Hi all
I’m a fairly new CI and I was due to attend a BEL Course with Sussex Wing at the end of the month, however the instructor has been taken ill and will be out of action for a month. This has led to the course being cancelled. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any other Wing that was running this course in the near future?
Unfortunately I don’t have Bader access at the moment so I’m a bit stuck on finding out through internal mechanisims although my Squadron Staff are on the case as well. Any help very thankfully received.
Regards
EAM
Contact NACATC Windermere, they could point you in the direction of courses or be able to provide dates for another course.
BEL is being replaced by the ML lowland and moorland qualifications. If you have 6 people who need to do the course again contact NACATC as they are a provider and have a number of staff able to deliver the course.
Alternatively get your WATTO to contact them and get the course done as soon as you need.
Just to clarify, BEL is not being replaced - it’s still on offer via SportsLeadersUK. However, the new Mountain Training Lowland Leader award which offers a very similar approach, is now directly competing with the SLUK qualification.
I know a number of Wings who are stopping BEL Courses in favour of the recently launched ML Lowland Leader award. It’s a much quicker and less laborious course and, when combined with the expedition skills module, makes it as relevant as BEL, with a lot less wasted time/weekends.
Personally, as a recently qualified L3 BEL, I wish I’d held out for the ML Lowland leader qual!!!
I’d ping your WATTO (or, if an approachable type, your RATTO) an email and see what’s going on.
[quote=“ExArmyMusic” post=18486]Hi all
I’m a fairly new CI and I was due to attend a BEL Course with Sussex Wing at the end of the month, however the instructor has been taken ill and will be out of action for a month. This has led to the course being cancelled. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any other Wing that was running this course in the near future?
Unfortunately I don’t have Bader access at the moment so I’m a bit stuck on finding out through internal mechanisims although my Squadron Staff are on the case as well. Any help very thankfully received.
Regards
EAM[/quote]
The course has been moved to the autumn AFAIK.
Quick update on this, I spoke to the very helpful staff at NACATC Windermere and we are going to get together a group from the Squadron and local area to go through the new Lowland Leader qualification.
Thanks for the excellent advice, very useful indeed!