Bluedome

Are you looking to work in a location that offers you fantastic opportunities to develop your own personal skills? Do you enjoy passing on your experience and knowledge of the great outdoors to others?

Then Newlands Adventure Centre is the place you are looking for.

We are looking for talented and qualified Instructors who have experience working with school children but are mature enough to adapt to a more varied client base.
We need Instructors that wish to develop personally and who are always ready to learn that little bit more.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!! :
Based in the heart of the Lakes, only 3 mile from the market town of Keswick, Newlands Adventure Centre is surrounded by fells, crags, rivers and lakes. Not only are these wonderful natural assets used with visiting groups but are essential for staff training and personal skills development.

After a day's work there is still time to play as the Northern Fells, Borrowdale's crags and many Lakes and Cumbrian rivers are all within easy reach. We employ a young team which can give rise to a hectic social life, and as well as our own on site bar, with the high proportion of young people employed in the local tourism industry, Keswick offers a lively night out. A lot of Newlands staff return for a second or third season, often living in and around Keswick for the winter. Many of our ex staff are now familiar faces in the local outdoor industry, attributing their success to the years they spent with us and all cite Newlands as having been the perfect base for developing their careers.

A BIT ABOUT NEWLANDS:
Newlands Adventure Centre is the oldest established outdoor centre in the country being converted from a working mill in 1905 by the Countrywide Holiday Association to make a walking holiday centre. Over the years, other outdoors activities were added to make what is now an exciting and challenging programme. Newlands is proud of its history but we make sure our future is as solid as our past by developing and changing with the times, without losing our core values of safety and fun.

Independently owned, Newlands has 135 beds and can offer our guests everything from a night's bed & breakfast to a full week's multi activity holiday, all year round. Our unique location, relaxed & friendly staff team, modern facilities, residents bar, and well maintained activity sites & equipment all combine to provide the ideal place to work, whatever your outdoor interests.

From March till November the majority of our clients are school and youth groups on multi activity holidays up to one week long. Half day activity sessions are offered at an introductory level but, if required, can be altered in length and content to suit a groups needs. In addition to our regular schools, the 2007 season saw our instructors working with many different client groups including Hen parties, children from diabetes units, adults with learning difficulties, birthday parties, multi-national corporate training
schemes, children's homes and during school holidays we operate a very successful day activity programme for non residents.

GREAT FOOD AND COMFORTABLE ACCOMMODATION:
Newlands will provide you with 3 meals per day, regardless of centre bookings or your day off. We are proud of the standard of catering, which always gains favourable comments from guests and staff. We also provide you with single accommodation, a staff TV lounge and a secure store room for staff kit and bikes.

Accommodation - You will not be expected to share a room, even when we are fully staffed. Your single room is situated in a separate building away from the noise of the main centre. All rooms have heating and, as you would expect, bed, wardrobe, drawers and power points. Single quilts, a pillow and bed linen are supplied by Newlands.

Facilities - All resident staff share toilet & shower facilities which are next to their accommodation. The staff room is well away from the main centre and is equipped with TV, DVD, music system, tea & coffee, fridge, microwave & toaster. A secure staff storeroom is available for all the extra rucksacks, waterproofs, wetsuits etc associated with the job. Instructors have a separate area in our efficient drying room for the inevitable wet kit and that is also where the staff washing machine and a coin operated dryer are located.

Meals - You will be provided with 3 meals per day regardless of centre bookings: a cooked breakfast, a hot lunch (or packed lunch if out on a full day activity) and a 3 course evening meal. Unlike many other centres, we do not expect staff to fend for themselves on days off or when the centre is empty.

QUALITY TRAINING:
Having permanent highly qualified senior staff who can facilitate and assess NGB awards on site, there are wonderful opportunities to gain further qualifications, or get excellent training towards them. All Newlands staff must go through a 2 week induction at the start of the season, and are also monitored and receive feedback throughout the season. This gives you a great opportunity to fill skills gaps and work towards gaining more or higher qualifications quickly. Senior Staff are always available to discuss training options and personal development and to give advice on how to move up the career ladder.

REASONABLE WORKLOAD:
Instructors work a maximum 48 hour week with one day off each week and are entitled to 24 days holidays pro rata, after 13 weeks continuous employment. Instructors are not required to supervise the groups out of activity times, during meals or at bed time. Activity days are highly structured as programmes must run on time, however, we do often run special courses where the normal routine changes and so you must be adaptable.

You will be required to do an evening duty about twice a month where you will be the duty Bar person in our (onsite) resident's bar. After evening activities and if you are not on duty, your time is your own to get out on the lake or crags.

It must be stressed that a Newlands Instructor does a lot more than just instruct.
On non-activity days there will be equipment and centre grounds maintenance and on changeover days everyone assists in preparing the centre for the arrival of the next group.

This is not a 9 to 5 job, if that's what you want you're in the wrong business. An Instructor will work a six-day week with one day off, which may not fall on the same day, each week. In addition you can expect to work an average of two evening activity sessions per week and two night duties per month when you remain on site and act as Bar person and an emergency contact for group leaders.

Staff will be entitled to paid annual holiday pro rata to 24 days in a full year. Time can only be taken at the centre's convenience, and is not usually available during the busy months of May, June & July.

You will also be provided with a centre fleece, T shirt and polo shirt, this is provided free of charge with no weekly deductions, deposits etc. It is yours to keep at the end of season and will only cost you money should you fail to complete your contract.

COMPETITIVE WAGE
Your take home pay with all inclusive meal package is one of the best around. The training programme and opportunities for quality personal development that Newlands provides, adds that little bit extra to the already excellent package on offer.

Instructors will be paid for a 48-hour, six-day week and these hours are calculated over an average one-month reference period. In return for your hours worked you will be paid at the following rate and wages will be paid weekly in arrears into your bank or building society account:
Gross Wage: £270.00 per week
Less accommodation offset charge of £29.05 per week
Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions are then deducted
Leaving you approximately : £200.00 per week net wage.

WHAT WE REQUIRE FROM YOU:
The following activities are offered at Newlands: kayaking, canoeing, climbing, mountain biking, mountain walking, orienteering, archery, initiative exercises, high level ropes, and ghyll scrambling as well as team building and combined challenge days. Personality and experience count for a lot, however licensing and current good practise demand that staff are qualified in what they instruct.

Instructors will need to hold at least TWO of the qualifications below, a driving license, give two referees and have a first aid certificate valid until the end of the season. All instructors working at Newlands Adventure Centre are required to have a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure. This is now as important as any NGB qualification and without one or proof of having applied for one; YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO WORK FOR NEWLANDS ADVENTURE CENTRE. Further information on enhanced disclosures can be found at www.disclosure.gov.uk.

Required NGB's:
BCU Level 2 Canoe Coach
BCU2 Level 2 Kayak Coach
MLTB Single Pitch Award
MLTB Summer Mountain Leader
Also required:
Driving License
Current First Aid Certificate
Two references.

Please note that the two references should be work related and preferably your current or last employer. Please include their full contact details on your application, to enable us to contact them.