Planning for Disabled Canoeing

We have taken wheelchair users canoeing several times in the past and have always managed with manual handling to lift them either directly into the canoe or into their wheelchair secured inside the canoe. We have carefully risk assessed techniques and procedures for managing such sessions but have recently reviewed these to take account of using our new mobile hoist. This now allows us to safely lift heavier and less mobile disabled students into and out of a canoe. We have been practicing the techniques required ready for running a canoeing session with a disabled student in March.

Generally taster sessions with disabled students are done with them comfortably and stably sat in a rafted canoe surrounded by beanbags and cushions to provide the necessary support. This still allows them to use a paddle if they can and means they are not dangerously secured into the boat in the extremely unlikely event of a capsize. It is more-or-less impossible to capsize a rafted canoe on sheltered inland water. If you want to find out more about canoeing with disabled students e-mail the Centre Manager and ask for a copy of our information sheet on 'Canoeing With Disabled Students'

First Aid in the Outdoors

We have again this January hosted our annual First Aid in the Outdoors Course. This is an intensive 18+ hour training course in First Aid that takes casualty care beyond the first 30 mins and looks at how first aiders might care for a casualty in a remote outdoor environment when medical care is potentially several hours away. This year 20 candidates, mostly teachers, practiced the basics of diagnosis, bandaging,

resuscitation etc. inside and then we went outside to try it in a 'real' context.

To make things even more realistic we had a make-up expert create life-like wounds and then scenarios were set up outside with 3 casualties at a time. The first aiders needed to make triage decisions and then treat each casualty for their injuries. 

The three trainers include a retired SW Amulance Superintendent with 40 years experience and another with experience as the team leader of a Mountain Rescue Team. Anecdotal discussion and lectures in topics such as hypothermia, diabetes, asthma and heart conditions etc. all increase the candidates knowledge of how to care for different ailments. At the end of the course all candidates were independently assessed by external examiners and due to their excellent training all passed! The course is approved by the BCU and recognised by UKMLTB and is valid for 3 years. If you are interested in doing next January's course give us a call. 



Contacting The Dark Side of the Moon!

Our guests soon discover on their first visit here that they won't be disturbed by their mobile phone going off. In terms of mobile phone reception we are on the 'dark side of the moon' and their is no network coverage in the building and it is necessary to go at least half a mile to get a signal. This is often viewed positively by visiting teachers as it means students won't be texting and social networking online in the middle of the night etc. The 'digital divide' helps preserve some of the values and behaviours of the past and students spend time talking to one another face to face and even interacting through traditional board games etc. We do have a payphone available, that also takes incoming calls, if it becomes appropriate to phone home, but this is often discouraged by visiting staff.

Until now we have also not had internet availability for visiting staff outside office hours. This however has now changed. I am pleased to announce that we have now installed a dedicated computer in the lounge by the 'visiting staff corner' which has internet capability. You will be able to update the school website with photos etc. in the evenings and check e-mail as required. We hope to in the future to connect it to an interactive whiteboard allowing it to also be used as a teaching resource. Of course if you want to continue to escape computers and social networking etc. for a week then you can always leave it switched off! Continue telling people you are in the Forest of Dean - on 'the dark side of the moon!' Other than this blog post we won't tell them you're now contactable!

Another LOTC Champion!

Well, following straight on from our last blog post we have today celebrated another teacher's thirtieth year of visiting the Centre! She has similarly been bringing groups up to two or three times a year for three decades and in fact now has students coming to the Centre who are children of parents who came as students with her! Another champion of Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) and someone who sees and believes in the benefits of the residential experience and how much it can influence the lives of students.