UCLan Outdoors Division

The University of Central Lancashire is now offering an applied part-time Top-up Degree for experienced practitioners working in the outdoors. The course - BA (Hons) Outdoor Leadership, is delivered in North Wales, (two weekends per module), and usually takes two years to complete. The ethos of the programme is to consider how engagement with theoretical aspects of the subject can inform, challenge and support practice, and offers a unique opportunity to engage in academic study in a flexible part-time manner. The programme is delivered one module at a time, with each module held over two weekends involving lectures and practical sessions. There are additional opportunities for support through online lectures and tutorial sessions. Subsequent student engagement and learning from each module is assessed in a variety of ways including essays, reports and presentations. The modules include: Leadership & Change; Sustainable Outdoor Practice; Personal, Social & Emotional Dev...

Adventure Sports Coaching students and an up-and-coming British climber have teamed up as part of a mutually beneficial collaboration. Third year undergraduates Alex Munnery, Becky Taylor and Jonathan Hyde are helping Connor Byrne with conditioning and nutritional advice, as he strives to become a regular member of the British climbing team. Connor asked UCLan for help through the 'Rising Stars Programme'. Associate Lecturer Keith McGregor said: "This is a great opportunity for our students to work with some of the country's top sports people and gain experience in strength and conditioning. "It's a great honour for them to work with Connor and his Coach Paul Dewhurst. We hope to be able to help Connor achieve his dream of becoming a regular member of the British senior squad."

UCLan Outdoor students supported an annual charity event featuring pupils from a number of local secondary schools. The event was an adventure race based at the Lancashire County Council Outdoor Education Centre at Hothersall Lodge, Longridge. Our students received training and facilitated the event which saw ten schools participate in challenges such as raft building, climbing, zip lines, team challenges and an endurance race. Feedback from the event was extremely positive and it's hoped our students will be invited to return next year.

SSTO staff from Tyn Dwr delivered induction activities for students from a range of courses during September. Accountancy students from Lancashire Business School took part in problem solving and team development tasks at UCLan Sports Arena , while a session for Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Sports Coaching students was hosted at Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre . These events show the wide range of activities Tyn Dwr can provide. Pictures can be viewed here . For more information about what Tyn Dwr has to offer please email Sharon Rosser .

Outdoor Leadership students Kathleen Howard and Laura Cook have completed a one-year internship with Magic Bus in India. Magic Bus is a non-government organisationsupporting young people below the poverty line in improving their lives.The Magic Bus Centre for Learning and Development caters for a wide range of groups and needs andis located in a remote part of Maharashtra. Sessions are based around the 'Learning through experience' philosophy. Programmes are planned very carefully around four key foundations; facilitation, mentoring, coaching and feedback. Staff use a multitude of techniques to encourage participants to leave their comfort zone and enter the stretch zone to achieve a desired outcome, ranging from team cohesion to creative thinking. Kathleen and Laura have kindly provided UCLan Outdoors with a presentation poster detailing their time in India.

Our students are provided with many opportunities to gain valuable work experience. Jedd Brierley enjoyed a productive summer, attending the 10th Cycling and Society Annual Symposium at Tyn Dwr Outdoor Centre and progressing his Dissertation. Jedd believes the experience will be invaluable to his studies: "My summer work experience provided excellent opportunities for researching into my Dissertation subject of female participation in mountain-biking. "Having a whole new batch of trainee instructors to query over how they perceived the mountain-bike community and industry was particularly useful. This allowed me to pick up on underlying themes and attitudes towards mountain-biking from both the female and male perspective. "This in turn, along with the literature I had studied allowed me to construct a survey for a net-nogrophy. I was also lucky enough to be invited to the 10th annual Cycling and Society Symposium. I put together my initial findings, broken down i...

Outdoor Leadership student Pete Haggan recently attended the 10th Annual Cycling and Society Symposium at Tyn Dwr Outdoor Centre . The event offered a variety of practical and theoretical presentations on all aspects of cycling; delivered by academics, policy makers and advocates, all with a shared interest in cycling and cycling culture. Pete believes the Symposium has vastly improved his future career prospects: "This event offered a unique opportunity to present a poster illustrating the research I've carried out over Summer 2013 into motivations for riding venue choice among mountain bikers, with PhD students, town planners and academics. "I've shared my own ideas and intentions for the direction of the research with likeminded people seeking to understand life history through cycling behaviour, cyclotourism and the rise of middle aged man in lycra. "What did I learn? Well, despite my trepidation at being surrounded by academic cyclists I realised t...

Emily Bridger has completed a one-year internship with Himalayan Outward Bound in India (OBI) as part of her Outdoor Leadership degree. OBI is a non-profit, independent educational organisation with approximately 40 schools world-wide, educating 200,000 participants per year. Himalayan Outward Bound adventure programmes aim to foster the personal growth and social skills of participants by using challenging expeditions in the outdoors. Outward Bound runs on the belief that character development is just as important as academic achievement. Participants put in challenging adventure situations gain confidence, redefine their perceptions and demonstrate compassion. Emily has kindly provided UCLan Outdoors with a presentation poster and photoset  detailing her time in India.  

Outdoor Leadership BA (Hons) graduate Alice Mees left UCLan in 2013 to take up a new position at the National Mountain Centre in North Wales. Alice took time out from her busy schedule to tell us about her time at UCLan and her new role: "I feel the course has really been a catalyst for not only my academic development, but also my development as an individual. "Upon starting the degree I was quiet and lacking confidence. The degree provided opportunities to develop as an instructor, facilitator, coach, teacher and leader, through a good balance of theoretical knowledge and practical application of this at Tyn Dwr . The broad background knowledge I gained throughout the course has given me a great foundation from which I've been able to build upon and continue my own learning and development working in the industry. "I now work at Plas Y Brenin , the National Mountain Centre in Snowdonia, as a Centre Assistant. This job involves working in all areas of the cen...

After three years of hard work our students are seen celebrating their graduation ceremony with members of staff. UCLan's Divison of the Outdoors would like to congratulate everyone on their success and wish you all the best in the future. You should all be extremely proud of the hard work you've put in. Please stay in touch and let us know how you get on in the Great Outdoors!