more
If you are an ABC member and would like to know more about the Accreditation Programme, or are interested in sitting on a steering committee which will help define the areas of focus, please contact the ABC’s Accreditation manager, Nick, at [email protected]
WE’RE HIRING! EDI MANAGER
The ABC is recruiting for a part time Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Manager, a new Sport England and Development Through Challenge funded role.
The successful applicant will be working across the ABC to support the development and delivery of an EDI strategy and action plan.
The post holder will drive measurable change through ownership of, and accountability for, key EDI objectives across the ABC. They will also be responsible for monitoring and reporting against Sport England outcomes in this area.
While they will work with EDI specialists within partner organisations to build an ‘inclusion first’ mindset across the sector, they will also need to be able to work under their own initiative.
To apply, return the completed application form and your CV to [email protected] by October 3rd 2023.
Please note, this is an anonymous application process. Personal details will be removed from your application before it is viewed by the hiring committee.
The ABC is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, gender, gender identity, ability, religion/ belief, sexual orientation or age.
Safeguarding Seminar
Join us online on September 7th for the next talk in our 2023 Partners’ Seminar Series: “Safeguarding Our Climbers: Creating a safe climbing space for all”
During this webinar, we’ll explore creating safe spaces for climbers through insights from our expert panel, including Craig Chalmers of Children 1st, Catherine Hibbitt from Mountaineering Ireland, and Helen Murphy of the BMC.
Get to grips with the nuts and bolts of safeguarding, and explore responsibilities, legislation, risks and who is involved. Hear about safeguarding cultures, recognising concerns, and why the voice of children and young people is important.
Lastly, you’ll have the chance to engage in panel sessions about how to create safe environments and what strategies are needed to build a strong safeguarding culture at our climbing centres and beyond.
Everyone’s Welcome in Climbing
Is your climbing wall accessible? Could it be more so?
You may already have seen our ‘Everyone’s Welcome in Climbing’ document. If you attended our partners’ seminar on Climbing and Neurodiversity you’ll have heard it referenced.
The document lays out a series of steps that can be taken to increase accessibility and break down barriers to participation in climbing walls.
The document is broken down into Quick Wins, Longer Term solutions, and Good Practice Case Studies. At each stage, communication, provision, physical space, and most importantly – the people – are discussed and considered.
The Everyone’s Welcome in Climbing pack aims to provide an easy to access list of measures a wall can take to make more people feel welcome in their facility.
This means that whatever someone’s gender, size, race, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability or socio-economic background they will be able to enjoy indoor climbing and all it has to offer.
We strongly believe that this is not only the right thing to do, but that it will be good for business too if it encourages your whole community to participate.
We also understand that this pack likely won’t contain every answer to every participation barrier. Rather, we hope that this will provide a solid base to grow from.
Thank you to all who joined us and participated in the recent partners’ seminar on Climbing & Neurodiversity.
We received loads of great questions during the seminar and weren’t able to get to them all at the time. We have since collaborated on a question and answer document covering all of these outstanding questions.
At the bottom of the document there is also a list of resources which were shared by attendees in the chat during the seminar.
If you weren’t able to attend, you can still watch the seminar here.
We will be creating a similar document to answer the remaining questions from the Mountain Training Bouldering Qualification seminar. The recording for this will also be available soon.
Join us for the next instalment of our 2023 Partners’ Seminar Series. This one will be delivered by Mountain Training and hosted by Robert MacKenzie of Climb Scotland and will cover the content and pathway of Mountain Training’s upcoming bouldering qualification.
When? Thursday 4th May, 10am – 11:30am
Where? Zoom
No advance booking necessary, simply click on the ‘Join’ link below, or on any of our socials at 09:50 on the 4th. For those not able to make it live, the seminar will be recorded and available on YouTube.
Agenda
- Welcome
- Introduction to Guy Jarvis and Mountain Training
- Overview of the rationale behind the National Bouldering Wall Instructor (BWI) qualification
- A summary of the national consultation survey results
- Development pathways for instructors and coaches
Questions for Attendees
- What would you consider a useful job description for the BWI?
- What knowledge, skills, and behaviours would you find valuable in a BWI?
- How easily should the qualification be accessible?
- What advantages do you see for yourself, your business, staff, customers, or participants?
- Does the coaching scheme address your development needs?
- Do you foresee any issues?
If you have any questions about the seminar, or you’re wondering whether it’s right for you, please do get in touch with us or one of our partners.
We are hiring!
The ABC is hiring for one Equality, Diversity & Inclusion specialist and two more general positions to join our voluntary board as Independent Board Directors.
To complement and build on the existing skills we have represented on our fantastic board, we are looking for people with some or all of the following interests (as we are hiring for two similar roles, each person need not fulfil the entire desired criteria).
- A strong interest in and experience with safety pertaining to the running of a climbing wall.
- Current experience of running or being involved in the running of an independent or small climbing wall.
- Experiencing with safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in a climbing or sporting environment.
- Interest in or experience with NICAS.
We particularly encourage applications from groups and communities currently underrepresented in climbing. All applicants must work at an ABC member wall.
The job descriptions and application forms can be found here;
Deadline: April 11th
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Deadline: April 6th
Please email your completed application form, along with your CV, to [email protected]. Questions about the available roles and the application process should also be sent to this email address.
