A little insight to working as part of The Adventure Team from David Thompson.  David’s role is primarily as the Business Development Assistant, he gets involved will all aspects of the business though!  Read on to find out how David got on with his first residential.

I do specifically remember reading a Facebook status on the Adventure Team Facebook over the summer, which said, “Making an impact on the lives of 255 young people today. How cool is that?” I will admit that I found it quite cheesy at first. Being the business development assistant and office manager, I tended to be sending the emails, making the phone calls, and sorting the other ins and outs of an office, which meant that I could not fully appreciate the value of the status.

However if I have to tell a customer about the activities which we offer, then the best thing is to experience them first hand and then describe my experience to them. The one area I did struggle about was with young adult residentials.

The young adult residential I had taken was with Tyrone Donegal Partnership. I found it a bit daunting at first since I had only previously helped out with kids before and not people around my own age group. I watched Stephen at work and how he took control of the various personalities in the group. To be fair I probably wasn’t that much help on the day. But I did notice the amount of respect he earned from a group of young adults which is definitely a lot harder to gain than that of a group of young children.

With a few more Tyrone Donegal residentials forthcoming, it was my call of duty. I was nervous at the prospect but it was Stephen’s confidence that I could do the job and take control which inspired me as well as the fact he was just as nervous about leaving me unattended like a parent dropping their child off on the first day of school. However the second he left, I felt that I was in control. Adventure Team motto in my head, it was quite literally a case of “Hold your breath and jump!”

I tried a few energisers and then a few team games which got the groups really competitive. By the time Donal had arrived to help me, he ended up taking a back seat until I had finished my last game. Which was every bit as much as a compliment as him actually saying anything. They say you can decide within 7 seconds if you like somebody. So that was the only thing on my mind. If I had to win over the group, I had to do it instantly! However I wasn’t entirely sure if I had.

In the mid afternoon, I was taking archery and I noticed the group were dependent on me to help them load the bow, what way to stand, where to aim and when to let go. With that dependency on me, I was gaining their respect which in turn was giving me more confidence and enthusiasm to work with them.

By night time, Donal and I had taken a walk up the village and to the Bar to watch the football and chat about how the day went. A few of our students came over and personally thanked us for the great day they had. Then another few and another few and when we arrived back at the hostel after the match, I slowly started to appreciate what The Adventure Team status meant to the person who wrote it (Stephen or Tracy).

The next day it became much clearer, especially when taking the group to the lake for some raft building. It was great to see them working as a team and putting all differences aside to get their raft assembled, floated and raced and disassembled. That gave me a sense of achievement to see how far their attitudes changed towards one another after 2 days.

The time came for the group to go home and I had to say my goodbyes to them all. I genuinely felt a bit sad to see them go and then it was my turn to feel like the parent leaving the child for school! I felt I had fully earned their respect and impacted on how they treated one another, or needed one another and the importance of teamwork to achieve an overall objective. Hearing their appreciative thank you’s and handshakes and watching them hug each other as they left, took me back to that status that The Adventure Team had posted over the summer. “Making an impact on the lives of 255 young people today. How cool is that?”

Are you a keen Hill Walker?  Do you want to get more experience?  Do you have skills to share and skills to learn?  Do you like working with kids?

We have a great opportunity for you if you can answer YES to all of the above!

If you would like more details get in touch with us now – info@theadventureteam.co.uk

"MEN (& WOMEN) WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. 
SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, 
LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS,
CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. 
HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS."
                                     Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922)

4A is a unique programme designed to support people, with the right attitude, to gain the following opportunities:

• Learn new skills from working beside qualified and experienced instructors
• Get group experience in a wide variety of activities and settings
• Access to company outdoor equipment
• Mentoring and support as you work towards you new career
• Work and play with others who share your ambition and drive
• Learn what makes an outdoor centre tick
• Have all training and assessment courses paid by The Adventure Team

If this sounds like its right up your street read on and make sure you can yes to all of the following:

• I have a mature approach, with the ability to communicate with a wide client base
• I have a willingness to learn new skills
• I have the ability to self assess and remain open to feedback from others to further enhance my own performance.
• I have a flexible approach to working hours
• I am able to work long hours for a sustained period, when required
• I am able to work at different bases across Northern Ireland and Ireland
• I am a self motivated, outdoor enthusiast
• I am committed to a career in the outdoor industry
• I have an eagerness to share my love for the outdoors with others
• I am hard working and committed to detail and quality

“What lies beyond us and what lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us”

Sir Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our programme of training and learning is as follows:

DATE	TRAINING COVERED
Sunday 20th February	Introduction and training in Kayaking Introduction to The Adventure Team, health and safety awareness, company ethos and aims and child protection training. You will also get to meet the rest of the 4A Team and begin the process of getting to know each other better. Experience roster will be agreed.
Sunday 6th March	Introduction and training in: Team Games, Energisers and Problem Solving Archery Orienteering Treasure Hunts River Scrambling Introduction to presentation skills, facilitation skills, report writing and reviewing skills.
Sunday 20th March	Introduction and training in Coasteering, First Aid and Rescue Scenarios Introduction to environmental awareness and access.
Sunday 3rd April	Introduction and training in Raft Building Introduction to drugs and alcohol awareness. Personal and professional development plans – review of your progress and action plan for further training.

In addition to the Training Days you will also be provided with 4 days of Work Experience (or more if you would like to boost your experience).

We are subsidising this course completely and therefore have limited places and expect 100% commitment to the dates and the course content.

We understand that some activities may be more appealing that others and that is ok – all that we ask is that you come with an openness to participating in the activities that you are not so keen on.

All participants that successfully graduate from 4A will be offered casual work with The Adventure Team in line with your personal and professional development plans.

If you would like to join the 4A Team please contact Stephen on 028 8164 8390 or email stephen@theadventureteam.co.uk.

Good luck and we hope to hear from you soon

“Like all opportunities presented in life – the more you give the more you get!”

The Adventure Team

We are on the look out for more freelance staff to join The Adventure Team!

Our events see us delivering activities throughout Ireland, North and South, and we are always on the look out for more people to join our Team providing engaging and rewarding events for youth groups, schools and businesses!

Can you think outside of the box? 

Do you have excellent people skills? 

Do you want to do something different? 

Do you want to action change? 

Do you want to work in a rewarding environment that encourages team and personal development?

Did you answer YES to all of the above?  If so then contact us today and we will be in touch!