The Canoe Sports Trust relies on a team of Activity Instructors and Coaches to lead activities and deliver courses. If you are or wish to become an activity leader or coach we provide a range of training opportunities to get you the required qualifications and experience.
Many of the groups that access activities at the Trust do so using their own qualified instructors, with these instructors likely to have obtained their qualifications via a Canoe Sports Trust course. Where Groups lack their own leaders, the Trust is able to access a pool of competant Activity Instructors to deliver activities.
If you are a qualified Instructor or Coach and you are seeking some seasonal work, then the Trust can offer you casual opportunities with most courses and activities taking place in the afternoons and evenings from May through to September.
If you are yet to become a qualified paddlesport Instructor we will consider you a volunteer until such time as you obtain some basic safety and rescue training and a first aid qualification after which you will be classified as an assistant instructor, allowing you to participate by supporting activities under the close supervision of a qualified instructor or coach.
For those Instructors that are already qualified, we will first want to see your credentials which include; proof of your paddlesport instructors or coaching qualification; evidence of a recent FRST and First Aid qualification; and proof of a DBS clearence. Where an instructor has out of date qualifications, we can make arrangements for these to be re-validated.
Following confirmation of your qualifications and credentials will will need to see you in action, so we will pair you with another instructor for your first few sessions, during this time we will expose you to the processes and proceedures that others recieve via our Paddlesport Leaders Basic Training before undertaking a Coaching Assesment to confirm your competance to lead activities independantly.
Following your endorsement as a CST Instructor we will encourage you to participate on a Paddklesport Leaders Advanced Training course where you will recieve specific instruction so that you can take charge of a number of simultaneous activities.
If you are a young instructor (under 18) and are looking to obtain coaching qualifications to lead courses, the Trust operates a bursary scheme which will give you discounted access to courses to assist you in your journey to becoming a qualified coach.
If you are interested to learn more about the courses, we offer check out the Courses We Offer page or contact us to find out more.
Specific Information for Scout Leaders
If you are a Scout leader and you wish to run your own activities this year with your Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers you can achieve this by following three simple steps.
Step 1
Attend Paddlesport Leaers Basic Training, with two of these courses running during April (these can be booked on our courses page). The Basic Training will familiarise you with the latest developments associated with paddlesports, we discuss activity planning and cover risks associated with the area of operation and give you an opportunity to practice a few skills or learn some new ones.
Assuming you have attended a Paddlesport Safety & Rescue Training (was FSRT) and have a First Aid certificate then you are ready to apply for a Water Activity Authorisation from your local district commissioner.
If you have not attended Safety & Rescue training or have a First Aid qualification, such courses can be booked via our courses page.
If you already hold an Adventurous Activity Authorisation to run activities on Bury Lake and wish to borrow Trust equipment, we will ask you to attend Paddlesport Leaders Basic Training. Should you miss the April dates, we run other courses subject to demand at the end of June.
Step 2
Submit your Adventurous Activity Form to your District Commissioner.
Step 3
Following receipt of Approval, the Trust will provide some cursory supervision for your first few visits to provide some added shoreside support. Scouting qualified leaders are encouraged to attend Paddlesport Leaders Advanced Training as it provides additional guidance for leaders who may wish to vary the activities they offer, the course will also offer guidance how you should operate as either the sole occupant of the facility or when there are multiple groups on site and each is sharing the limited water and shore based facilities.
Paddlesport Leaders Advanced Training courses run in May, June and August subject to demand.
Other Courses
The Canoe Sports Trust has a focus towards encouraging activity, we therefore run a variety of courses to attract new paddlesport leaders. Scout and Guide Leaders can often access training courses at a good discount or may be able to get scouting to subsidize their leader development, it is worth asking your District Commissioner or Group Leader whether they will help fund a particular course.
