Graduation Year: 2009
Degree: BSc Outdoor Studies
Degree Awarded: 2.1
Before I started at MMU Cheshire I was working for PGL, an outdoor activity provider. I felt that to really progress within the outdoor industry I needed a combination of a degree and NGB qualifications, hence why I chose to start uni.
I chose MMU Cheshire as I was impressed by the units within the degree and by the level of experience and expertise of the lecturers.
Too much to mention! I particularly enjoyed being involved in the setting up of the Widening Participation scheme and the residential trips away particularly the fantastic trip to the Alps.
One of the best things about the course was making so many great friends, who I will no doubt have plenty of contact with in the future, due to the close knit nature of the outdoor sector.
I also enjoyed combining the student and outdoor lifestyle, leading to various pranks including abseiling out of student hall windows!
Personal Development Instructor at the Lambourne End Outdoor Centre on the outskirts of London in Essex (http://www.lambourne-end.org.uk/).
I work mainly with princes trust groups and our longer term personal development courses. I am also currently heading up an after-school outdoor activities scheme with a local specialist disability school.
The centre does exactly the sort of work I wanted to get into after finishing university.
My degree has had huge relevance to the work that I now do. What is great is that I now have the chance to play around and work with theories and ideas in a more practical way with real life groups!
Various aspects of the course have come in handy whether it be explaining aspects of nutrition to my group on a Tesco shopping run, explaining the science behind just how strong our climbing equipment is to a nervous group or discussing government outdoor education policy with visiting teachers!
I recently went on a survival training course held on a beach in Scotland with a technical advisor to Bear Grylls which was highly entertaining although I feel you can only live off limpets for a certain amount of time.
I am working towards my ML and SPA assessments and am currently pestering work to put me on specific facilitation/experiential learning training this winter.
I would like to progress with further NGB qualifications whilst gaining valuable experience of working with challenging groups within outdoor personal development.
I would also like to lead a World Challenge type expedition to somewhere exciting.