BELA

I tutor people for nationally recognised qualifications, this is mostly for the
Basic Expedition Leaders Award for the CCPR.
It involves assessing the suitability of youth leaders to lead their own mountain activities within the requirements of a nationally recognised qualifications alification.
Ensuring that activities are organised are of benefit to those participating,
meet safety requirements, and the approval of parents.

The BELA has taken over from the BETA where "Training" became "Leader" with more emphasis on the leadership skills needed to run a group safely.
I have tutored many subjects at BELA level over the years, including Planning and Preparation, Safety & Emergency, and Navigation. I usually cover Navigation for Northamptonshire County Council ~ Youth Services ~ BELA courses run at Grendon Hall Centre, Northamptonshire

again pictures from BELA training are amongst the training pictures on this site
including Night Navigation pictures
on the Long Mynd in Shropshire, during the "practical training week end"

it is a pre requisite for any leader that takes young people expedition training in open & un-familiar country.  they must be qualified to at least BELA standard

therefore we run a minimum of one BELA (and often many more)
courses each year

choosing a wild camp site

another BELA topic is
conservation and access, and its many related subjects

protect our world

conservation & access

to gain the award you need to
"pass" every unit,
most units are by run
as continuous assessment
during the course

1.   Leadership & Party Management
2.   Instructional & Organisational Method
3.   Planning & Preparation
4.   Conservation and Access
5.   Navigation
6.   Equipment
7.   Living Out-of-doors
8.   First Aid and Emergencies
9.   Fitness and Weather
10.   Leadership Experience

the two units that take up the most time
on a BELA course are

unit 2:   Instructional &
Organisational Method
and
unit 5:   Navigation

to pass the navigation section

by the end of the course you will need to know

#  set a map
#  find a location
#  complete a journey
#  interpret Map to ground
#  calculate distance traveled
# complete and assess route cards
# work out grid and magnetic North
# determine direction of travel with a compass

as mentioned earlier continuous
assessment is used during the course
with candidates demonstrating the skills learnt
during a practical week-end in the Long Myndd

during 1999
we ran two BELA courses

the first during March & April

the second from mid September until mid November 1999

pictures
from the second BELA course of 1999

during 2000
we have almost completed
the first of two BELA courses

pictures
of the BELA practical session
in the Long Myndd March 2000

try an exercise from the navigation section

walk the Snowdon Horseshoe exercise

do you know your
map symbols ??

more ideas for
teaching navigation

at present we use seven tutors on the 10 units with a 50~50 split of male and female
and the course director (David)

most tutors work on
two or three units as well as the
practical sessions at
Irchester Country park,
Bradgate Park
and Long Myndd

David is seen here playing with just a few of his "big boys toys"
the moderator and Northamptonshire County council will be pleased to know that this picture was taken on a social day out and not a BELA day in the snow !!!!

if you any comments about either my web site or the BELA
please send them to me

nigelspencer@btinternet.com

or

davidwhiting@btinternet.com

the course director
(for Northamptonshire County Council BELA courses)

after you have achieved your BELA

In Northamptonshire a BELA certificate allows you to take young people into
"open and un-familiar country as part of an expedition or any other training.

this is suitable for bronze and some silver levels of the award

to lead, supervise, etc participants at gold level it must be in wild country
and that involves the leader holding a MLTB certificate

link to Nigel's qualification page
including MLTB, SPA rock climbing etc.

picture taken during my "MLTB" training